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Elevation: 4,505 ft
GPS: 43.83992, -103.4085
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 40,709 total · 154/month
Shared By: Peter Gram on Jul 18, 2002 · Updates
Admins: Peter Gram, Greg Parker, Mikel Madsen, Mark Rafferty

Description Suggest change

Raspberry Rocks is a highly secluded ridge of high quality rock. Most routes are around two pitches long. This is a great place to go for a high concentration of cracks. A lot of crack climbing in the Needles is little more than crack protected face climbing. But here, many true jam cracks are available for fingers to offwidths, chimneys and even vertical caving on Carl's Bad Caverns. Another plus for this area is the lack of crowds. There is little to no bolted routes here, so bring a standard rack.

Getting There Suggest change

From Keystone, head out of town towards Mt. Rushmore. At the highway 244 and 16a junction, take a left on 16a and measure the distance from this point. The road is hard to find, so make sure to keep an accurate odometer reading. After 4.5 miles, you will pass the high point of Iron Mountain highway. Continue an additional 4.1 miles to the Raspberry Rocks road. To find it, watch out for a overgrown dirt road heading right as the highway veers left. If you see a small paved parking area on the left side of the road, then you just missed the turn. The turn is a very hard right from the highway.

From here, either park or drive (probably need at least a Subaru Outback or something similar) for 1 mile to the end of the road. This is at the top of the hill, and Raspberry Rocks is to the right. Find a faint trail, and then traverse around the rocks on talus, losing 100 or more feet of elevation. The main area is several minutes of hiking away. Keep walking around the base until the rock gets steeper and less fractured.

46 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Raspberry Rocks

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 19
Carl's Bad Caverns
Trad 2 pitches
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 24
Middle of the Road
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 19
Weather or Not
Trad 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 10
Rocking Raspberries
Trad, Sport
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 6
Paradise Lost
Trad
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 9
Uff-Da-Hedral
Trad 2 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 12
Dog Days of Summer
Trad, Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 7
Fascination Street
Trad
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 22
Somewhere East of Fresno
Trad, Sport
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 6
The Chameleons
Trad
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 8
Frosted Red Raspberry Pop Tarts
Trad, Sport 2 pitches
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 8
Lizard King Arete
Trad, Sport
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
 10
Left Face of Eve
Trad
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
 6
R.I.P. Diagonal
Trad 2 pitches
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R
 4
Cheap Seeking Missle
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Carl's Bad Caverns Weather Watchers Wall
 19
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 2 pitches
Middle of the Road Weather Watchers Wall
 24
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad
Weather or Not Weather Watchers Wall
 19
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 2 pitches
Rocking Raspberries Weather Watchers Wall
 10
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, Sport
Paradise Lost Weather Watchers Wall
 6
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad
Uff-Da-Hedral Weather Watchers Wall
 9
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad 2 pitches
Dog Days of Summer Weather Watchers Wall
 12
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, Sport
Fascination Street Ramp
 7
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad
Somewhere East of Fresno Weather Watchers Wall
 22
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad, Sport
The Chameleons Weather Watchers Wall
 6
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Frosted Red Raspberry Pop T… Weather Watchers Wall
 8
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Trad, Sport 2 pitches
Lizard King Arete Weather Watchers Wall
 8
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad, Sport
Left Face of Eve Weather Watchers Wall
 10
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c Trad
R.I.P. Diagonal Weather Watchers Wall
 6
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a Trad 2 pitches
Cheap Seeking Missle Weather Watchers Wall
 4
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R Sport
More Classic Climbs in Raspberry Rocks »

Weather Averages

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