Climbing Access in Conservation Areas
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Hey Everyone, |
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Hi there Mac, |
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Go for it... |
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At least as of 2-12-13 this appears to be the status:
Please note: I live in Pima County and do not keep track of this information. There are several people on MP from Phoenix who are much more knowledgable. Hopefully, they will comment. (Paging Greg.) You might have better luck if you move your post into the Arizona forum. Many years ago there was some good climbing in several of the parks. Scott Mc ITEM #10 Feasibility of Rock Climbing in Maricopa County Parks Jennifer Waller, Operations Manager, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department and Curt Shannon, Arizona Policy Analyst, Access Fund PRESENTATION/INFORMATION/DISCUSSION ITEM « Ms. Waller presented a request from the Access Fund to reconsider the no-climbing rule within the County Parks. The goal of the presentation is to start discussion regarding the request and obtain guidance from the Commission. Research of the history of the Parks Master Plan does not reflect that rock climbing is an acceptable activity. Current Park rules state that participants are prohibited to leave a designated trail or walkway between trailheads. Ms. Waller discussed some of the many internal reviews that staff will need to look at if the direction of the Commission is to move forward and pursue a policy change in this area. « Mr. Shannon provided an overview of Access Funds history, mission and programs. They are a climbing advocacy organization. Access Fund can provide assistance in development of a climbing management plan and could possibly involve some insurance coverage to help mitigate liability issues. Access Fund believes that similar to hiking, climbing is a legitimate use of public lands. Mr. Shannon has provided a recent rock climbing assessment report to staff. « Director Cardin discussed with the Commission some of their primary roles, especially with respect to dealing with the public. Commissioners asked various questions and decided it would be beneficial to receive information in steps as staff moves through the due diligence process. Here is the link: maricopa.gov/parks/commissi… |
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A few years back, they quietly banned climbing in the Maricopa County Parks. There was nothing you could describe as public notice at the time, especially within the climbing community. Just one day, we found out climbing had been banned. |
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Gee wizz I thought that folks in AZ were FREE. |
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Guy, you can probably make a pretty good guess at the quality of the typical climbing in the County park areas here when they ban climbing and nobody notices for quite a while. Still, it's a shame to lose any climbing, so worth the work to try to re-establish access. I believe the nature of the rock (esp. in the White Tank Mountains) and the prospect of climbing incidents/accidents due directly to rock quality had something to do with the decision to disallow climbing. |
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As far as probability of never getting prosecuted |
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Thanks Scott for those minutes, hopefully the status has progressed beyond the point of just recognition that people want to climb in the parks. Also, thank you Greg for your input as well, it helps a lot. |
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GREG.... I just looked at the Santans Page... On MP its not noted that the place is closed to climbing. I was going to go climbing there last year when I was in Phoenix last winter working at the races. |
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I've climbed a bit in the Santans and White Tanks, two of the climbing areas in Maricopa County Parks. Neither of them is inspiring but they are close when you are pressed for time. |