The Promised Land is a canyon cleft in the grassy plains northeast of the city of Prescott (and basically east of Chino Valley). The rock is bullet hard (can be pretty smooth/slick in places) and features hand-friendly holds. This is a sport climbing area, so routes are well bolted. You will likely run into other climbers here, but not too many at one time.
Getting There
Drive north on highway 89 from Prescott, through Chino Valley to Perkinsville Road, then...
Courtesy of BWPete: The Promised Land is somewhat hard to find the first time, as there are many roads which crisscross each other. Heading from Prescott take 89north into chino valley. turn right on perkinsvill road. follow perkinsvill road for a couple of miles till you come to hidden ranch road. there is a large sign out front. turn left. after a short distance the road splits, take the left road and parallel the right fork. when you come to a large area that has an eroded dirt pad with ATV tracks all over it, turn left, and follow that road (trending left) till you come to a white gate. turning right or left after the gate will take you there, but the right hand road is slightly less difficult. park in the flat dirt pad, and walk down the canyon to get to the routes. there is an approach trail marked by cairns, or the impact of just walking in the sandy wash is very low. there is great camping down canyon in the wash, be sure to follow LNT ethics.
Courtesy of Marcy: The hidden ranch road is called "Haystack Road". I drive a Honda CRV (not 4wd) and drove in (at night) turning left after the gate. Had no issues...just a few slow spots and some new desert pinstriping. Drove out in the daytime and, not realizing until reaching the gate, took the alternate road (going out, turning right after the gate, as BWpete describes above). I agree that this road is less difficult and therfore took less travel time from parking lot to gate (also no pinstriping!).
i ave heard from a few people that access to the P-lands is temporarily closed due to construction of the Phoenix lateral gas pipeline. last time i was out there the gate was open in the morning and fenced off in the afternoon. according to the the pipeline company the closure is only temporary, and the area will re open once the line is buried. if you find an alternate route to avoid the pipeline right of way that would be great as thumb and granite are still closed for over a month.
The promised lands are somewhat hard to find the first time, as there are many roads which crisscross each other. Heading from Prescott take 89north into chino valley. turn right on perkinsvill road. follow perkinsvill road for a couple of miles till you come to hidden ranch road. there is a large sign out front. turn left. after a short distance the road splits, take the left road and parallel the right fork. when you come to a large area that has an eroded dirt pad with ATV tracks all over it, turn left, and follow that road (trending left) till you come to a white gate. turning right or left after the gate will take you there, but the right hand road is slightly less difficult. park in the flat dirt pad, and walk down the canyon to get to the routes. there is an approach trail marked by cairns, or the impact of just walking in the sandy wash is very low. there is great camping down canyon in the wash, be sure to follow LNT ethics
The hidden ranch road is called "Haystack Road". I drive a Honda CRV (not 4wd) and drove in (at night) turning left after the gate. Had no issues...just a few slow spots and some new desert pinstriping. Drove out in the daytime and, not realizing until reaching the gate, took the alternate road (going out, turning right after the gate, as BWpete describes above). I agree that this road is less difficult and therfore took less travel time from parking lot to gate (also no pinstriping!).
These directions are no longer good as the gate is gone and the area is changing rapidly. "They" appear to be putting in a gas pipeline or something so the way in has changed. I'm terrible with directions so I won't try to tell you the way in, just ask around before you go out.
The Promised Land
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