Intro

Little Baldy is a granite dome that rises to just over 8,000 feet in Sequoia National Park. Anyone who visits it's summit will enjoy a commanding view of the Great Western Divide to the east and a layer of haze to the west. The easiest way to get the view is the one and a half mile trail from Little Baldy saddle. 

If you're looking for a more interesting way to the top you can enjoy some high quality granite slab and crack routes. Most climbs range from one to four pitches, the easiest is a 5.6 ramp and the more difficult routes are in the 5.11s. 

Spring, Summer and Fall are the best times to climb, but some of the slab routes dry up quickly and can be climbed during sunny weeks in the winter. The routes generally dry off from right to left on the face, so the Regular Route stays wet well into spring and the slab routes on the far right can be climbed almost year round. 

Don't forget your helmet, some folks can't resist throwing rocks off the top! 

Little Baldy

Directions

Little Baldy lies just off of the General's Highway about 6 miles north of Lodgepole if you come up the 198 through Three Rivers. Coming from the north on the 180 it's a couple miles south of Dorst Creek campground. 

The best approach is from a large turnout just south of the Little Baldy trailhead where you can see the rock up the hill. Pick the route of least resistance up to the base. 

For a view of the rock to help get oriented, walk up the hill across the road from the Little Baldy trailhead for a couple minutes. 

For routes that reach the summit, descend along the west face back to the base.