The Magician Rock Climbing

The Magician is the first and largest formation on the ridge. On it's top is the historic Forest Service fire lookout tower which is still in use today. A system of rickety stairs ascends the west face of the formation to access the tower. On Sundays, Marge, and her black cat Spooky, the usual occupants of the tower during the summer months, will often bake cookies for climbers willing to pay her a visit.

It is home to the longest climb in the Needles, Magic Dragon, which checks in at about 12 pitches and 5.8. This climb, and a few variations, begins at the southern foot of the formation and follows the ridge all the way up to the North, finishing at the lookout tower.

A few shorter, interesting crack climbs ascend the lower west face.

There are also several, not often traveled, slab climbs (and other climbs which link discontinuous features) on the upper east face.

Descent is either back down the route you came up, or by hopping the guardrail of the tower and heading down the stairs. Remember to respect Marge's privacy by not visiting the tower before 9
AM or after 6 PM. If you finish your route after these hours, one can skip the final pitchs that breach the small headwall on top of which sits the tower by skirting around on a large ledge to the northwest. A rap station exists at the far northern end of the ledge, just below the tower itself.