Crystal Crag
Mammoth Lakes, California
| Address: | Inyo National Forest, 40 Around Lake Mary Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, USA |
| GPS: |
37°36'11.7"N 119°0'40.6"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | California |
Lakes
Rock Climb
Visible from all the lakes around, Crystal Crag stands tall and is a popular place to rock climb and go mountaineering. It stands at 10,100 ft in elevation, and includes a North Ridge and a South Ridge. With many other well known climbing spots nearby (i.e. Yosemite, Kings Canyon, etc) this spot isn't too crowded with climbers.
The crag is accessed by taking the Crystal Lakes trail and then continuing around the lake. Climbers can find a climbers trail near the lake which will then take them to the base of the crag, about a 45 minute hike. There is a variety of ascents with a variety of difficulty throughout. Most of the routes are multi-pitch if climbers want to go all the way to the summit. Routes range from 5.5-5.11a. The rock on the crag is mostly granite, though one spot has an area of white quartz, where the name Crystal Crag most likely comes from. There can be a lot of loose rock when people are climbing on the North Face Route, so please use caution. The East Face has some sport routes set up, but loose rock from the North Face route sometimes falls into the East Face route.
More Information
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Mammoth Lakes, California
- Head west (276 ft)
- Turn left toward Main St (240 ft)
- Turn right onto Main St (0.5 mi)
- Continue straight onto Lake Mary Rd (394 ft)
- Continue straight to stay on Lake Mary Rd (2.2 mi)
- Continue onto Lake Mary RdParts of this road may be closed at certain times or days(1.1 mi)
- Continue onto Lake Mary Rd (0.5 mi)
- Turn left onto Around Lake Mary Rd (0.3 mi)
- Turn right onto Lake George Rd (0.3 mi)
- Turn left (13 ft)
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