Iowa Climbing

Hey all, so I'm going to be moving to Des Moines for work in a few months. I was curious if anyone knew what the climbing situation looked like in the area. I'm moving from Joshua Tree, CA so I'm somewhat spoiled when it comes to climbing. Any good ice up that way? And whats the closest spot with multipitch trad stuff? I figure I'm proabably gonna have to do some driving on my weekends to get it in, which I'm totally fine with. I've never climbed in gyms but after poking around the route guides and other forums I guess I may have to start with this move. Thanks in advance for any input!

Nathan Benton wrote: Hey all, so I'm going to be moving to Des Moines for work in a few months. I was curious if anyone knew what the climbing situation looked like in the area. I'm moving from Joshua Tree, CA so I'm somewhat spoiled when it comes to climbing. Any good ice up that way? And whats the closest spot with multipitch trad stuff? I figure I'm proabably gonna have to do some driving on my weekends to get it in, which I'm totally fine with. I've never climbed in gyms but after poking around the route guides and other forums I guess I may have to start with this move. Thanks in advance for any input!

Get a different job.

But seriously...Drive to Jackson Falls, IL.

I used to live in Iowa.  The only climbing I know is shitty, short sandstone and limestone bluffs by the rivers on the east side of the state.  Think 30-40 feet of rock so soft that most(all?) lines are TR. (edit: evidently Pictured Rocks isn't as bad as I remember, I haven't been there in awhile.)

From Des Moines, I'd guess Devil's Lake, Wisconsin would be your closest good crag at about 5 hours away.  

Jackson Falls, IL is going to be about 8 hrs away and HCR, Arkansas and surrounding crags just a bit shorter, and those are hard southern sandstone.  No true multipitch at either place.  

Closest legit multipitch climbing is the Front Range, CO at 11ish hours.  Appalachian multipitch options are around 14-15 hrs away.

Minnesota has some shorter stuff (better than IA ) as well, not sure how far.  Also, I can't comment on ice options, though there might be some in Wisconsin or Minnesota (it's cold enough in IA just not high enough).

Sorry for the bad news.

I grew up just north of Iowa City. The best sport climbing is at Pictured Rocks “Wild Iowa” outside of Monticello. Also, Indian Bluffs across the river may be your best chance of Multi pitch trad, but I don’t really know for sure. It would take some exploring. I also really haven’t climbed there in 15 years so I am sure things have developed and changed. Good luck. I love Iowa, but there is a reason I don’t live there anymore.

Some decent sport climbing on the eastern side of the state as mentioned - Pictured Rocks, Indian Bluffs, etc. A few trad lines around, but none of them are very high quality in my experience. 

Some good single pitch trad in Wisconsin (Devil's Lake) and Minnesota (Blue Mounds, Taylor's Falls, North Shore, etc.). For multi pitch trad you're going to have to drive for a ways - Black Hills or Front Range are probably the closest.

Wyulusing Ice is good. Beers with Dennis!

There is some pocket pulling sport. The trad lines, as stated, are not very good. There are a few in Iowa. Devils lake has some solid trad though. As far as Indian Bluff goes with trad, there's not much, many walls that have splitters are closed. If you wanna climb around in PR, or IB hit me up.

Good Adventurous Multi Pitch can be found in Southern Illinois. Check our fountain bluff for that. Tradiban is right. Go to Jackson Falls. The best sport climbing area in Illinois. But Pere Marquette is much closer to you for sport and trad climbing. Also, south eastern Missouri is blowing up with sport climbing as well so check that out too. 

They're farming ice in Winona Minnesota. Totally worth a weekend trip!

you have to be either trolling or never spent anytime in the midwest

that better be one hell of a job to drag you out of joshua tree to des moines

Appreciate all the replies! Haha I wish I could drop the job but Uncle Sam has me locked in for three more years then I'll be back out west. Sounds like there's some solid weekend ice opportunities in the winter and I can swing some long weekends in the Front Range with Illinois sport stuff on other weekends.

Here are some of the Minnesota options:
Red Wing, MN is 4 hrs from Des Moines - 99.9% just sport climbing though
Palisade Head in MN is 7 hrs - all trad there, only one or two multi-pitch there though.
Blue Mounds in MN 4.25 hrs - all trad - all single pitch.

Devils Lake
Winona, MN
La Crosse, WI
Red Wing, MN

Iowa climbing isn't fantastic, but its better than nothing.  Skip Pictured Rocks - everything 5.11 and below is like glass.  Indian Bluffs is pretty good and quiet, but avoid it in the summer - the nettles are heinous.  Hoot Bluff has some great, steep sport climbing, and I've heard there's been more development out there in the recent years.  Devil's Lake is great if you can avoid the TR cluster, and Governor Dodge SP has pretty awesome sandstone bouldering.  The community out there is great, too.  Good luck!

Iowa transplant here.

If you're headed to Iowa, you will have to gym climb and deal with somewhere between a 3-10 hour drive to get to the good climbing. That being said, its 3-10 to lots of good climbing areas. Pretty much everywhere has been pointed out above.

Devil's lake-Trad/ bouldering (people say its the best boulders in the MW): 4ish hrs
Governor Dodge- good bouldering: less than ^
Jackson Falls- Good Sport: 5hrs?
Holy Boulders- Best boulders in the midwest: 5 hrs, I think.
Various Minnesota Crags- Decent Sport Options: 3ish hrs
Oklahoma Crags- Witchita Mtn and Quartz mtn- Trad, sport, bouldering 6ish hrs, if I remember correctly

FAR:
Horseshoe Canyon- Good everrything: 6-8hrs depending on where you leave from and how fast you drive
Colorado-duh- 10 hrs, about
South Dakota: 10 hours and WELL WORTH the drive. Its got it all.

The community up there is good and most of them are willing to travel with you and share all the beta. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to let me know. I can probably get you some names of people to get in touch with.

Andrew McQuillen wrote: Iowa climbing isn't fantastic, but its better than nothing.  Skip Pictured Rocks - everything 5.11 and below is like glass.  Indian Bluffs is pretty good and quiet, but avoid it in the summer - the nettles are heinous.  Hoot Bluff has some great, steep sport climbing, and I've heard there's been more development out there in the recent years.  Devil's Lake is great if you can avoid the TR cluster, and Governor Dodge SP has pretty awesome sandstone bouldering.  The community out there is great, too.  Good luck!

If you go to Gov Dodge DONT WALK THROUGH THE CAMPSITES!

Minneopa Falls in Mankato, MN.   3 hours from Des Moines. Doesn’t form up consistently and doesn’t stay climbable for very long.  The only climbable ice I found after moving back to MN in 2014.  There are a couple longer climbs way up north near Canada, but if you’re going to drive that far - might as well head to Colorado or Wyoming. Not a big ice climbing group in IA or MN.  (Explains the backpack belay) (actually last climb of the day and I hauled the pack up after the short solo)