Climbing Near St. Ignace, Michigan

The Lower Pennisula has only one real outdoor crag, and that's Grand Ledge (Oak Park).  The Upper Peninsula holds Michigan's best rock climbing.  There are numerous sport crags (some with two pitch climbs), a good assortment of quality trad routes, and phenomenal bouldering right on the shore of Lake Superior.  There are over 300 hundred routes and countless boulder problems. There is still much to be discovered and many FAs awaiting those stoked enough to find them. Munising/Pictured Rocks is home to hundreds of world class ice climbs and the Michigan's Ice Fest. If your looking to make the journey here, don't forget about our amazing mountain biking, paddling, cross country skiing and endless other outdoor activities.  For more beta on the Upper Peninsula contact Down Wind Sports of Marquette, Houghton, or Munising. (http://downwindsports.com/mainSite/ ) We don't know where you're coming from.  Look at a map.  Head for the big puddles. A new guidebook, A rock climbers guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Bill Thompson, Matt Abbot and Jason Schnider, should be out Fall 2020.  The new guide will be a companion book to the Ice Climbers Guide to Munising Michigan, both of which are real world quality guidebooks. Order a copy here:https://www.shopdownwindsports.com/collections/climbing-guidebooks/products/an-ice-climbers-guide-to-michigans-upper-peninsula

Tall ~15' boulder right off the path near the water. As it is on the main biking path there will likely be lots of bikes and people walking. After taking the ferry over to the island follow the path around the island (to the east). It is near the 1 mile marker on the path, which is paved and flat. Either walk or ride a bike to get there.

*WARNING* this crag is still under development, and loose rock is prevalent. Always be mindful of rockfall as both climber and belayer, and WEAR A HELMET.Steep, pumpy limestone that will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you coming back for more because you’re craving the outdoor experience but don’t want to toprope Doug’s Roof and Potato Chips for the 100th time. A quick stop on your way to Marquette/Ontario, or a jumping off point to explore the wonders of the Eastern UP, such as Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Bay, Monocle Lake, Bush Bay (Narnia Trail), Fiborn Karst, and dozens of other gems. Hiking, paddling, fishing, and biking opportunities abound in the area, so make it a multi-sport weekend trip. In the summer, rent a cabin at East Lake Resort and row out to the islands to take a dip when the bugs become unbearable at the crag. Don’t forget to stop at King’s Fish Market for soup, a sandwich, a fish fry, or some fish dip.Most climbs are fully bolted and have lower-off hardware at the top that you can clip your rope into directly for easy cleaning (it is still recommended that you go in direct to the fixed anchor while cleaning any TR anchor your party has placed). Any section is open to TR/Trad/boulder projects. Even solid dry-tooling lines for the winter! Some routes have a lot of loose rock for the first few feet so a stick clip is highly recommended. Top access allows for dropping a rope down to TR a harder line or project if desired. There are dozens of potential lines waiting for someone who is looking to put in the work to polish a diamond (or lump of coal) in the rough and leave their mark on Michigan climbing. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a rock climbing developer or First Ascentionist, here you go! Three miles Southeast of Dick, Michigan. For best results, put GPS coordinates below into google maps. From East Lake Road, find USFS road 3323, then follow that for about a quarter mile to a small parking area with a North Country Trail trailhead. Hike the trail southeast for 2 minutes and you will see the expansive cliff band rising out of the woods to your right. Where the trail gets closest to the cliff, there is a good spot to scramble up for top access. Trails for various nooks will spur off from the NCT about another minute farther down. Forest Service road entrance: 46.163207, -84.790137