The northern crag offers the tallest and largest concentration of routes at North Lake. Almost all of the lines are gear leads, with only one pure sport route on the far south end of the crag. The tallest and most enjoyable routes are on the east face overlooking the lake. The crag is split by 12 inch crack about in the middle and though walking on top of the wall is pretty safe and easy, this gap cannot be crossed easily. Short 3rd-4th Class down climbs/scrambles can be found on the west face of the wall on both ends if you want to set up a toprope. The most popular lines have bolt anchors and can be easily reached once atop the crest of the Stonewall. A few good topropes and boulder problems can also be found the west face of the wall.
Getting There
See the directions for North Lake South to reach the trailhead. From the main parking lot on state wildlife land about .5 mile up the dirt road to Purgatorie Campground, head east across the open meadow toward the Stonewall. Once across the meadow head steeply up the hill and into the trees, picking up a good trail and following it across the old road cut. Switchback up the hill for about 10-15 minutes until the ridge crest is reached and then go a short way down to the northeast until the rock is seen.This ridge can be followed to the south for 10 minutes to reach the North Lake South crags. A trail circumnavigates the entire crag but the main climbing area on the east side is most quickly reached by going around the southern end of the crag.
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