Mill Creek
Utah
> Southeast Utah
> La Sal Mountains
Access Issue: RAIN, WET ROCK and RAPTOR CLOSURES: The sandstone around Moab is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Also please ask and be aware of Raptor Closures in areas such as CAT WALL and RESERVOIR WALL in Indian Creek
Details
WET ROCK: Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN MOAB during or after rain.
RAPTOR CLOSURES: please be aware of seasonal raptor closures. They occur annually in the spring.
Description
Mill Creek is a great little climbing area in close proximity to Moab. The place is special and feels untrodden even though climbers have been visiting the area for decades. If you choose to visit this little gem, please make sure to treat the area gently. That includes hiking your ass out of the canyon if you have to take a dump!
The canyon is located high in the La Sals and consists of very compact sandstone/quartzite. This lends itself to good face climbing and offers a welcome respite from both the relentless splitter cracks and the hot temperatures of the Moab area. The area is predominantly bolted, but there are trad lines and even the bolted routes often require the occasional gear placement. Bring a light rack and don't leave it on the ground if you're unsure about your climb.
It should be noted that if you are visiting Moab from out of town, Mill Creek is probably not the best destination or rest-day distraction. The area is mostly undocumented, and almost entirely established ground up. Ratings are very stiff, there are often big runouts on non-trivial climbing, and holds are rarely well-chalked and frequently adorned with sand or cobwebs. There is also very little climbing below mid 5.11. Because of the magazines, Mill Creek has a reputation for being Moab's "sport climbing" area, but this is both a disservice to Mill Creek and to climbers as well.
Getting There
Mill Creek is located midway along the La Sal Loop Road, a scenic drive that runs from Castle Valley up through the La Sals, and back down to 191 just south of Moab. The loop road actually crosses the creek just above the Hydro Crag on an obvious bridge.
There is a paved pullout, bathroom, signed entrance, and well established, switchbacked trail into the main Mill Creek area.
The area is actually quite vast, and in keeping with the tradition of the area, it demands a willingness to explore. For that reason, there are no formal guidebooks and other very specific directions are not available here, but with the right attitude and a bit of time, there is a lot of great climbing and adventure to be had. Good luck!
![The awesome rock in upper Mill Creek appears to be the Moab Member of the Curtis Formation- for those of you who care about such things....]()
[Hide Photo] The awesome rock in upper Mill Creek appears to be the Moab Member of the Curtis Formation- for those of you who care about such things....
![One of the few 5.11's at the wicked crag. Photo by Mark Davis]()
[Hide Photo] One of the few 5.11's at the wicked crag. Photo by Mark Davis
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On an access and conservation note: And these are absolutes... PLEASE drive the speed limit or slower and park carefully and considerately in MCC. This may mean you'll need to walk a bit, but the land manager has concerns about speeding and parking. DO NOT S*&T IN THE CANYON! Walk the 5 minutes up to the road and care for waste disposal in a environmentally friendly fashion!
Climbing: It is wise to understand before going to MCC that it is not in entirety a sport crag - especially in the common (ie. Rifle, Red Rocks) definition of the term (more like Smith's older routes or Tuolome -sp?). Though there are "sport routes" in MCC, more often than not the routes tend to be "sporty" to "run out" - many sport climbers consider routes at MCC to border on terrifying and there are some routes w/ ground fall potential; most have long fall potential, so know before you go. All but about 5 routes in the canyon are accessible from the top and can be previewed or climbed on TR (bring a length of rope to access the anchors from trees). If you can not see bolts all the way to the top of a route, do not assume that they exist, and top rope if you are unsure of your ability or the presence of gear.
It is also wise to carry a small rack to many of the routes as quite a few are "old school", bolts where you need 'em, gear supplementing. In addition, many routes in MCC are harder than they appear (bouldery technical cruxes), so again, if you are unsure, TR. In general, MCC is not a super area for beginners - like most of the dez, for what ever reason, life tends to begin at 5.10 and the easier routes tend to be more run than the harder routes (13a and up). But if you are keen on "adventure sport climbing" do come and give it a try! The area described above is known as "The Wicked Crag" and has some of MCC's finest hard routes.
Season: April/May-Oct./Nov.
Enjoy, but be safe and conscientious Lisa Feb 5, 2002
Use It! Jun 1, 2005
Salt Lake City, Utah
Keep an open mind and a sense of adventure and millcreek will deliver some of the best climbing experiences of your life.
-brendan Oct 7, 2009
I'm sorry you're disappointed that my description for Mill Creek doesn't live up to the standards of my other contributions to Mountain Project, but I'm not going to change it and here's why:
First, I should note that I'm not the one who submitted the Mill Creek area - it was a terrible one line description which I adopted in order to actually improve upon. After discussion with locals and other admin-type folks on the site, rather than spell out every detail of Mill Creek, I chose to instead attempt to create something more balanced that would uphold the tradition of the area.
That tradition harkens back to respecting an area and the style in which it was developed. Spelling out directions to every route in Mill Creek would be a real shame. Rather than call me malicious, you could have contacted me (or anyone else who's climbed there) and asked for more info (as someone did just last week as a matter of fact), which perhaps I could have provided.
As Brendan said, keeping an open mind and sense of adventure and investing a little time and energy in exploring this area will pay back in spades. Spend a rest day hiking from the Wicked Crag out the mouth of the canyon (wear Carharts, trust me), talk to the locals, read the stories in the old mags... I guarantee you'll get a lot more out of the experience. If this isn't your thing, don't worry, the climbing isn't so mindblowing that you're missing out on much - go to Rifle, the climbing is way better, it's closer to Boulder, and you won't have to waste one bit of precious redpointing energy on finding your route.
Best regards and good luck on Tiki Man! Oct 7, 2009
Squamish, BC
P.S. I liked the old description. Jul 26, 2012
SLC, UT
Springdale / Zion UT / Moab
I generally stay away from giving unsolicited beta, and this is only my personal opinion, but I'm hopeful that folks will agree. Also, before launching in, I'd like to recount a useful allegory;
Shunryu Suzuki used to say to his Zen students that rules are in place to free us, not limit us. If we are familiar with the rules, and know how to act accordingly, then we can go on more effortlessly. We don’t have to wonder if we’re doing it right, or think about what we SHOULD be doing. We can just do it. Additionally, we don’t develop the psychological residue of knowing internally that we are not behaving in a respectful way that benefits others.
The use and overuse of chalk is an issue that is rising in relevance all over the desert, but most recently my attention has been directed up the hill, so I’ll utilize this time to address Mill Creek specifically. Over time I have seen chalk impacting into many of the holds up there, both on easier warm-ups as well as hard classics, and this season seems to be starting off “worse” than ones past. The rock there is varied and “porous,” and excess chalk can build with sweat and shoe rubber to essentially form a new layer much like calcite, filling in the subtle spaces in the holds over time. This “degrades” the holds, and is the same process that is occurring at Big Bend, leading to the slick-ification of damn near everything.
Please bring some form of climbing brush with you whenever you climb at Mill Creek, and clean excess chalk off of holds after you climb on them. Also, from the egregious amount of chalk I’m seeing on warm-ups, there are obviously some newer folks who have poor chalking technique. After dipping, don't go straight to gripping. Always shake, slap, or blow the excess chalk off, or else you are impacting the chalk into the hold every time it is used. Additionally, chalk decreases the coefficient of friction between your fingers and the rock, so if you’re hands aren’t dampening, you don’t need a drying agent and it’s actually a hindrance. When the temps are prime up there, please consider; do I even need chalk right now? So many of us just dip out of habit, and being a more mindful climber will ALWAYS make you a better climber.
Also, absolutely brush off tick marks if you must use them. They interfere with the climbing experiences of others, and in my opinion are an unnecessary visual aid; the colored tape that leapt out of the gym world and into what feels like wilderness where it doesn't belong. In my estimation, part of the spirit of climbing has always been to FIND the way. It is my personal opinion that tick marks lower the bar and go against the grain of this tradition. Raise the bar for yourself and see what it’s like when you use your mind/eye coordination to find the hold, not a visual aid.
Also, and this is a really easy one; CLEAN UP YOUR TRASH. There is an abundance of little bits of tape, fruit labels, etc. building up up there as well. I have seen folks that are there with locals who are guilty of this. Please be proactive. Locals, you are stewards of Mill Creek and it is your responsibility to keep track of your guests if they can't do it themselves. Mill Creek is a small, fragile area, and at this point it is simply rude and thoughtless to leave trash behind. Be mindful.
Again, I don't think these principles are too far out, and I'd like to think that this kind of beta is common sense, but it appears as though it’s not. I understand that climbing is rapidly catching on in popularity, so we all need to do our part now that more and more people are flooding outside. If you see someone doing something dangerous, or something that is not a best practice, please speak up. None of us like getting in other people’s business, but I’ve found if it’s done in a respectful and calm manner, it’s usually beneficial to all involved. Speaking only for myself and my own OCD, the lack of mindfulness in the climbing community can at times feel overwhelming. If we all do our best to be mindful, respectful, and thorough, the places we utilize will benefit, and the new generation of climbers coming up under us will have a good example from which to learn. This is but one issue, regarding one specific area. I know this has been a lot of words, but I’m hoping they will reach some folks.
Thanks to all, and enjoy the tiny holds! I think we can all agree that they feel much better without the chalk buildup, the problem solving is more enjoyable without someone else's distracting visual aid, and the area is more beautiful without bits of trash lingering about.
Cheers! May 14, 2017
Kiley Jul 24, 2020
Houghton, MI