Mount Rubidoux Bouldering

Mt. Rubidoux or simply Rubidoux is a large 161 acre boulder-covered hill that overlooks the City of Riverside and is a designated park and landmark. The 2009 road improvements greatly boosted the number of walkers, dog walkers, joggers, bicyclists, and climbers enjoying the slopes of Mt. Rubidoux. Unfortunately, the increased traffic has resulted in an increase in litter and graffiti. 

Rubidoux's boulder-strewn hilltop offers not only the ubiquitous boulders, but there are slabs and blocks of light-colored quartz monzonite offering virtually endless quality boulder problems and top-ropes with famous dime edges and relatively smooth texture.

In October of 1983 and 1984 Randy Vogel organized the California Bouldering Contest and helped create new enthusiasm for climbing at Rubidoux that had diminished since the likes of Phil and Paul Gleason, the preternatural Phil Haney and Don O'Kelley frequented the hill since the 1960s, along with the famous dime-edge masters, Kevin Powell and Darrel Hensel in the 1980s & 90s. Numerous guidebooks by Steve Mackey (1976), Randy Vogel (1984 map), Paul Hellweg & Warstler (1988) and Craig Fry (1990) have documented and described the vast number of boulder problems, top-ropes, and climbing routes at Mt. Rudidoux.

Rest assured that there is enough quality climbing to be found at Rubidoux to keep even the most proficient climber busy for years.