Washington · Rock climbing · Washougal

Stratosphere

Stratosphere in Washington has 11 climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

11 routes
5.8 – 5.11c
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Stratosphere open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

As of · Source: USFS · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Stratosphere

Best months: June–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.

  1. Jan

    44° / 33°

    20 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    48° / 33°

    17 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    54° / 35°

    20 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    59° / 38°

    19 wet

  5. May

    67° / 43°

    15 wet

  6. Jun

    71° / 47°

    11 wet

  7. Jul

    79° / 50°

    6 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 50°

    5 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 46°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 41°

    15 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 37°

    19 wet

  12. Dec

    44° / 33°

    21 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA, 4.1 mi away at 435 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Stratosphere is a climbing area in Washington's Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Ozone about 0.2 miles away and (1) Shire Wall and (2) Middle Earth each about 0.3 miles off, making it easy to pair with other routes in the same stretch of the Gorge. The climbing here runs from trad to sport, with 11 routes in total. The YDS grades range from 5.8 to 5.11c, and the hardest is Bad Makeup at 5.11c. Indian Summer is a 5.10a trad route, and Breaking Through the Layers is a 5.11b sport route. The area also has a mixed route. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Skamania Fish Hatchery weather station show July and August highs around 79 to 80°F with only five or six wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-40s and rain on most days.

Routes (11)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

North Forest BouldersPhoto: Kingofthedead, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

North Forest Boulders

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North Forest Boulders in Oregon has 12 bouldering routes across 7 grades.

Beacon Rock BoulderingPhoto: Kingofthedead, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Beacon Rock Bouldering

~18 min drive

Solid bouldering in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge with scenic river views.

Ozone

~0 min drive

Ozone is a Washington climbing area with 4 sport routes.

(1) Shire Wall

~1 min drive

Shire Wall in Washington has 11 routes with traditional climbing and 5 difficulty grades.

(2) Middle Earth

~1 min drive

Middle Earth in Washington has 10 routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

(3) Snake Wall

~1 min drive

Snake Wall in Washington has 7 routes across 4 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

(4) Gold Wall

~1 min drive

Gold Wall in Washington has 12 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad options.

(5) Old Tree Wall

~1 min drive

Old Tree Wall in Washington has 6 climbing routes with 5 difficulty grades.

(6) Shield Wall

~1 min drive

Shield Wall in Washington has 8 routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

(7) Heaven's Wall

~1 min drive

13-route climbing crag in Washington with sport and trad options.