City of Rocks over the 4th

Hey all,

I'm looking into planning a climbing trip over July 4th. Will the City be too hot by then? I'm comfortable hunting for shade and climbing in toasty weather, but if it's just a scorcher in July, I'll look elsewhere. This is a trip with newer climbers, so I'm specifically looking for places within 6-7 hours of Bozeman with moderate climbing and good camping, so CoR seems ideal.

Thanks!

Last years 4th was a scorcher for sure. After climbing there through the summer last year, I don't think I'll be going there much this summer. You can chase the shade, and if there's even a slight breeze it's not that bad. But typically in the summer the best climbing is had early morning and late afternoon when the temps are more bearable.

Maple canyon is cool

Maple canyon is cool
In summer

ParkerBrown wrote:Last years 4th was a scorcher for sure. After climbing there through the summer last year, I don't think I'll be going there much this summer. You can chase the shade, and if there's even a slight breeze it's not that bad. But typically in the summer the best climbing is had early morning and late afternoon when the temps are more bearable.

+1. You can do it, I've been several times in the middle of summer heat, but it's not a ton of fun. If you are with friends, you can take a chunk of time in the middle of the day and slackline / play cards / drink / etc, but from about 11am to 4pm is just brutal, even with chasing the shade.

Maple Canyon is beautiful and cool, but is more like 8.5 from Bozeman instead of 6, if that matters.

Louis Eubank wrote: +1. You can do it, I've been several times in the middle of summer heat, but it's not a ton of fun. If you are with friends, you can take a chunk of time in the middle of the day and slackline / play cards / drink / etc, but from about 11am to 4pm is just brutal, even with chasing the shade.

++1
Personally, I avoid CofR June-August.

If the OP is contemplating Maple Canyon, then they might want to consider Canmore Alberta - about the same distance as Maple from Bozeman.

I spent 4th of July at City of Rocks last year. It was definitely blazing -- over 100 degrees the day we got there. I usually do pretty well in the heat, so I thought it was manageable. We climbed every day. Just chase the shade, although there isn't much shade to be found around midday. The approaches were probably the hardest part, but luckily they are short to non-existent.

If you're going to brave the heat, consider paying a few extra bucks to camp at the Castle Rocks campground. It doesn't have the rustic charm of the City of Rocks sites, but it has actual showers so you can rinse off at the end of the day. (Or you can pay a couple of bucks just to shower there or at the general store.) It's only a five minute drive to the City.