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Black Cliffs Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Black Cliffs

Bouldering Cave 1

Dark Side, The 11

East Car Body Canyon 35

Face Canyon 21

Fringe, The 8

Green Acres 11

Highway Face 2

Mid Cliffs 56

New Fringe, The 10

Populace Wall 14

Rodeo Flips Wall 2

Scary Canyon 11

Short Cliffs 48

Tall Cliffs 22

West Car Body Canyon 29

Explore this area in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Elevation:	2,830 ft	863 m
GPS:	43.53516, -116.08663 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	491,813 total · 2,311/month
Shared By:	R Squared on Nov 12, 2007 · Updates
Admins:	Mike Engle, Eric Bluemn Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Access Issue: 2025 Seasonal raptor closures: 3/11 Update: Carbody canyon closed from Pabst smear (west side) to Macabres roof (east side). Scary canyon, highway face, face canyon, Nixon head, and steep wall are closed. Details

Adding new bolts, new anchors, and new routes at the Black Cliffs are currently NOT ALLOWED pending a BLM environmental assessment. Significant trail work is also on hold. Please contact the Boise Climbers Alliance with questions or for additional information

Description

The Black Cliffs provide year round climbing if you don't mind being cold in the winter. Summer days are really hot so spring and fall tend to be the best times a the Black Cliffs. The rock is all basalt. Access is easy and the cliffs usually aren't crowded. The guidebook Boise Climbs by Sandy Epeldi is a great thing to have if you are going to be climbing the Black Cliffs; alternatively, Bingham's newest Idaho Underground has color photos and good descriptions of most (but not all) of the climbing areas there.

In the spring/early summer the Black Cliffs typically has sections of the crag closed for nesting raptors. These closures are coordinated by the Boise Climber's Alliance. Most of the time they are updated on the Mountain Project access alerts for the Black Cliffs page, but if you have questions you can always check boiseclimbers.org

Getting There

Take Highway 84 to the Gowen Rd/Highway 21 exit. Take Highway 21 towards Lucky Peak. The cliffs will be on both sides of the river. Park in the parking lots and choose a trail up.

281 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Black Cliffs

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 85 ● Stems and Jammies Trad, TR Populace Wall
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 113 ● Sweet Adene Sport Populace Wall
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 39 ● The Father Trad Mid Cliffs
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a 14 ● Surf's Up Trad Face Canyon
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 10 ● Irreconcilable Differences Trad Green Acres
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 42 ● Pabst Smear Trad, Sport W Car Body Canyon
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 29 ● Macabre Roof Trad E Car Body Canyon
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 11 ● The Garden Trad Green Acres
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b 60 ● Bologna Pony Sport Short Cliffs
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 15 ● Lights Out Sport Face Canyon
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 29 ● Unknown Leon Sport Short Cliffs
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c 24 ● [Redacted] Sport Tall Cliffs
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13 7 ● Nemesis Trad, TR W Car Body Canyon
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a 4 ● Chasin'-a-Snake Sport Dark Side
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 8 ● Wire Brush Hair Cut Sport Dark Side