Humbug Cliff Rock Climbing

Located above Humbug Creek, half an hour outside of Detroit on national forest land, this remote andesite crag is divided into two sectors:

The Wonder Wall is on the left with imposing tiered roofs and clean striped panels. With everything from bouldery roofs to pocketed slabs and mega 35-meter lines, this wall provides plenty to keep the 5.12 climber busy with a few easier options too.

Pascal's Walk is a large zone on the right and was the first area to be explored for climbing. There are a handful of moderate bolted lines here of an adventurous nature. See the area description for development history.

This cliff sits at 3500' elevation and faces southeast, baking in the sun all morning until the Wonder Wall gets shade around 2-3pm, and Pascal’s Walk a bit later. The best conditions will be found on summer evenings or perhaps a cloudy day. In winter, the road and approach are inaccessible due to snow. In spring, the wall seeps with water and there are actual waterfalls with snowmelt from the ridge above. It varies by year, but the Wonder Wall usually dries out between mid-June and early-July, and begins seeping again when the first heavy rains come in the fall.

The landscape around the cliff was affected by the massive Santiam Fire in 2020 and continues to evolve as it recovers over time. Trees will drop branches that cover the approach trail, and the path may become overgrown without traffic. Unstable terrain above the cliff may produce rare but dangerous rockfall...use caution! The base of the cliff is sheltered by the overhang but the approach gully is exposed to this hazard.

There are great wildflowers out here in the spring and early summer. A bumpy 20-minute drive further up the main forest road takes you to Elk Lake, a beautiful place to cool off on a hot day. There is a FS campground up there with shaded sites (bathrooms, no water or trash).

The Humbug Mining and Milling Company once had a claim for copper in the area, lending its name to the creek.