Madrone Wall was officially opened on October 21st, 2017 after a 20 year battle to convince the county to turn the area into a park instead of a quarry. Much thanks to the Madrone Wall Preservation Committee for all their hard work!
Make sure to check out the county park website for the rules on parking fees which are $9 daily. There are annual ($60) and two year ($100) passes available for purchase by calling the park office or visiting reservations.clackamas.us/r…. Also, inform yourself about the daily opening and closing hours (they change seasonally) and the annual peregrine falcon closure.
The climbing here is awesome, and features a wide variety of styles and grades, and most certainly has something you'll enjoy climbing. A lot of the routes here are trad or mixed, so make sure you have a rack with you. A 60m rope will work on all routes here.
Lead bolts have almost all been updated, and all routes now have bolted anchors. Most of these have hardware for lowering off, and this method is recommended, though rappelling is required in a few cases. Historically, many routes required you to top out and/or used trees for anchors, but this has been eliminated in order to reduce rockfall and poison oak exposure.
Poison oak is rampant here, both on the wall in places, and along the trail, so tread carefully and be cautious where your rope and gear are set down. Though a lot of work has been done to clean the area up, garden clippers and a nylon brush are often handy, as the falcon closures mean that some routes remain a little dirty after the park opens each season.
There are two guidebooks that feature Madrone. The most up-to-date one is the Madrone and Carver Cliffs guidebook available via Rakkup. The Portland Rock Climbs guidebook by Tim Olson also contains the area, but it is very out-of-date: trail information, route grades, anchor positions, bolt counts, etc will differ from what is listed in here.
Head SE on Hwy 224 towards and then through Carver. Madrone is on the left hand side, just past 197th Ave, right about 2.3 miles past Carver. Road up to the cliff has a yellow gate. If the gate is closed, the park is closed. Do not walk past the closed gate. The only parking is at the top of the drive, and there is about 20 spots to park. Please carpool if possible.
When you get to the parking lot, pay your parking fee, and then head up one of two trails. The trail on the south side of the lot goes up a few rock steps, and then travels through some steep steps to the Hardscrabble Wall.
The main trail is located just off the gravel path by the kiosk on the north side of the lot. This trail will meet the cliff in the middle of the Main Wall. To the left will be the left side of the Main Wall, 4th Class Wall, Orange Wall and Left Corner Wall. To the right will be the right side of the Main Wall, Shining Wall, and then Hardscrabble Wall.
Portland, OR
The park is open seasonally from July through January, and closed from February through June to protect nesting peregrine falcons that inhabit the rock wall during those months.
Park hours of operation have been set as:
While there is no fee to enter or use the park, there is a $5 parking fee.
Fires, alcohol, glass beverage containers, weapons, and fireworks are all prohibited inside the park by County Code. There is also no camping allowed, no firewood gathering or cutting, and dogs/pets must be kept on leashes at all times inside the park.
Parking is limited at Madrone Wall Park. Our conditional use permit only allowed for the construction of 20 parking stalls and 2 handicap parking stalls. There is no parking allowed along the park access road and Hwy 224.
Overflow parking is available at Barton Park and Carver Boat Ramp. There is also a TriMet Bus Stop (Bus Route #30) on Hwy 224 near the Madrone Wall Park access road.
The park is located in Boring at 19485 SE Highway 224, Damascus, OR
More info here clackamas.us/parks/madronew… Oct 19, 2017
Here are two pics for your reference.
cdn1.medicalnewstoday.com/c…
baynature.org/wp-content/up… Oct 31, 2017
Portland, OR
First time out there this year and it is way, way worse than I saw it last year. Will do some clean-up next time I'm out there. Jul 20, 2018
Portland, OR
Portland, OR
Thanks! Jul 15, 2021
Thanks Patrick.
Chad Jul 15, 2021
My point is, I can't do it all. Just as with spinning bolts, worn hardware, or loose rock, don't be that "someone oughtta..." person. If you see poison oak encroaching on a route, belay, or trail, come prepared to take care of it yourself.
Here's my strategy: thick gloves, long sleeve shirt, dishwashing soap (or tecnu), an abrasive cloth, a plastic bag to put it all in at the end. Rip it out, roots and all if you can, and toss it off the trail. Be careful not to let it touch any exposed skin, like your face or neck or ankles. When you're finished, bag the gloves and shirt, trying not to touch any part of them that may have urushiol (oil/residue) on it. Squirt soap onto your hands and arms, including between your fingers and around your wrist, and rub it in. Let it sit for a minute or so, then rub it off with the abrasive cloth. Put the cloth in the bag too. Wash your hands and arms, and you should be fine. Dump the dirty clothes in the washing machine and run 'em. Take a cool shower within a few hours just to be sure. Aug 3, 2021
Brightwood, OR
Portland, OR
Portland, OR
Salt Lake City
Also any groups to join on facebook or other places would be a huge help. Jun 4, 2025
Portland, OR
I haven't put my hands on them yet, but here are two videos of another climber on some of those boulder problems:
V5: youtube.com/watch?v=moOgwXM…
V4: youtube.com/watch?v=6NtCE7i…
Looks pretty rad Aug 11, 2025
Portland, OR
I would recommend finding a partner or learning how to lead solo. Oct 22, 2025