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Dogwood Crag

Utah > Wasatch Range > Central Wasatch > Big Cottonwood Canyon

Description

Great area for the beginners (5.5 to 5.9-) with a few challenging routes on the eastern wall (5.11a to 5.13a). Almost all if not all can be top roped.

There are 5 bolted routes on the western end of the wall; 5.8 being the easiest and getting harder as you go left or east. Also on this end there are 2 or 3 sets of chains to set up top ropes, the climbing is probably about 5.5 to 5.7.

There are some trees you can use as well for anchors, bring long runners.

The harder climbing is located about 200-300 yards upstream or east. The hardest of the bunch, a 5.13a, is the only bolted route on this end.

The crag stays in the shade most of the morning in the summer.

Oblique, aerial photo here.

Getting There

Drive about 1 mile up the canyon and you sill see the Dogwood picnic area on your right. You can either park in here for $8 dollars a car or if the stream is low enough you can drive another .15 up the canyon and park on the side of the road and just hop across the stream.

Routes from Left to Right

V0 4
 4
● Sandpaper Cloud
Boulder
V2 5+
 3
● Cockroach Slip
Boulder
V1 5
 3
● Golemoly
Boulder
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 4
● Drunken Crack
Trad, TR
V2 5+ R
 1
● Roadside Attraction
Boulder
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
 49
● Life During Wartime
Trad, TR
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 3
● Slinga Tree
Trad, TR
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
 13
● Ain't no Party, Ain't no Disco
Trad
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
 19
● Cross-Eyed and Painless
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 36
● Quartzite Sans Stainless
Trad
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 26
● Little Creatures
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 22
● Little Critters
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
 14
● Hyper-Gamma Spaces
Trad, TR
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 110
● A Modest Man from Mandrake
Sport
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 39
● Modest Man From Drakeman
Sport, TR
5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c
 22
● Little Things
Sport
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 5
● Lion of Zion, The
Trad
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 33
● Unforgiven
Sport, TR
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
 106
● I Think I'm Going Bald
Sport, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 84
● Haven't A Clue
Sport, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 178
● On the Skids
Sport, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 135
● Take Me To The River
Sport, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 26
● Dirty Unknown
TR
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b R
 54
● Unknown
Trad, TR
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 26
● Top-Rope Tough Guy
Trad, TR
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a R
 2
● Violets Slab
TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Sandpaper Cloud
 4
V0 4 Boulder
● Cockroach Slip
 3
V2 5+ Boulder
● Golemoly
 3
V1 5 Boulder
● Drunken Crack
 4
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, TR
● Roadside Attraction
 1
V2 5+ R Boulder
● Life During Wartime
 49
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R Trad, TR
● Slinga Tree
 3
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, TR
● Ain't no Party, Ain't no Disco
 13
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a Trad
● Cross-Eyed and Painless
 19
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c Sport
● Quartzite Sans Stainless
 36
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad
● Little Creatures
 26
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a Trad
● Little Critters
 22
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
● Hyper-Gamma Spaces
 14
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R Trad, TR
● A Modest Man from Mandrake
 110
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
● Modest Man From Drakeman
 39
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Sport, TR
● Little Things
 22
5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c Sport
● Lion of Zion, The
 5
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad
● Unforgiven
 33
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Sport, TR
● I Think I'm Going Bald
 106
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c Sport, TR
● Haven't A Clue
 84
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Sport, TR
● On the Skids
 178
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Sport, TR
● Take Me To The River
 135
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Sport, TR
● Dirty Unknown
 26
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c TR
● Unknown
 54
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b R Trad, TR
● Top-Rope Tough Guy
 26
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, TR
● Violets Slab
 2
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a R TR

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

The face just left of the roof band is "Unforgiven", the left corner of the roof band is "I Think I'm Going Bald", and the right end of the roof is "Haven't A Clue"
[Hide Photo] The face just left of the roof band is "Unforgiven", the left corner of the roof band is "I Think I'm Going Bald", and the right end of the roof is "Haven't A Clue"
Middle section of Dogwood Crag showing #7 Modest Man From Mandrake (5.9)
[Hide Photo] Middle section of Dogwood Crag showing #7 Modest Man From Mandrake (5.9)
Dogwood Crag taken from the highway.
[Hide Photo] Dogwood Crag taken from the highway.
The right-most routes at Dogwood with names and grades
[Hide Photo] The right-most routes at Dogwood with names and grades
view from dogwood crag
[Hide Photo] view from dogwood crag
Top of "I think I'm Going Bald" looking down
[Hide Photo] Top of "I think I'm Going Bald" looking down
Creek in late October 2018
[Hide Photo] Creek in late October 2018
Stuff
[Hide Photo] Stuff
View
[Hide Photo] View

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Anonymous Coward
[Hide Comment] Fun climbing with a good range of routes and no approach-which is why it gets PACKED. Don't even try after work unless you like crowds and waiting. Even so, sitting next to a stream in the shade with other climbers is not a bad place to wait. Mar 20, 2004
Nathan Fisher
St George
[Hide Comment] Last time up there I saw a new bolted line just east of I Think I'm Going Bald. Any Info?? Apr 7, 2004
Ryan Peterson
North Salt Lake, Utah
[Hide Comment] This place gets busy fast. We showed up at 8:30 and had it to ourselves today (saturday), but at 9:30 there were suddenly 20 people toproping.

River was low enough to walk across, but couldn't do any of the middle routes without a silly little traverse and a horrible belay position. Was kinda fun though. Jun 23, 2007
chris begue
[Hide Comment] The new route next to goin bald .9 is called unforgivin .10a put up in 02? by Chris Begue, Liz Cannon, and others. Only drawback is the wet start in spring and early summer. Mostly .8/.9 climbing with one crux move, though it is easier if you wander so stay true to gravity and a drop of water. Jan 21, 2010
theanab
[Hide Comment] Walking through the picnic area, as long as you're not parking there, is free--the guide says you have to pay $2. Jun 19, 2012
August Longino
[Hide Comment] Has anyone seen a pair of red and silver Nago climbing shoes hanging around at the base of the top-roping wall (I think it's "I Haven't A Clue")? If so, do give a call, 801 903 3258. Jul 21, 2014
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
[Hide Comment] American Alpine Club Cornerstone Conservation Grant Awarded
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance – Climbing Area and Stream Bank Stabilization

Dogwood, Big Cottonwood Canyon

The CCG grant will be used for construction of a belay platform at Dogwood, Big Cottonwood Canyon (BCC), Utah in 2015. Dogwood is one of the most easily accessed climbing areas on one of the busiest Forests in the country. Located in Big Cottonwood Canyon (BCC), the crag can be seen 50 yards from the road. It consists of a total of 18 routes (mostly 5.5-5.9) with easy top-roping access. The amount of use by climbers has made this little gem of a crag an eye sore with dead/dying trees, stream bank damage, and is an obvious impact to the watershed.

saltlakeclimbers.org/americ… Oct 8, 2014
zoso
[Hide Comment] That's good news. Now if I could just find this crag... Oct 9, 2014
James Garrett
Salt Lake City, UT
[Hide Comment] The 4 or five popular routes on the West end of Dogwood Crag have had their top anchors retrofitted. In some cases, old worn Rap Leeper hangers had deep grooves and then had been equipped with chain which in turn seemed scary thin. All chain was removed and rings were secured on glue in bolts. Should be good to go for a few generations, I should think:) Oct 18, 2014
Kinger
[Hide Comment] We found a rope up there this afternoon. If it's yours just send an email at "scottking789@gmail.com" Sep 11, 2015
Wic Wahlquist
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
[Hide Comment] This is a fantastic crag with plenty of climbs on it to handle the crowds. Head further East up the crag to avoid the crowds. Most large groups only climb the first four climbs because they are very easy climbs and easy access. Nov 9, 2016
tyler bostwick
Ogden, UT
[Hide Comment] Found a dmm nut on the second climb from the right today. If it's yours give me a description and I'll return it to you May 5, 2017
Erbbo418 Bowser
Kearns, UT
[Hide Comment] Found an anchor on: "On the Skids". If you can describe it to me I can give it back to you. Oct 1, 2017
Josh Vondran
Salt Lake City
[Hide Comment] Today was mt first time to Dogwood, and it was interesting to say the least. 3-4 families with young children and babies we climbing on the top ropes. I was disappointed to see the trash left behind though. Some snack wrappers and a good amount of food scraps were left on the groud. Please clean up after yourselves people! There is a river 5 feet away, and all this trash eventually ends up in our water. To those who see this, please practice Leave No Trace principles. May 10, 2018
Brock Wood
Salt Lake City
[Hide Comment] Found some shoes here size 8.5 contact me with a description and will get them back you 06/26/18 Jun 26, 2018
Thefryman Fryland
Chicago, IL
[Hide Comment] I nearly stepped on a rattlesnake walking up to the anchor for ‘crosseyed’ yesterday. Pretty cool snake but a little too close for comfort. Climber beware! Jul 20, 2022
Liam Wilson
Sandy, UT
[Hide Comment] Points for accessibility: close, 2min approach, and easy anchor access.

Deductions for underwater belays, very polished starts on the (western) sport routes that actually have belays, and major crowds. Aug 17, 2023