Help me plan my vacation loop! (CA, AZ, NV, CO, NM)

Hi Everyone,

I'm about to graduate from undergrad and before I enslave myself with adult business, I want to plan a road trip starting from Southern California and ending somewhere in Colorado or New Mexico. I will have 1-2 months to spend.

So far, I'm planning a nice loop with the following:
1.) Los Angeles (start)
2.) Arizona
3.) Utah
4.) Colorado
5.) New Mexico

I would like to keep it to mostly sport climbing and some bouldering.

Can you guys recommend me some popular crags to visit within these states? Also popular campgrounds/cheap hotels and favorite restaurants.

In trade, I will promise to document my trip with many pictures to share with everyone here!

Thank you so much,
Chris J.

Those southwestern states sound like they'll be pretty hot in the summer. I'd recommend heading north and hitting up Leavenworth, Squamish, and maybe somewhere in Idaho before Utah and CO.

Dan is spot on. You are not going to be able to comfortably climb once the sun is out for awhile, it will be extremely hot and the rock will be uncomfortably warm if it sits in the sun.

Chris J. wrote:Hi Everyone, I'm about to graduate from undergrad and before I enslave myself with adult business, I want to plan a road trip starting from Southern California and ending somewhere in Colorado or New Mexico. I will have 1-2 months to spend. So far, I'm planning a nice loop with the following: 1.) Los Angeles (start) 2.) Arizona 3.) Utah 4.) Colorado 5.) New Mexico I would like to keep it to mostly sport climbing and some bouldering. Can you guys recommend me some popular crags to visit within these states? Also popular campgrounds/cheap hotels and favorite restaurants. In trade, I will promise to document my trip with many pictures to share with everyone here! Thank you so much, Chris J.

Great set of destinations if you're graduating in October. If you're a June grad, well, some of the high elevation areas in UT and CO will be cool enough to stand climbing. But the intersection of CO high elevation and sport climbing is a relatively small set of climbs.

The rain stops right about the end of June in the PNW. Squamish, the Cascades and Smith Rock should be good times..

Mount Lemmon in Arizona is year round climbing. The hotter Tucson is, the higher up the highway you drive towards the summit crags. Tons of sporty stuff up there to be had.

Upper Highway

Summit Crags

Windy Point East

Hit AZ and UT first. Should still be ok for climbing untill early June if you chase shade (or maybe not). Then, hit Colorado and try to get to Wyoming for Sinks, Wild Iris and Ten Sleep. Try to climb at the Monestary near Estes Park/Loveland for the best sport climbing in northern Colorado (and high elevation so perfect in July).

Have fun.

UT- American Fork, LCC, BCC, and Maple Canyon. Anything lower elevation or not in the shade is going to be brutal, I would avoid places like St. George, Zion, Moab, etc unless you start by 5 AM and climb something that is in the shade all morning. Cedar City could be the ticket in SW UT and if you are keen on going to Moab the climbing in the mountains is great.

CO- Rifle, Independence Pass, Lime Creek, Hagerman Pass, Ouray/Silverton area. Rifle is going to be exponentially easier than these other suggestions to find partners/shade/quality sport routes.

Chris Schmidt wrote:UT- American Fork, LCC, BCC, and Maple Canyon. Anything lower elevation or not in the shade is going to be brutal, I would avoid places like St. George, Zion, Moab, etc unless you start by 5 AM and climb something that is in the shade all morning. Cedar City could be the ticket in SW UT and if you are keen on going to Moab the climbing in the mountains is great. CO- Rifle, Independence Pass, Lime Creek, Hagerman Pass, Ouray/Silverton area. Rifle is going to be exponentially easier than these other suggestions to find partners/shade/quality sport routes.

+1 to those suggestions.
Forgot about some of those areas in CO - I was thinking alpine and higher elevation.
Also in UT are the Uintas - mostly sport climbing, but at 10500'.

Thank you so much for the replies.

I never thought of the heat. Idaho sounds pretty nice. Any good spots in Southern Idaho? Trying to keep the loop close.

I have not been to a ton of areas around there but when i was at Malibu Creek Canyon I thought it was a cool area (even if you don't climb), the fast majority of routes there seemed to be in the 10+ sport range.

I was in Leavenworth last July. It was too hot to climb in the sun on the walls. Although it was fun watching Viggo Mortenson et al shooting a movie on the walls.

AZ is fine if you chase shade. Passing by on I-40 on your way to NM is Flagstaff and Winslow. Both have outstanding summer cragging.

The best summer spot in AZ IMO is Winslow Wall/East Clear Creek, just a few minutes off I-40. Great sport climbing in a shady wet canyon. DWS as well.

People seem to think Leavenworth is a great summer destination for some reason. We stop going there after mid June unless we are headed into the backcountry alpine stuff. It gets hotter than a witches tit in the canyons.

shotgunnelson wrote:People seem to think Leavenworth is a great summer destination for some reason. We stop going there after mid June unless we are headed into the backcountry alpine stuff. It gets hotter than a witches tit in the canyons.

I don't think people know there's a desert climate the middle of BC and WA state. I was in Kamloops one August. I thought there was warm til we got to the Okonogan

hotter than a witches tit

So... not that hot?

Chris J. wrote:Thank you so much for the replies. I never thought of the heat. Idaho sounds pretty nice. Any good spots in Southern Idaho? Trying to keep the loop close.

City of Rocks is a must. Maybe not considered "southern idaho"...

Watch the weather and don't be afraid to change your plans or skip someplace based on the temps.
? = recommendations come second hand. All areas have sport unless noted otherwise.

2.) Arizona
-Mt Lemmon? High elevation.
-Paradise Forks? Other Flagstaff crags?
3.) Utah:
-*Uintas (high elevation) moderate sport climbing.
-*Joes Valley - good sandstone bouldering (Triassic also nearby but hotter)
-Moab: Millcreek. Wall Street doable if you climb late afternoon.
-*Maple is definitely worth a visit and stays cool. easy camping.
-American Fork always has a shady side.
-Prophecy Wall: St. George. Higher elevation. Climb early. Multipitch.
-LCC & BCC are great but SLC proximity limits camping options.
5.) New Mexico
-Enchanted Tower?

Again, heading (or finishing) north might not be bad idea. NorCal obviously has lots of good sport and bouldering, and this year everything is open early. Oregon, Washington, Montana?

Go to the *City of Rocks in southwest Idaho. You won't regret it. It can get hot but it's generally breezy and you can always find shade. Good paid or free camping.

PS: Spend some time researching free camping options. You can save/spend a lot on sleeping arrangements in 2 months.

Good luck!

jeffozozo wrote: City of Rocks is a must. Maybe not considered "southern idaho"...

It's definitely southern Idaho. But plan on following the shade in the summer.

ClimbHunter wrote:Go to the *City of Rocks in southwest Idaho...

Um, that's southEAST Idaho (just outside of Almo).

Do you have a copy of:
amazon.com/Bouldering-South…

I'm going to have to disagree with the guy who recommended Wall Street/Potash. Stuff that gets afternoon shade cooks in the sun all morning. Sure the locals do it but it is hot and uncomfortable, even just belaying.

At lower elevations shoot for AM shade and early starts. If you can't get an early start you will want to get above 7000 feet to not suffer, and still try hunting for the shade. The best sport climbing in Moab is in the mountains anyways.

It may be worth your while to consider going up to Tensleep for better conditions and hundreds of routes and ease of finding partners.

Chris Schmidt wrote:I'm going to have to disagree with the guy who recommended Wall Street/Potash. Stuff that gets afternoon shade cooks in the sun all morning. Sure the locals do it but it is hot and uncomfortable, even just belaying.

+1
Even though it might be "doable", frankly anyone recommending Wall Street for a visiting climber in the summer simply doesn't know what they are talking about.