Truckee River Canyon Rock Climbing

Containing many basalt formations holding many fine routes in the Tahoe area, in this region, located above highway 89, you will find an excellent view of the large ski areas on the eastern rocks of the canyon.

You will find a diverse range of climbing here, including some of the best sport climbing around. There are also a fairly large selection of traditional routes as well.

Being high up in the Sierra, this area will only be climbable when the snow resides on the approach in the spring, usually in April or May, and continuing through late December, depending on the year. On a dry year, you might find this area climbable year-round.

Many guide books cover the lower parts of the Truckee River Canyon in their Reno area chapters. But since Mountain Project is organized by states, all California crags from the outlet of Lake Tahoe to the California border are in the TRC area now.

See individual crag pages for specific directions.

Developed areas here include the Amphitheater, Bear Cave Cliff, Big Chief, the Columns, Deep Creek Crag, Light Deprivation Buttress, Little Chief, Sawtooth Ridge, Shirley Canyon Cliffs, the Truckee River Basalt Area, and Twin Crags.