Soutch Carolina to Yosemite!

Hey guys, so this summer I'm hoping to make it out west where the mountains are tall and the climbing is hard! Just like every climber in the southeast, I've read all about Indian Creek and Yosemite and hope to send a couple of those cracks. However, there is a lot of land between South Carolina and where I hope to end up. So, I was hoping I could get some input from you guys on MP of some awesome national parks, small towns, local crags, or any 1-2 day side trips along the way. Thanks in advance!

If its on your way, Asheville NC is an amazing town to stop in for a day or two. Great beer, great food, good atmosphere. I've heard the climbing in the area is worth a stop as well.

Ashville is about an hour away, it's actually one of the closest climbing areas around. I was hoping for things farther west. Thanks though!

This is a really good question: basically, what are the cool climbing areas that might not be destinations, but are awesome for climbing layovers as we make the miserable drive across the country?

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, AR: maybe 90 mins off of I-40. 10 hrs west of the Obed, TN, and 12 hrs east of the Front Range. Good stopover point if you're driving from the East to Arizona or Red Rocks.

Wichita Mtns., OK: About 6.5 hours farther west than HCR.

Enchanted Rock, TX (or anything else in the Central TX/Austin area): around an hour off of I-10; 13 hrs west of HP40, 9 hrs east of Hueco. Stopover if you're going to Hueco, Cochise, or J-tree.

Jackson Falls, IL: I've not been here, but it's pretty much in between I-40 and I-64. Would be a cool stopping point if you're driving on I-70. It's about 14 hrs from Denver and 5 hrs from the RRG.

Rock City, KS: smack dab in the middle of the most boring section of Kansas, and about 30 mins off of I-70. Not great climbing but a cool novelty. No camping.

I'm not sure of what's off of I-80 along the way if you're driving that route, though I've heard there are some crags in Iowa.

""I'm not sure of what's off of I-80 along the way if you're driving that route, though I've heard there are some crags in Iowa."

Pass up IOWA... keep going, Fremont Canyon, WY

Whitney portal area on the Sierra east side would be a fun place to stop off for a few days. The entire Sierra Nevada east side is full of opportunities if you're equipped for backcountry travel. What month are you heading west? The entrance to Yosemite National Park from the east (Tioga Pass) closes in winter and doesn't re-open until late May most years.

there is a ton of climbing on your way...almost too much to describe. As for Indian Creek, you can chase the shade in the summer, but it will be awfully warm. On the plus side, summer is about the only time the place is not crowded. If you are taking the I-70 corridor, then the Boulder area, Devil's Head, Maple, Rifle, Independence Pass, Red Rock, Tahoe/Sierras are all doable with some detouring. Wyoming would be good.

Awesome! Thanks for the input, I'll be sure to look into those areas.

I have driven from North Carolina to Yosemite several times.

General tips.

-Spend a day at Tennessee Wall and going out in Chattanooga.

-There is good food in Memphis. Don't get shot.

-If you go through St Louis for whatever reason, stop at City Museum. It fucking rocks. Seriously. Look it up.

- Avoid the Texas panhandle. It reminded me of my time in Syria, but without any redeeming cultural charm or hospitality. This is extra easy to do if you plan to hit up Moab.

-Unfortunately, by avoiding the Texas panhandle, you are likely to encounter Kansas. Kansas sucks hard. If you have the time to arc north, taking back roads through Nebraska is almost as fast (70 mph average between towns) and much prettier.

-Going through Nebraska makes it easy to swing down through Colorado. Stop in and climb at Eldo, so that you can roll your eyes at people who start every sentence with "When I'm climbing at Eldo..."

-Going south through Colorado is good. Beautiful BLM land to crash for free on, and you can check out the Gunnison.

-If Tioga pass is open, do not swing south through Vegas. It will be too hot to climb in Red Rocks, and you should just go due west from Moab to Tuolumne. Way faster, and you don't have to smell Bakersfield.

-Before going up to Tuolumne, swing south to the Bishop and Mammoth area for some cragging and beer.

-Stop and eat at the Whoa Nellie Deli on your way to Tuolumne.

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hey levi, I to am from south Carolina but have done a lot of climbing out west including a 4 month climbing trip with my son a couple years ago. if it were me, I would stop at:

Jackson falls ill. a good day trip to break up the long drive.

then on to vedauwoo Wyoming. free camping, spend a couple days.

south to the flat iron and eldo. you could spend forever here,use your own judgement.

west to rifle mountain park for a day or two

west again to grand junction, great bouldering and climb otto's route on independence monument.

a good side trip from here is south to escalante canyon. indian creek type cracks without the crowds. you could also do unaweep canyon which has both granite and sandstone.

west then south to moab. spend at least a week climbing the classics. this is another place you could spend a lifetime.

keep heading west to zion, red rock, yosemite, and on the way back take the southern route and hit Joshua tree Cochise stronghold and hueco tanks.

of course, with a trip of this length, the possibilities are endless but this would be a good start.

Tim Toulas, Rock and Road is a great resource for this.