Hi Arizona climbers. We're planning a trip to your state around Christmas-New Year and are wondering what areas have relatively kid-friendly climbing (we have an infant). Sport (grades 7-12a) or single-pitch trad (grades 7-10) would be best.
Our only previous Arizona climbing experience was at Mount Lemmon, which was great but the areas we went to (mostly near the hairpin) don't seem like they'd be great with a kid. So we're open to more Lemmon climbing but would need help narrowing down the crags since that mountain is huge.
the time I went to Sweet Rock, it was like a daycare. Lots of room for kids and parking was close by. Depending on how your kid travels, The Pond or The Mine area of Queen Creek could be a good area too, for sport. The Pond would be best if you carried your kid in a backpack. The Mine Area is about 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile easy walk in.
Prison Camp would be best on Mt Lemmon, Munchkinland too cold, Sunspots kind of brushy and uneven at the base and a much more strenuous hike, but warm on a cold day.
Kind of depends on the kid too, my daughter would never stand for being stuck in a carrier or even a portable playpen so I never took her out until she was walking and then only with a third person to watch her. Prison Camp would be the most comfortable for feeding, changing diapers, walking around etc..but on a colder day the harder routes that go in the shade later in the morning would get cold quickly.
Thanks for all the replies. This is really helpful!
The pipsqueak does well in a carrier, and we've gone on all-day hikes together. So we would be up for places with longer approaches as long as the approach isn't a scree field or something too loose/exposed/scary.
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience, to show you
personalized content, and for statistical purposes. By continuing
to navigate our website, you accept our use of cookies. Read our
Privacy Policy to learn more.