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Elevation: 3,700 ft 1,128 m
GPS: 37.0264, -113.9065
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 169,393 total · 784/month
Shared By: Perin Blanchard on Mar 11, 2007
Admins: Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane
Warning Access Issue: In critical habitat area for the Desert Tortoise DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

The Woodbury Road Crags are a collection of 3 limestone sport crags in the extreme southwestern corner of Utah, only a few miles from the Arizona border. The collective name of the crags comes from the road into the Woodbury Desert Study Area, in which Angus M. Woodbury and Ross Hardy performed the original ecological study of the Desert Tortoise in the 1930's and 1940's. In 1980 the Study Area was part of 35 square miles designated as "critical habitat" for the threatened Utah population of tortoises.

In 2006 a fire burned large areas of the Study Area, including the area surrounding the crags. Compare the photograph of Kelly's Rock in Todd Goss's Rock Climbs of Southwest Utah, 2nd Ed. with the
in Mountain Project.

Because the climbing areas are within designated critical habitat it is imperative that climbers respect the landscape, flora, and fauna. It is particularly important to be careful while the area recovers from fire. Desert areas are notoriously fragile and slow to recover from disruption because the arid environment means plant growth is very slow, and erosion is very slow to erase scars.

Note also that the crags are relatively remote. There is probably no cellphone coverage (but I forgot to check) and the nearest town of consequence (sorry Littlefield) is Mesquite, NV, approximately 20 miles away.

Two of the crags, Black and Tan and Kelly's Rock, are within a 5 minute walk of each other and can be reached with a low clearance, 2WD vehicle on a good quality graded road. The third, The Solstice, is about a half mile or so from the others and requires a high-clearance vehicle, or a short walk past a steep, loose section of the road. Note that route development is ongoing at the crags.

?? is highly recommended and can be picked up in Saint George at The Desert Rat.

Getting There Suggest change

From Saint George: Take Bluff Street north to Sunset Blvd (the three-lane left turn at the north end of town). Turn left and drive 11.2 miles to the Gunlock turnoff. Bear left (don't turn towards Gunlock) and continue another 15.0 miles to the Woodbury Road turnoff on the left. (Note that these mileages are different from those reported in Rock Climbs of Southwest Utah. Different vehicles, I suppose). The GPS coordinates listed on this page are for the turnoff.

From the Mesquite or Las Vegas direction: From I-15 northbound exit at the Littlefield exit (exit 8, a few miles past Mesquite) and head north on Cane Beds Road. This turns into Old US 91 at the Utah border. The Woodbury Road turnoff will be on the right about 1.9 miles past the Utah border (according to Google Earth—I haven't recorded the mileages when I've driven this).

The turnoff sign reads:
Mojave Desert
Joshua Tree Road
Scenic Backway

88 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Woodbury Road Crags

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 113
The Awakening
Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 90
Crime and Punishment
Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 67
Resolve
Sport
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b
 81
Rending of Garments
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 68
K-5
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 95
Tag Team
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 68
Magic Carpet Ride
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 56
Hubris
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 145
K-8
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 138
K-6
Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 69
Shades of Grey
Sport
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 51
Czech Frogs Say Qua
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 66
Jumanji
Sport
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 48
Da Riddler
Sport
5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
 9
Smoking Drum
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
The Awakening Kelly's Rock
 113
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
Crime and Punishment Black & Tan
 90
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Resolve Black & Tan
 67
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Rending of Garments Kelly's Rock
 81
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b Sport
K-5 Kelly's Rock
 68
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
Tag Team Kelly's Rock
 95
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
Magic Carpet Ride Black & Tan
 68
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
Hubris Kelly's Rock
 56
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
K-8 Kelly's Rock
 145
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
K-6 Kelly's Rock
 138
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Shades of Grey Black & Tan
 69
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Czech Frogs Say Qua Kelly's Rock
 51
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
Jumanji Black & Tan
 66
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Da Riddler Black & Tan
 48
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Sport
Smoking Drum Black & Tan
 9
5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c Sport
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