We’re Jess and Shawn, part-time van builders but full-time climbers and van lifers. We enjoy bouldering and plan our travels around where we want to be for climbing. Bouldering is a type of rock climbing up rock formations without using ropes or harnesses. Bouldering can be done in indoor gyms or outside on natural rock. In this article, we will share with you our favorite outdoor climbing destinations in California for bouldering.
There are an overwhelming amount of places we could mention as well as rope climbing crags, but for the sake of this article, we are going to give a brief overview and keep it to only our favorites. We will divide them up between “day trip” visits and “week+” stays. There are some spots we feel you only need a day or two to check out and there are areas we feel are best enjoyed during a week or longer visit. We will include links to a website and a mobile app, called Mountain Project, with detailed information regarding climbing in the areas we recommend. They offer important information such as the rules of the area and how to get to the crag with location and description of each individual climb. We’ve found it very useful as we’ve traveled to new areas and we hope you do too.
Best Day Trip Visits in the LA Area for Bouldering & Climbing
Santee
Starting south and heading north through California you will first find yourself checking out climbing areas in San Diego. When we’ve spent time here there were two spots that stood out the most to us. One is Santee where you can enjoy little to no approach to the granite boulders. You can be satisfied with spending a day here, maybe two if you find yourself a project. This spot is popular for the area and has mostly bouldering with some top rope routes. We noticed this spot doesn’t have much shade so pick a day with cooler temps or cloud coverage so you don’t overheat or just embrace basking in the sun. The other area we only checked out is Mount Woodson. You may have heard of Potato Chip rock hike near this area because it is a pretty popular photoshoot destination. It’s a very beautiful crag with lots of tree coverage so your climbs will be shaded on a hot sunny day, but we were surprised by a steep incline approach and had a difficult time finding the boulders. You’ll be sweat soaked by the time you find it, even with the shade. For that reason, we would suggest spending a few days here—you’ll have to hike a lot and you may not experience much if you try and fit it in during one day, like we did. It would be best if you can find someone familiar with the area to take you out and show you around.
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Malibu Creek
Although mostly known for sport climbing, Malibu Creek State Park is worth checking out as you head north. There is some less accessible bouldering but we recommend visiting during low water levels with many pads and spotters. We also suggest waiting a few days after a rain because the rock becomes slippery and the natural pockets hold water for longer. A must check out here for rope climbing is Planet of the Apes wall which you can either sport climb your way up or easily access the top to drop a top rope down. Side note, you could ride a bike to this wall fairly easily from the state park entrance. According to Mountain Project, “The rock at Malibu Creek State Park is pillow basalt breccia that has lithified into solid rock known as welded tuff like that at Smith Rock in central Oregon.” The easier approach to the boulders requires paying the state park fee which can be avoided from some residential parking nearby if you don’t mind a further hike in to reach the boulders. We have only ever came here from the free parking longer approach which also involved a traverse across a wall over the water. It’s a low grade as far as difficulty, but a bit thrilling while holding all your gear. This area has been known as a film location for movies and TV shows such as Planet of the Apes, MASH* and Pleasantville.
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Point Dume
If you’re in the area and have the ability to set up a top rope then Point Dume is a worthy mention. It has a paid parking lot right on the beach steps away from the climbing wall. You can hike up to the top to set up a top rope or choose to sport climb your way up. Start on the far left as you warm up and work your way towards the oceanside. There are a handful of routes here and they seem to get more challenging as you go from left to right. This may be due to the ocean water causing the rock to feel more polished and you may even get splashed as you climb. It’s a gorgeous one-day spot to check out and the perfect place for a date—in fact it was me and Shawn’s first date! You may recognize this spot featured in films such as Planet of the Apes, Space Balls, The Big Lebowski, Messiah of Evil and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
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Stoney Point
Further north as you go through Los Angeles you’ll find Stoney Point which has been referred to as the birth place of bouldering. As Mountain Project tells us, it’s the “local area for climbers of Los Angeles; Stoney Point can boast to be one of the very first bouldering areas anywhere. Its historic significance should not be underestimated – many of America’s luminaries cut their teeth here: Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Bob Kamps, Ron Kauk, John Long and John Bachar”. This is a city park made up of mostly sandstone bouldering with some top rope routes. Because this is sandstone rock is it recommended to wait up to a week after it rains to allow the rock to dry out. If it is climbed before having a chance to fully dry, you run the risk of breaking holds and ruining classic climbs. At least you’ll find free parking along the northbound side of Topanga Canyon Blvd and only walk a short distance down to the freestanding boulder just below. Another fun fact—this is where Shawn and I first met! You can find some rope climbing here as well. Some classic climbs here are Hot Tuna V5, Boot Flake V2, Master of Reality V5, Yabo Roof V2-3 and Power Glide V6.
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Best Week Trips in the LA Area for Climbing & Bouldering
Joshua Tree National Park
Now, we will get into climbing areas we suggest you should spend more time exploring. Joshua Tree National Park is one we’ve spent a lot of time visiting. This can of course be a day trip if you live nearby, but you’ll want to stay longer or at least keep coming back. When we lived in Los Angeles or San Diego we made the three hour drive to climb here for day trips or weekends. If you’re flying to this destination, the closest airport to the park’s entrance is Twentynine Palms Airport. If you’re flying in then you may also want to check out the available crash pad rentals kiosk outside Nomad Ventures in their parking lot. If this is your first visit and you’re interested in a guide, there are many but we would suggest checking out Cliff Hanger. This park is mostly made up of trad climbing but also holds a lot of bouldering as well. The climbing is always growing larger as routes are constantly being developed. The rock type here is Monzogranite which is pretty solid with lots of friction. Some areas have a darkened patina over it which makes it even stronger. Given this is a National Park there are other fun things to check out here other than climbing, both inside and outside the park. Joshua Tree has a small town feel with tourist attractions so there are a lot of people coming and going to visit as well as big box type stores within a short distance nearby.
Learn more about the history of climbing in Joshua Tree.
Some noteworthy climbing locations inside Joshua Tree National Park:
—Chasm of Doom
—Eagle Cliff Miners Cabin
—Cholla’s Cactus Garden
—Barker Dam
Some noteworthy climbing locations outside Joshua Tree National Park:
—Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Garden
—Boulder Garden’s Sanctuary
—The Integratron
—Giant Rock
—Pioneertown
—Rhythms of Life
You’ll need to purchase a day pass or an Annual Park’s Pass to enter the park. A day pass costs $30 but allows you to enter the park for up to 7 days after purchase so it’s basically a week’s pass. You can also choose an annual pass for this one park for $55 or a National Park’s Pass to get you into other national parks for $80. You will lose cell signal while you’re there so make sure to have a guide book or download maps on Mountain Project beforehand and bring walkie talkies to use with friends you plan to meet up with. You’ll drive to various areas to park either along the road or in a parking lot. There’s many short and sweet approaches to the bouldering. You can choose further boulders to hike out to as well.
It’s really tough to choose which climbs are our favorites here because there are so many we’d want to mention. There is one climb that stands out the most for Shawn and that’s John Bachar Memorial Face Problem (JBMFP) V5. It’s visible from the road when you’re heading to the Real Hidden Valley across the street from Hidden Valley Campground. Some other of our favorite areas to check out are The Outback, Planet X, Hall of Horrors and Barker Dam
Camping in the Area
If you plan to stay overnight, make sure to bring plenty of water as there are no refills inside the park aside from the west entrance booth where there are flush toilets and water available. If you’re looking for a campground for the night you’ll need to plan this ahead of time and can use this link to reserve. But, you could get lucky with a first come first serve site in Hidden Valley Campground. And if you’re visiting over a weekend, the rangers host Climber Coffee from 8am-10am both Saturday and Sunday between mid-October and April. If you’re looking for camping outside the park so you can have cell signal and other amenities, make sure to check out The Crash Pad, Joshua Tree Lake Campground, and Hipcamp or you can find BLM land to camp for free nearby.
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Bishop
When you’re ready to head further north you should definitely check out an amazing climbing location in a small town called Bishop. As described by Mountain Project, “Bishop is blessed with perfect climbing conditions. Not only is the climate perfect for climbing with only 6″ average annual rainfall, and over 300 days of sunshine, the crags and boulders that surround the town are world-class. The Owens River Gorge (ORG) has hundreds of top-quality sport routes, and the Happy and Buttermilks bouldering venues both have world-class problems. Each of the areas has distinct characteristics, the ORG has long bumpy routes, the Happy Boulders have fun boulders that suit strong fingers and flexibility, while the Buttermilks offer fine technical challenges that reward good technique and hard callouses in one of the most scenic settings in the country.” Other areas we like are Pollen Grains, near the Buttermilks, and the Sad Boulders, near the Happy Boulders. While there is less to climb here in comparison to the other areas and the parking is very limited, they’re still must-see spots.
Learn more about the volcanic tablelands here featuring the happy and sad boulders.
The buttermilks is a slightly higher elevation so we tend to go there on warmer days and because it’s a little further out of town we tend to stay overnight for a handful of days. Free camping is allowed here for up to two weeks at a time and there are pit toilets near the parking lot. There is no running water so make sure to bring enough with you. The Happy boulders are close to town and have a nearby campground for a low fee of $5/night called The Pit. This area has one road of free parking along a fence and a very short steep incline of a hike to reach the boulders. Once you reach the climbs you’ll feel like you’re in a playground with the high concentration of boulders here. Another option is to stay at a hotel in town and drive to the climbing each day. We have many friends that choose to do this option especially because this is a desert and nights can get pretty cold. Bishop is only a 4 hour drive from Los Angeles, CA or you can fly into Bishop Airport or Mammoth Yosemite Airport.
There are way too many classic climbs here to mention all our favorites, but we can name a few that we tend to take friends to when it’s their first visit here.
In the Buttermilks we’d suggest checking out High Plains Drifter V7, Go Granny Go V5, Buttermilk Stem V1, Funky Tut V3, Soul Slinger V9, Bowling Pin V4, Iron Man Traverse V4, Hero Roof V0, Birthday Direct V3, Flyboy Arete V5 and Seven Spanish Angels V6. In the Happy Boulders we’d suggest checking out Atari V6, Rene V5, Heavenly Path V1, Monkey Hang V3, Acid Wash V9, The Gleaner V6, Solarium V4, The Hulk V6, The Flying Zebra V4 and Sucker Punch V5.
Camping and Activities in the Area
In the small town of Bishop we have some favorite spots to check out. In the morning before climbing we suggest stopping at Great Basin for coffee and pastries and Erick Schats Bakery for fresh squeezed orange juice and a freshly made sandwich to save for lunch. After climbing, drive a little way out of town to join other climbers and locals at Keough’s hot springs and RV park. You can camp here in your RV or one of their tent cabins or at a nearby campground called Brown’s Town. Keoughs was established in 1919 so it’s got “charm” and is not at all impressive looking, but the natural hot springs feel amazing. They have a day pass fee, punch passes that are good for up to one year from purchase or a monthly pass.
On your rest days you can check out the town and shop at one of their gear stores such as Eastside Sports, Sage to Summit which has a small indoor climbing wall inside, and Mammoth Gear Exchange for used gear or to put your own stuff on consignment. If you like jerky we recommend checking out Mahogany Smoked Meats. You can also drive about 45 minutes north to check out other hot springs and snow activities in Mammoth Lakes. One of our favorite hot springs is here called Wild Willys and you can camp for free in the parking lot. If we choose to live anywhere full-time again we would most likely choose Bishop, CA because we love it so much.
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Yosemite National Park
Another ‘must-see’ and one of the most famous climbing areas in the world—is Yosemite National Park. You may have heard of the movie called Free Solo—this was filmed here. As Mountain Project puts it, “Climbers from all over the world have been visiting the Valley for decades (often staying in the little-changed walk-in campground of Camp 4) to test themselves against the great big wall climbs on El Capitan and Half Dome. In addition to scores of historic aid routes, Yosemite Valley also has everything from long free climbs to world-class bouldering. Don’t expect a wilderness experience – the park is often overrun by tourists and climbers alike during the busy seasons.
Yosemite has a great deal of trad climbing but it holds some great bouldering as well. Some might say this area is “sandbagged” meaning it’s very difficult for the claimed grade rating of each climb. I think it’s just popular and has been around for a while that most of these classic problems are polished granite making them difficult. You’d think the grades would change and be harder grade over the years, but that’s never the case. The only time a grade changes is when a hold breaks. A few classic lines to check out near Camp 4 are Zorro V4, Bachar Cracker V4, and Midnight Lightning V8. A few other climbs that are super fun to check out in our minds are End of the Day Problem V5-6, Marco’s Traverse V1, Torque Spanner V8, and Chapman Overhang V1.
Some other fun things we’ve checked out inside the park and feel would be great for rest days from climbing would be Yosemite Falls Trail for an easy stroll, Bridalveil Fall, Tenaya Lake, Upper Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and our favorite—Mist Trail.
Camping in the Area
For camping in the par,k you can join the long line each morning for walk-in sites for Camp 4 or might need to reserve months in advance at nearby campgrounds such as Pines or Tuolume as they fill up quickly with visitors to the park or check out Hipcamp sites nearby. We’ve slept overnight for free in our van just outside the park through the El Portal entrance which also has a gas station with some groceries.
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Lake Tahoe
We’ve only been able to check out climbing in Tahoe once, but really want to go back and spend more time here.
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake near the border of California and Nevada, known for its beaches and ski resorts. As described on Mountain Project, “The Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding region covers a vast expanse of the northern Sierra Nevada and holds a lifetime of climbing, mostly on fine-grained, high-quality granite. Trad climbing is the name of the game here and notable/large areas include Donner Summit, Lover’s Leap, Woodford’s Canyon, and Calaveras Dome, among countless other “smaller” areas that are just as good…Boulders are literally everywhere in Tahoe and to even try to grasp the volume of problems, pick up any of the 4 bouldering guides currently available for the region.”
Camping and Activities in the Area
You can choose to drive here, fly into Reno airport or even take a train that runs through Truckee. The areas we checked out while here were Rainbow, Pie Shop, Tahoe East and South Shore, Donner Pass, Angry Beaver, and Middle Bliss. We got away with sleeping on the side of the road near some of the climbing areas or in other various spots we found on our Vanlife mobile apps such as Sekr. We did find it challenging to find legal overnight parking spots here but got lucky with staying in a mutual friend’s driveway in Truckee. Make sure on your day off or just after a day of climbing to check out Donner Lake’s public access docks that go out over the water. We also checked out a climbing area called Erratica just south of Tahoe where we lost cell signal but were able to camp for free in the parking area. We enjoyed climbs on boulders there such as Fujiyama, Gold As The Sky, and Boulder Geek.
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Last Tips on Finding the Best Spots for Climbing
Overall, we suggest spending time checking out websites for Mountain Project or Kaya and using their available mobile apps. Kaya is free for posting videos and searching beta videos if you already know the name of a specific climb. We have heard great things about the paid version but haven’t made that leap to purchase it ourselves. We like that Mountain Project can be used for free when searching areas we’re unfamiliar with so we can find new climbs.
Another fun thing we like to do is collect guidebooks for each area we visit. This way it doesn’t matter if you lose your cell signal, which happens often in climbing areas, and you don’t have to download anything ahead of time taking up space on your phone, or worry about keeping it charged. We made sure to mention sleeping in each area and that is because we live full time in our van so we are always on the lookout for free overnight parking spots.
We hope wherever you decide to go you find good food, fun climbing, and a safe warm place to sleep. Enjoy!
