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Queen Creek Canyon
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Queen Creek Canyon

Submitted By: Orphaned on Jan 20, 2006
Administrators: Greg Opland, James DeRoussel
Elevation: 3,500 feet
Views: 50,679 page views

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Description 

Queen Creek and its many volcanic towers is the home of central Arizona sport climbing and bouldering. The rock is volcanic tuff and the routes go from deep-pocket pulling down to tiny-edge crimping, depending on the area. Many of the routes here were established between the early '90s and present day.


Getting There 

Queen Creek Canyon is found above the small town of Superior, AZ, about an hour's drive (depending where you start) east of the metro Phoenix area. Drive through Superior headed east, go up the hill and the various areas will be found after you get through the big tunnel.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Queen Creek Canyon:
Smokin' The Toad   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch, 130 feet   Lower Devil's Canyon : Hackberry Creek
Three Amigos   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch   Lower Devil's Canyon : Glitter Box Area
Follow Your Heart   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet   The Pond
First Born   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Atlantis
Going Out Of Chicken Sale   5.9-     Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Lower Devil's East (LDE) : The Coop
El Throatchoker Grande   5.9-     Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet   Lower Devil's East (LDE) : The Lunchbox
Giggling Marlin   5.9     Sport   Atlantis
Dacite Conspiracy   5.9     Sport, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Lower Devil's Canyon : Hackberry Creek
Accelerated Climbology   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 165 feet   Lower Devil's East (LDE) : Climbology Area
Faith, Hope & Jeep   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Lower Devil's East (LDE) : Microskunk Area
Neptune   5.10a     Sport, 85 feet   Atlantis
Pocket Puzzle   5.10a     Sport   The Pond
Pocket Pow-Wow   5.10a/b     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   The Pond
KGB   5.10b     Sport, 80 feet   Atlantis
Microskunks with Cholla Coats   5.10b     Trad, 140 feet   Lower Devil's East (LDE) : Microskunk Area
Pocket Party   5.10     Sport, 1 pitch, 75 feet   The Pond
Schizophrenic Boulevard   5.10c     Sport, 80 feet   Atlantis
Centipede Corner   5.10c     Trad, 110 feet   Lower Devil's East (LDE) : The Lunchbox
The Totem Pole   5.10c/d     Sport, 2 pitches, 150 feet   Lower Devil's Canyon : Glitter Box Area
Smokin Guns   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 45 feet   Atlantis
Browse More Classics in Queen Creek Canyon

Featured Route For Queen Creek Canyon
Marcy on the FA of El Throatchoker Grande, just after exiting the pod. Photo by Geir.

El Throatchoker Grande 5.9-  AZ : Queen Creek Canyon : ... : The Lunchbox
Start just left of the center of the face near two small pockets at head height. Using the pockets pull up to a small ledge. Work to a prominent vertical crack, then step left into a crack leading into a “pod” (shallow cave). Stem up the pod and exit to the right into a long, fun crack that widens as you go up. At the end of the wide crack follow discontinuous cracks to the top.Desent - 1 double rope rappel from Blueberry Lizards. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ


Photos of Queen Creek Canyon Slideshow Add Photo
My friends, Mr. and Mrs. Javelina of Queen Creek, Arizona.

My friends, Mr. and Mrs. Javelina of Queen Creek, ...

"We come in peace for all mankind."<br /><br />Exploratory drilling for copper in Queen Creek.

"We come in peace for all mankind."

Exploratory d...

Phil Caballero bouldering at Queen Creek.

Phil Caballero bouldering at Queen Creek.

Jason Sandbag and Meep Meep Jaybro at Oak Flat

Jason Sandbag and Meep Meep Jaybro at Oak Flat

Ray Mine (ASARCO) is about 8 miles of SE of Oak Flat.

Ray Mine (ASARCO) is about 8 miles of SE of Oak Fl...


Comments on Queen Creek Canyon Add Comment
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By Ken Isaacson
Apr 20, 2009

This is another of Arizona's great climbing areas. It was once home to the Phoenix Bouldering Competition, attended by thousands of climbers. However, in a questionable land swap, it was taken over by Resolution Copper. As soon as possible Resolution will turn this ecologically protected area into a hole in the ground about a mile across and perhaps a half a mile deep.

By Ken Isaacson
Apr 21, 2009

I am deeply sorry for my over estimation of the hole in the ground. Perhaps it will be as attractive as the ASARCO photo above, a sort of eco-friendly hole.

By max gibbons
From: AZ y TO
May 13, 2009

Climbers need to get their asses out here and make a presence of themselves:
1) Enjoy it while we have it.
2) Remind the shafts and tools that the area still means a lot to a lot of folks.
As the land swap creeps forward QC draws fewer and fewer preemptively dismayed climbers. Poor form.

By Geir Hundal
From: Tucson, AZ
May 13, 2009

I'm not sure of the other areas, but Lower Devil's has seen quite a bit of activity lately. I've been in LD most weekends since December. Other parties have been there nearly every time.

There are also some new climbs going up both in LD and Hackberry - I've been in on a few of the FAs and they are great! Keep an eye out on MP for new route info, and if you haven't climbed the older routes, check them out!

By Tim Swiontek AKA Squish
May 19, 2009

I lived in Tucson for 3 years and Queen Creek was my absolute favorite place to go climbing at. It would be a tragedy if QC was closed down. Which also brings me to my next point. How come no bouldering is documented for QC? Great places like Davey Jones Locker and Evolution Boulder are just for 2 examples. Not to forget to mention the classic Rail problem. Now that I live in CO I realized how much I miss QC. Max is correct. People need to enjoy it while they have it and speak out about how much the area means to them.