The Shield
The Shield is a sport climbing crag in Washington with 6 routes.
- 6 routes
- 5.7 – 5.11
- Sport
Is Shield, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Colville National Forest.
Colville National Forest Terminates Fire Public Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Colville National Forest · Order 06-21-00-26-14 · USFS · Colville National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Colville National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Shield
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 16°
11 wet · 8 snow
Feb
38° / 18°
8 wet · 4 snow
Mar
49° / 24°
9 wet · 2 snow
Apr
58° / 29°
9 wet · 1 snow
May
68° / 37°
11 wet
Jun
74° / 42°
10 wet
Jul
84° / 47°
6 wet
Aug
84° / 45°
4 wet
Sep
74° / 38°
5 wet
Oct
57° / 29°
8 wet · 1 snow
Nov
40° / 23°
11 wet · 4 snow
Dec
30° / 16°
12 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Republic, WA, 11.5 mi away at 2,555 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Shield is a climbing area in the Republic Ranger District of Colville National Forest in northeastern Washington. The Forest Service manages the land. The area offers six sport climbing routes, ranging from 5.7 to 5.11 on the YDS scale. The Shield Direct is the most direct route at 5.10a, and the Nuthin' and Next To Nuthin' climbs both top out at 5.11. The most comfortable months for climbing are typically June through September, when a nearby weather station in Republic records typical average highs around 74°F in June and 74°F in September, with July and August averaging highs near 84°F. That station sits about 1,560 feet lower than the climb, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Winter is cold and snowy, with typical January highs around 31°F. The closest climbing areas are The Roadside Boulders at about 5 miles and Viper Head at about 6 miles. Curlew Creek offers canoeing about 6 miles away, and Curlew Lake, a lake fishing spot, is about 7 miles away.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
The Roadside Boulders
~9 min drive
16 bouldering routes on rock in Washington.
Viper Head
~10 min drive
Viper Head in Washington has 10 routes from 5.10 to 5.12a on limestone.
Morning Rock Bouldering
~10 min drive
Morning Rock Bouldering is a Washington climbing area with 2 sport routes.
Middle Cliff Morning Rock
~10 min drive
Middle Cliff Morning Rock in Washington has 6 routes spanning 4 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Lower Cliff Morning Rock
~10 min drive
Lower Cliff Morning Rock in Washington has 5 mixed climbing routes.
Morning Rock - Central
~10 min drive
Morning Rock - Central in Washington has 9 mixed climbing routes graded 5.10a to 5.12d.
Morning Rock - West Face
~10 min drive
Morning Rock - West Face in Washington has 5 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Morning Rock - East Face
~10 min drive
Morning Rock - East Face in Washington has 9 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Tonata Creek Wall - Lower Wall
~11 min drive
Tonata Creek Wall - Lower Wall is a climbing crag in Washington with 8 routes.
Shangri La
~11 min drive
Shangri La is a Washington climbing crag with 9 routes across 7 grades.
