Washington · Rock climbing · Index

The Side Walls

Side Walls, The in Washington has 11 climbing routes across 9 grades, featuring mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

11 routes

5.9+ – 5.12b

Sport · Trad · Mixed

Is Side Walls, The open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It doesn't name Side Walls, The, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

Grand Park 2 Fire Closure Update
Agency closure covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Order 06-05-26-16 · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Bell Creek Bridge Damaged
Agency closure covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Rescission of Shooting Restrictions
Agency alert covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Electric Fire Closure Order
Agency alert covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Order 06-05-26-19 · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Mountain Goats Have Been Present on Yellow Aster Butte
Agency alert covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

As of Oct 25, 6:15 pm PDT · Source: USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Side Walls

Best months: July–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
42° / 31°
20 wet · 4 snow
Feb
47° / 32°
17 wet · 2 snow
Mar
52° / 34°
19 wet · 2 snow
Apr
59° / 38°
18 wet
May
66° / 44°
16 wet
Jun
69° / 48°
13 wet
Jul
77° / 52°
7 wet
Aug
77° / 52°
7 wet
Sep
71° / 48°
11 wet
Oct
58° / 41°
16 wet
Nov
47° / 36°
20 wet · 2 snow
Dec
41° / 32°
20 wet · 5 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Baring, WA, 5.4 mi away at 770 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Closures we've recorded since August 2026

Campfire Ban in Effect Forest-wide
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Order dated July 21, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Sep 15, 2026 · Forest Service

The Side Walls is a climbing area in the Skykomish Ranger District of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington. It sits among several other climbing spots, with K Cliff and the Inner Wall Trail both about 0.1 mile away, and the Index Town Wall Trail about 0.2 mile off. The area has 11 routes, with six in sport style and four in trad. The grades run from 5.9+ up to 5.12b, with the hardest route, A Stick and a Gun, a sport climb at 5.12b. The trad route The Salient Rock Shape of the Locomotive is 5.10c, and A Bobcats Lament is a sport 5.11b. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Baring weather station show July and August highs around 77°F with only about seven wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the low 40s and frequent snow days. Nearby, the Crescent Trail is about half a mile away, and Heybrook Lookout offers camping about 1.9 miles off. Anderson Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 1.8 miles away.