Dolores Canyon is a very nice, accessible canyon on BLM land that has camping, a river (sometimes), and quality Wingate sandstone rock. Climbs are 1-2 pitches in length, and the approaches are mostly short. The climbs face east or northeast, so this can be a bit chilly in the winter. This area offers seclusion in a wilderness setting.
Getting There
Just south of Dove Creek on US Highway 666, there is a turn by the airport. There is a BLM sign that says "Dolores Canyon overlook." Turn down this road and take your first left by the airport, do not go to the overlook (unless you want to see the view). There may be signs to Mountain Sheep Point or the pumping station. Follow this road down into Big Canyon and the boat ramp at the pumphouse. Continue past the boat ramp to where the cliffs come closer to the road and the rock quality improves dramatically. There are several obvious buttresses, and some of them have routes on them. There are still opportunities for FAs here, too. The local ethic here is traditional (ground up). There is one particularly good buttress, just to the right of a drainage system, called Beehive Buttress.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Dolores Canyon:
Are people still climbing here? We put up several lines in this area in the late '90s/ early 2000s. The "unknown" photo of the 5.7/8 is the Red Rocks Simulator. Don't remember the name of the one called 5.10b in the photo, but Crystal Davis and I did the FA. I remember that we called the thin crack/seam that it shares an anchor with The Seamster.
The photo in the center, traverse in from the left to the finger crack, is Sunday Strole. Ian Altman did the FA with someone, sorry it's been a while and I can't remember.
Lots of new bolts have been popping up lately, most recently on the left-most route at The Pumphouse. The bolts being used are total crap, hardware store Redheads (hanger is on a tiny grade 3, 5/16" stud), meanwhile the rest of the route is bomber Rawls. If you're gonna place a bolt, spend the money and order bomber ones from a reputable source, not Home Depot. As is stands now, all the Redheads should be replaced with something that is trustworthy.
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