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3-4 days for bouldering/climbing in SLC area

Original Post
Parneli Jo · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 221

CO front-range climbers coming to SLC for 3-4 days later this month for bouldering, sport, and/or trad. Any recommendations for day trips around SLC? Areas and routes. Never been to SLC for climbing before. :-(

Jack Daniels · · SANDY, UTAH · Joined May 2012 · Points: 40

I would check out little cottonwood canyon. Lots of trad,Bouldering and some great routes at hellgate

CareBear M · · Worcester, MA · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 0

If you are really stoked on bouldering Joe's Valley is worth the trip, although it is just starting to cold down.
Maple Canyon, also a bit of a drive, is pretty sweet and I haven't seem much climbing like it in my short career.
American Fork also has come real good sport climbing, and little cottonwood has good trad and bouldering.
All four of those listed have different rock so you can get something different everyday.

Parneli Jo · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 221

Thanks guys!

Austin Baird · · SLC, Utah · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 95

Maple Canyon and City of Rocks. The City is only about 2:30 from SLC. I'd spend two days there, one day in Maple, (about 2:30 the opposite direction), and then one day in Little Cottonwood. Unless you're looking to get in a lot of mileage on hard sport routes, I wouldn't spend a day at AF. It's great for what it is (moderate to hard sport routes) but it's not in the top 3 or 4 areas up here.

jeffozozo · · santa clara, utah · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 536

Maple canyon is indeed incredible. You should get out there if you can.

If you want to stay in SLC area, then I'd recommend these places:

Big Cottonwood:

mountainproject.com/v/chall…

mountainproject.com/v/s-cur… (any of the S-Curve areas are awesome)

mountainproject.com/v/storm…

Little Cottonwood:

mountainproject.com/v/gate-…

mountainproject.com/v/black…

mountainproject.com/v/penta…

These are easy to find and easy to access and host some really good routes.

Bouldering Portal · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 50

It has been several years since I was at city of Rocks, but the climbing and the scenery are amazing. Joshua tree with holds is the bet description I have heard of the place.

Tim G. · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 78

Big and Little Cottonwood alone could keep you busy for weeks, let alone 3-4 days. LCC has tons of multipitch trad routes and some good sport stuff near the top (Albian Basin and Hellgate if you don't mind a little choss). It also has tons of amazing bouldering with little to no approach. BCC has more sport that I like. S curves for harder stuff, and Challenge Buttress and the Slips for easy to moderate stuff.

City of Rocks is definitely worth checking out but it's pretty far for a day trip. It would be better to camp at least one night. If you like hard, overhanging sport, then American Fork is where it's at in the SLC area. Maple is great too, but a little farther away.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern Utah & Idaho
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