PRINT: Climbing in Oregon

Oregon

Welcome

Welcome to Oregon! Not quite as sunny and granitic as its southerly neighbor, nor as glaciated and mountainous as its northerly one, this state still holds its own must-visit destination: the world-famous Smith Rock.

The golden tuff is actually an exception to the otherwise overwhelming majority of basalt crags. Besides the lower gorge, the best crack climbing in the state is without a doubt Trout Creek. Metropolitan crags include Broughton Bluff, Madrone Wall, and Carver, not to mention those on the Washington side. The Mt. Hood National Forest is also teeming with crags, including French's Dome and Klinger Spring. If you're looking for a big wall, Wolf Rock has what you're looking for. And any peak-bagger's journey would be incomplete without a slog up the south side of a. Mt. Hood.

There are numerous adventure crags scattered all over the state, from the secluded Rattlesnake and Terra Nova in the southwest to the expansive Spring Mountain in the northeast. Get out there and check them out!

Area Breakdown

All crags have been sorted into areas by region. These are fairly intuitive and hopefully make finding crags easier.

Central Oregon - east of the mountains, centered around Redmond
Smith Rock, Trout Creek, Meadow Camp, Cougar Buttress, The Depot, Eagle Rock, etc.

Mt Hood National Forest - east of Portland, south of the Columbia Gorge
French's Dome, Klinger Spring, Lost Lake Boulders, Bulo Point, Area 51, Salmon River Slab, etc.

Northeast Oregon - borders Idaho, centered on La Grande
Spring Mountain, Fiddler's Hell, Leslie Gulch, Burnt River Canyon, etc.

Coastal Region - coastal bouldering, centered on Tillamook
Cannon Beach, Yachats, etc.

Oregon Volcanoes - the line of fire from Hood to Thielsen
Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Thielsen, etc.

Portland & The Gorge - metropolitan area and the Columbia Gorge, excluding Washington crags like Ozone and Beacon Rock
Broughton Bluff, Carver Cliff, Viento Wall, Rocky Butte, Madrone Wall, etc.

Southwest Oregon - borders California, centered on Roseburg
The Honeycombs, Rattlesnake, The Callahans, Acker Rock, Terra Nova, Emigrant Lake, etc.

Willamette Valley - from Salem to Cottage Grove including the National Forest
Eagles Rest, The Garden, Wolf Rock, Flagstone, Lookout Point, Moolack, Skinner Butte, etc.

Climbing gyms in Oregon

Portland metro area:

Hood River:

Eugene:

Elevation Bouldering Gym

Corvallis:

Bend:

Medford:

Salem:

Klamath Falls:

The Ledge Outdoor Store & the Yeti's Climbing Gym

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Hood

Matt Spohn during the first ascent of Path of Totality • August 21st, 2017

Brian Mosbaugh photo

Aerial shot of the dome.

I can't remember where this was, but it's somewhere inbetween Crater Lake and Portland. Amazing rock structure. 2001?

Deep inside a glacial cave. Sandy Glacier ice caves.

Sunbeams at Tillamook Head.

Crater Lake, I think in 2001. Amazing place. Wizard Island in the center. Everyone should go on the boat tour of this place given the chance.

Trail of Ten Falls. Silver Falls State Park.

Smith Rock

Oregon coast.

Cascade Ale. Photo by Blitzo.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Ken Trout
Golden, CO

Welcome to Oregon Alpine Glower. The secret area thing cracks me up too, even though the Trout's have been here for a century. I posted a swimming hole for ya. The Elk River is a few miles north of Port Orford. Drive at least 6 miles up the river before the good holes begin appearing. There's climbing along the coast too, but the rock and anchors are usually horrible. Shoot me an email about anywhere and I'll help you spill the beans on the Proj. Dec 19, 2011