Ideal time to visit Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

Planning a trip for this fall (September - November) when would be the best time to visit where temperatures are decent and the crowds aren't crazy busy?

(I will already be staying clear of 24HHH)

Neat feature not available on the app (if it is, I can't find it) but it's online. Looks like Sept.

if the AR weather stays the way it’s been going, you might roast alive in september just an FYI. I’d stay on the back end of the months mentioned. not sure why MP says september is the best month of the year for HCR, it’s still mostly blazing hot.

Casey Fenton wrote:

if the AR weather stays the way it’s been going, you might roast alive in september just an FYI. I’d stay on the back end of the months mentioned. not sure why MP says september is the best month of the year for HCR, it’s still mostly blazing hot.

And bugs. Bugs everywhere. Gnawing, biting, sucking. And no relief from the heat in your tent either. 85 F and up in the middle of the night means no sleep!

I like to visit HCR around Christmas, New Years or thanksgiving. Pick a south facing crag on a sunny day and you can have glorious climbing. Don’t forget to visit the low gap cafe.

It’s climbable year round there are walls with every angle of sun exposure.  Climbed there a couple weeks ago was around 85 degrees and empty.  Anywhere in Arkansas expect ticks though 

Does MP go by number of ticks to determine the prime climbing season? That would make sense in this case with 24HHH being in September. As others have said, I would wait until November, especially if you are planning a trip in advance. September and even October can be hot.

If mp is going to consider number of ticks, I will say they're still in full force at hcr in September. Maybe some chickens or bug spray could help

We climb there alot.  September is still pretty hot normally.   October is good but it's also crowded.  November is also good but can get cold, relatively speaking.  Not in your window but March is my favorite because it hasn't "greened" up yet so the views are great and the bugs are mostly nonexistent. Having said all that, I'd go last 2 weeks of October.

Chase Webb wrote:

Does MP go by number of ticks to determine the prime climbing season? That would make sense in this case with 24HHH being in September. As others have said, I would wait until November, especially if you are planning a trip in advance. September and even October can be hot.

Correct. The "Prime Climbing Season" plot is somewhat misleadingly named, since it really should be "Busiest Climbing Season"; i.e. when the most ascents get logged. It does not tell you when the best conditions are. The plot for HCR is pretty clearly thrown off by 24HHH in September.

There's lots of other crags where that plot is also misleading, and the most popular times are not necessarily the best times. Various summer crags like Wild Iris or Tensleep are busiest in July (according to the plot), but that has mostly to do with school holidays and visitation for 4th of July. A better time to visit those places is more like late September, with cooler temperatures and quieter crags.

This happens lots of other places too. Don't believe the "Prime Climbing Season" plot.

I spent a week in January camping and climbing. Maybe it’s because I was coming from a snowy cold New England but it was great climbing temps. And It was practically empty.