Beardsley Boulders Area Climbing

The Beardsley Boulders area, a vast pile of granite boulders found on a desert peak in north Phoenix, is one of most accessible climbing spots in the metro area for those looking to rough up fingertips during a quick mid-week session. A multi-purpose spot, Beardsley has alternately served as a party spot for high schoolers, frustrated "artists" with spray cans or full buckets of paint, a dump spot for people looking to rid themselves of excess trash, glass and mattresses, and a long-time bouldering spot for Phoenix rock climbers. For the last few decades, climbers have periodically attempted to clean up some of the mess wreaked on the place by less caring user groups, with spotty results. In the late '90's or early 00's, the area was actually taken over and turned into some sort of recreational area, but I can't seem to find a citation as to who the managing government entity is that oversees the area. This is relatively good news, as most of the network of old dirt roads into the area have had their access blocked, which helps limit the abuse to the area. [Edit: This land is owned by the City of Phoenix and managed by Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.]

Rock climbers have long practiced their craft on the coarse desert granite boulders found at Beardsley, like the Wiley Thompson Boulder and the Pencil Thin Boulder, creating many boulder problems that run the grades from easy 5th class up into the V10 range. Although the bulk of Beardsley's problems are relatively moderate in grade, you might find the grading somewhat hard for a given rating. In addition to the myriad of problems, there are even a few roped routes found on the larger formations found on the hillside above the main boulder field.

The latest info for the area (pick one up at one of the area REIs or the Hiking Shack) is a one-sheet guide published in 2017 by Marty Karabin, that features over 100 problems and nearly 30 roped routes.

HEADS UP: In early 2021, Phoenix Parks and Recreation rangers discovered several boulders that show evidence of having holds chipped into the rock. They have asked the climbing community to note that this is not allowed in any City of Phoenix park or preserve. Please be mindful when developing routes, because continued damage could result in loss of access at Beardsley and, potentially, other Phoenix Parks sites.