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Best Rock Climbing Area Camping?

NickinCO · · colorado · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 155
John Wilder wrote:because miguels, despite the tasty food and awesome scene, is a friggin hole for camping. you couldnt pay me to camp there. does Canada count? because Squamish is awesome- probably my favorite campground so far.
I agree, I won't stay at Miguel's anymore. I stayed at Lago Linda's a couple weeks ago and it was much better! LL's is $3 more but has free showers, private sites, and no groups of idiots yelling until 4am.
super dave · · las vegas, nv · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 30

Lovers Leap!!! Rack up and climb.

Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245

First order of business: Take Miguel's off the list. It sucks, and there are plenty of threads in which I've explained why.

Roger's at the New has actually been my home a few different times (read: I had a job in Fayetteville). It is NOTHING like Miguel's... but yea there are parties sometimes. Much smaller, friendlier, more laid back community though with a lot more to talk about than what happened at "the lode."

Indian Creek is kind of vague. I loved Creek Pasture... Bridger Jack campground was on the mag's list... wombat where do you camp?

+1 for Cochise. Beautiful place to camp, amazing climbing... destination for sure.

Chapel Pond Pass is a favorite of mine even though I've only been once. Excellent access to tons of amazing climbing and always a few locals around to keep you laughing and drinking beer. LOVE the Dacks!

Mike Morin · · Glen, NH · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 1,355

While I've only been to the Red once, I found the tent camping at Natural Bridge State Park to be quite nice. It's probably more pricey than most of the areas listed so far, but I spent 9 days there and found it to be pretty darn sweet. I was extremely glad that I didn't opt for the refugee camp at Miguel's. Nothing against the establishment, I ate there a couple of times and was blown away by the pizza, but that's just not my scene anymore.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

!! /:-( I guess I haven't outgrown the Miguels scene.....but so much hate!,,,! agree that Lago Linda's is a good spot at the Red.

Carl Sherven · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 210
Nick Mardirosian wrote: I agree, I won't stay at Miguel's anymore. I stayed at Lago Linda's a couple weeks ago and it was much better! LL's is $3 more but has free showers, private sites, and no groups of idiots yelling until 4am.
John Wilder wrote: agreed. Linda's is much better. If you climb outside of the southern region, its a bit far, but the scene there is pretty awesome and the quiet is much appreciated when i'm planning on actually climbing the next day!
Thanks for the bookmark guys. I'm gonna check out Lago Linda's next time I get down there. I love the food and conversation at Miguel's, but it gets ridiculous when it's time to quiet down for the evening.
Dustin B · · Steamboat · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 1,275

+1 for tres piedras NM. Easy access, great camping a stones throw away from world class climbing.

DrApnea · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 265

+1 for leavenworth, WA. Great scenic area.

Tim M · · none · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 293

J-Tree? You can belay from your tent.

jmapping · · Carbondale, co · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 766
The Final List... Unless someone has more to add:
Turkey Rocks (CO) - quiet and free
Shelf Road (CO) - scenic and cheap
City of Rocks (ID) - scenic and convenient
Indian Creek (UT) - scenic, remote, free, and lawless
Enchanted Tower (NM) currently debatable - remote
Leavenworth (WA) - scenic
Tres Piedras (NM)
Unaweep (CO)
11 Mile Canyon (CO)
Lime Creek (CO)
Maple Canyon (UT) - convenient and plush
New River Gorge (WV) - Rogers Campground and Chestnut Creek Campground
North Rim of the Black Canyon (CO)
Banks Lake (WA) - scenic and no crowds
Squamish (B.C. Canada)
Red River Gorge (KY) - Miguels Campground - Challenged!
Devils Lake (WI) - Green Valley Campgrounds
Cochise Stronghold (AZ)
Penitente Canyon (CO)
Wild Iris (WY)
Smith Rock State Park (OR) - Bivy Site
Lovers Leap (CA)
Joshua Tree (CA)
J. Albers · · Colorado · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,926
thecornyman wrote:I'm jealous, all the camping in CA near the best rock is extremely over crowded.
Huh? One of the best things about CA is the insane amount of free, amazing, crowd free camping near world class stone. If you are near crowds, then you need to explore other rock options.
Andy Librande · · Denver, CO · Joined Nov 2005 · Points: 1,880

Not that much climbing but the camping/climbing combo make it worth it:

Great free camping right across from the Fingerbanger boulder along the river.

GnarthVader · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 105
Seth Derr wrote:The Gunks! Oh wait you said best camping. Never mind.
+1 for Camp Slime!
ian watson · · Sandia park, NM · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 235
Andrew Shoemaker wrote:And, btw, City of Rocks is in Idaho not Colorado
Or New Mexico, bouldering for weeks.
Tom Rangitsch · · Lander, Wy · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 1,699

Had to add a couple that weren't on the list yet.

El Rito, NM. Great camping in an open meadow surrounded by ponderosas and wild flowers and humming birds (at least 6-8 years ago) and a kick ass New Mexican restaurant in town that lets you bring in your own beer.

Sinks Canyon, WY. Free (early in the season) improved camping with a pit toilet and a beautiful river next to your sight. Also free camping in city park in Lander (and you can walk back to your tent from the Lander Bar).

Suicide Point, WY. Heinous driving approach, but an amazing vista of the Baldwin Creek valley from your tent site and a 30 second walk to the crag. Plus I can almost guarantee you will be the only party there.

Jim Lawyer · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 6,116

...and a couple more:

  • The Pinion Pines site at Owens (CA)
  • AAC Ranch in the Tetons (WY)
  • Panthertown Trailhead for Laurel Knob (NC)
  • Dirt road sites at the trailhead for the Needles (CA)
  • Alabama Hills, pretty much anywhere (CA)
  • Sites in Penetente Canyon (CO)
  • Smith Rock State Park (OR)
  • Blackwoods Campground at Acadia (ME)
  • Trailhead at Blue Cloud Spires (Montana)
  • Field next to river at Avalanche Gulch (Montana)
  • Upper trailhead at Lost Horse Canyon (Montana)
  • Rim camping at Cochiti Mesa (NM)
Mike Lane · · AnCapistan · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 880

Its been a while for me, but at Fremont Canyon a cool aspect to the camping is the dozens of bats zipping around at about 8' off the deck by the campfire.

Derek M · · VA · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 100
Jon H wrote:Add Roger's Campground to the list at New River Gorge, WV. Very similar to Miguel's - fairly cheap and great party scene. If you want to avoid the scene, head over to Chestnut Creek which is just a couple miles up the road and offers private campsites, private showers, and only about $3 more per night.
Roger's is not cheap. As the poster above mentions, there are loads of other camping options at the New that offer such amenities as actual plumbing, showers, and flat ground for only $2-3 more, to say nothing of quiet. I love the social scene at Roger's, but it is just not a good deal.
Sam Stephens · · PORTLAND, OR · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 1,090
mission wrote: Roger's is not cheap. As the poster above mentions, there are loads of other camping options at the New that offer such amenities as actual plumbing, showers, and flat ground for only $2-3 more, to say nothing of quiet. I love the social scene at Roger's, but it is just not a good deal.
I can't say enough good things about Roger himself but I think I'll be staying at Chestnut from now on. It actually has showers and bathrooms, individual sites, fire rings at each site, tables at each site and it's nice and quiet when it's time to go to sleep.

I spent three years staying at Rogers almost every weekend I was in school and I love the guy to death, but when I head to the NRG now I go to get stuff done, not to be hung over the next day or sleepy because people keep walking past my tent all night stacked right up against a ton of other tents.

And +1 for nixing Miguels. There's Nat'l Forest camping that's way better, Lago Lindas, and a new place near the Muir. Go to Miguels, get pizza, buy your gear if you need something but don't stay there. I stayed there in March and I won't stay there ever again. It's too loud and (in my personal opinion) out of control to get decent rest and relaxation at the end of the day. The people that come in for the weekend come to party first, climb second it seems like. And the camping sucks period. It is relatively hard to find a dry spot on a crowded weekend if it's been raining that week and half of it is so low lying that it never dries out. But it is cheaper than all hell.
Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665

CIty Of Rocks is my favorite.
In Jtree, Indian cove is good, because the stoned drummers are all up at Hidden Valley.
I CAN'T BELIEVE that nobody mentioned Squamish.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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