Fern Canyon Rocks

Description 

A secret paradise of the Park that is popular with hikers yet sees very little climbing activity. It has a few climbs on par with anything at Lumpy Ridge, and the views from the climbs are serene, peaceful, and beautiful. Days of Heaven (5.10+) is as good as any shorter route I've ever done. Descent: each of the routes will include descent beta.

Getting There 

Drive into the Park, get on Bear Lake Road, and turn off right after a mile or so onto Moraine Park Road. Follow signs to the Fern Lake trailhead at the end of the road. The Rock of Ages, identified as an exceptionally clean-looking, 250 foot cliff, laced with a cobweb of faint cracks, is accessed via a scramble up talus to the right from the Arch Rocks Campsite, about a mile down the trail. [Gnome] Dome, the Colossus, and the Moot Point Apron require 1/2 mile more of hiking to a bridge, where one can bushwack up the hill to the right to an assortment of cliffs--check the route descriptions for more details.

The Classics

Featured Route For Fern Canyon Rocks

Days of Heaven 5.10d  CO : Alpine Rock : ... : Rock Of Ages

This route is on the Rock of Ages, the first of the cliffs mentioned in the Fern Canyon intro. It is one of the best shorter routes I've ever done, offering fantastic, clean cracks, and also some really wild 5.10 moves. Most of the protection is perfect, except for the first pitch. Hike a mile from the Fern Lake trailhead to the Arch Rock campsite (just past the Arch Rocks-- massive boulders, right on the trail, which have tumbled from the cli...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO