PRINT: Rock Climbing in Central Gorge, Owens River Gorge

Central Gorge

California > Eastern Sierra > Bishop Area > Owens River Gorge

Access Issue: Bridges Out! IMPORTANT LADWP NEGOTIATIONS!! Details

Due to liability concerns, bridges are being removed in the Owens River Gorge at the request of LADWP. The Bishop Area Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund are currently in negotiations with LADWP to get this issue resolved. In the meantime, please continue to be good land stewards by respecting these bridge closures and finding alternate crossing points until this issue is resolved.

1) Never park or camp overnight at the access points.
2) Always park off the pavement, taking great care to avoid blocking the gates.
3) Clean up after your dogs. (Local climbers are finding abandoned doggie poop bags.)
4) Pack out all trash and TP, including picking up after others.
5) Use the outhouses if at all possible.

Description

Definitely the most popular area of the gorge. The Warm Up wall, the Pub, the Social Platform and the Great Wall of China are all here and almost always crowded. These areas feature tons of well traveled 5.8 - 5.11 sport climbs. The climbs highly concentrated so its possible to knock out tons of pitches in a day. There is a toilet located at the base of the approach trail. Please use it.

Getting There

Park at the Central area and hike down the steep 2nd and 3rd class gully to the dirt road. Be careful not to knock rocks off since the Pub wall is directly below the upper part of the trail.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Scofflaws, 2006.

Still life, old Middle Gorge power plant

Central Gorge Descent Trail.

Heading down the Central Gorge approach gully, Owens River Gorge

Does this qualify as posing? This flagrant biological act at the start of the Central Gully approach serves as a reminder to CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG.

North end of the Central Gorge, Solarium on the right

Historic shot of the power plant below the Solarium. DWP residences behind.

Central Gorge descent trail - Winter 2016

The Central Gorge road was graded yesterday, 01/28/19. Yay!

9AM! Random March day, no other cars!

A perfect end to the day in December.<br>
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[Thank you to whomever did this!!!]

A perfect end to the day in December. [Thank you to whomever did this!!!]

owens

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Josh Dibble
Mammoth Lakes, CA

Descent has been upgraded with incredible stone stairways thanks to some hard working individuals. This speeds the hike up and is much safer. (11.1.12) Some amazing classics lie down in the central. Enterprise, choclate to morphine and expressway just to name a few. Sep 9, 2010

Joe Freeman

We were there about the 25th of march 2015. Passing through on spring break. Carried out a bag garbage from the toilet. Mostly used tampons, pads and beer cans. also a bunch of TP and even some other items used as tp. People were throwing it in the bucket. The bucket has a huge crack in the bottom. Per the sign the bucket is for getting water to clean the toilet. Since it is broken it serves no purpose other than to make folks think it is a trash bin. I left the bucket there so people wont put garbage down the toilet but if someone who is in that area could replace it with a functional bucket, with"no garbage in here or in toilet" written on it folks might not leave all that trash in the toilet. Apr 10, 2015

MisterE Wolfe
Nevada City, CA

The GPS coordinates for the Upper Gorge parking turn-off are: 37 30.545 N, 118 34.515 W Mar 6, 2017