"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."
-Henry David Thoreau
No matter where you visit in the beautiful state of California you can expect to find fantastic rock climbing locations nearby. Get ready to be inspired to reach new heights exploring these incredibly breathtaking locations.
California is the land of granite peaks, rock and exposed mountains jutting out of the landscape providing extraordinary rock climbing spots for every skill level. Our search for the best of the best led us to Yosemite (Central America), Lassen National Park (Northern California), Joshua Tree National Park (Southern California) and Sierre National Forest (Eastern Sierra).
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| Photo by Sierra Mountain Center |
Central California
Let's start with the best - Yosemite, a mecca for rock climbers. Serious rock climbers can’t resist Yosemite, even though the first glimpse of the daunting vertical walls can be intimidating, it doesn't stop them from gearing up to make the climb. Most climbing in Yosemite involves carrying and placing protection devices instead of clipping them into preplaced bolts, a technique that can take years to master. Making Yosemite less than ideal for beginners, so you'll want to beef up your rock climbing skills before taking it on.
For hands-on lessons, sign up at Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service. The school holds classes and seminars for all skill levels between April and October. The classes meet on a daily basis in both Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows, and equipment rentals are available.
If you'd rather just watch the action instead of actually doing it yourself, head to El Capitan Meadow. Sit back in a camp chair and scan the face of massive El Capitan for the distant climbers scaling it’s impossibly sheer face. This 3,593-foott/1,095-meter rock face was first successfully scaled in the 1950’s, and since then many other bold adventurers have climbed their way to the top. The majority of the climbers make the climb in three to five days, spending their nights sleeping on ledges or tethered into hammocks (watch for the shimmer of headlamps as they turn in for the night). Professional rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson made history in January 2015 when they became the first to free climb El Capitan's Dawn Wall, long considered the most difficult rock climb in the world.
Lassen National Park
Northern California
Located near Redding, California, this park boasts an incredible 10,000-foot volcanic dome and a variety of awesome crags that offer fantastic rock climbing. The park's largest crag is referred to as "Bellybutton", because it has plenty of cracks that provide great footing as high up as 165 feet. The Lassen Peak Trail is a great place for scenic hiking. And the hot springs in the park are the perfect place for chilling out after a strenuous day of climbing or hiking.
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| Photo by Sierra Mountain Center |
Joshua Tree National Park
Southern California
Located in the high desert, Joshua Tree is a world class rock climbing destination loaded with over 8,000 climbing trails, more than 400 formations, and vertical rock climbing surfaces for all experience levels. If you prefer to take a lesson or a guide, you may want to look into Vertical Adventures Rock Climbing School.
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| Photo by Joshua Tree National Park |
The Eastern Sierra
Located on the eastern edge of the Sierra National Forest you’ll find a number of areas recognized for world-class rock climbing. The Rock Creek Canyon features excellent 9,000-foot granite walls located near Mt. Abbot's peak.
In the Lakes Basin, Horseshoe Slabs, a popular climbing spot with amazing granite walls also at 9,000 feet, is ideal for late summer/early fall climbing. For bouldering fanatics, check out Deadman's with it’s main cliff that's more than 30 feet tall. For the novices, myself included, there's Iris Slab, the perfect place to work on your climbing skills.
Sierra Mountain Center, one of the great mountaineering schools, provides lessons and guides in the Eastern Sierra of California.
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| Photo by Sierra Mountain Center |
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