Washington · Rock climbing · Mazama

Squirrelhouse Rock

Squirrelhouse Rock in Washington has 9 sport climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

9 routes
5.6 – 5.12b
Sport

Is Squirrelhouse Rock open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for Methow Valley Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Methow Valley Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Squirrelhouse Rock

Best months: April–October. 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.

  1. Jan

    29° / 16°

    15 wet

  2. Feb

    37° / 19°

    12 wet

  3. Mar

    46° / 26°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    58° / 33°

    7 wet

  5. May

    68° / 41°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    75° / 48°

    7 wet

  7. Jul

    84° / 55°

    5 wet

  8. Aug

    84° / 53°

    4 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 44°

    6 wet

  10. Oct

    56° / 34°

    10 wet

  11. Nov

    39° / 25°

    14 wet

  12. Dec

    28° / 16°

    15 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mazama, WA, 0.4 mi away at 2,141 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Squirrelhouse Rock is a climbing area in the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in northeastern Washington. It sits close to the town of Mazama, and the surrounding area is a cluster of climbing spots, with A-Wall and Rhinozone both about 0.1 mile away. The area has nine sport routes, ranging from 5.6 to 5.12b. Bryan Burdo is the first ascender on several of them, including the 5.6 Dramatic Chipmunk, the 5.11a Backup Plan and the 5.12b French Kiss, also known as Make Out. The hardest route, French Kiss, is rated 5.12b. The most comfortable months for climbing are late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Mazama put May highs around 68°F and September highs around 74°F, with July and August highs near 84°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 29°F. Beyond the climbing, the Methow Valley Community Trail from Mazama to Freestone Inn starts about 0.6 mile away, and Early Winters Campground is about 0.8 mile off. Klipchuck Campground lies about 3.7 miles away, and the Methow River offers paddling roughly 9 miles from the area.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Ripple RockPhoto: eliduke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ripple Rock

~0 min drive

Ripple Rock in Washington has 6 sport climbing routes across 5 grades.

Washington PassPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Washington Pass

~19 min drive

Washington Pass in Washington has 12 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.

Spire GullyPhoto: Buidhe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Spire Gully

~20 min drive

Alpine gully climbing in Washington's dramatic vertical terrain.

Liberty BellPhoto: Rainhead, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Liberty Bell

~21 min drive

Liberty Bell in Washington has 18 climbing routes across 13 grades.

Concord TowerPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Concord Tower

~21 min drive

Concord Tower in Washington has 5 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.

The Gunsight RangePhoto: Buidhe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Gunsight Range

~21 min drive

Gunsight Range, The in Washington has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.

Amphitheatre MountainPhoto: caffeinated_zeitgeist, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Amphitheatre Mountain

~48 min drive

Amphitheatre Mountain in Washington has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.

RhinozonePhoto: eliduke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rhinozone

~0 min drive

Rhinozone in Washington offers 13 climbing routes across 9 grades, with sport and trad options.

Sun RockPhoto: eliduke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sun Rock

~0 min drive

Sun Rock in Washington has 9 sport climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

Summertime CragPhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Summertime Crag

~19 min drive

Summertime Crag in Washington has 6 routes with 5 difficulty grades.