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Pins And Needles
Idaho
> W Idaho
Description
The Pins and Needles are a group of granite domes and spires located in the Lick Creek Range of Valley County, Idaho. They provide varied climbing in a secluded and beautiful setting.
The Pins are a group of monoliths scattered throughout the forest at ~6500 ft. Generally speaking, the approaches to these crags are shorter and less strenuous than the approaches to the Needles. Most of the climbs here are single pitch, and offer enjoyable backcountry cragging.
The Needles are comprised of several formations that can be seen from a distance higher on a ridge line at ~8000 ft. Access is more challenging here, and backcountry navigation skills are helpful for the approach. This area has multi-pitch climbing in addition to single pitch offerings.
As always, take care to practice Leave No Trace principles while recreating in this fragile and gorgeous area. Pack out trash, stay on trails when they are available, and utilize wag bags.
A free guidebook is available online here.
Getting There
[Updated to include comment below]
The drive in to this place is easy. Just follow the directions in the Klosof Guide. All the roads are marked, 498, 402, 402 C. The milage in the Klosof Guide is not correct. You dont really need it. The only confusing thing was Klosof says that the turn off for 402 is marked by a sign that says North Fork of the Gold Fork Loop. The sign actually says South Fork.
At the end of 402 C is the only campsite.
To approach the Pins must walk down the obvious road beyond the one campsite at the end of 402 C. You will find a trail when the road ends. Take this to the saddle mentioned in the Klosof Guide. This is an obvious hill crest where you can first see many of the Pins. You will know when you reach this spot. At the Saddle there is a trail to the left, a trail to the right, and a trail straight ahead. They are all marked with Cairns and relatively well travelled. Left to the Space Pin, Right to the Terrapin.
http://69.89.31.248/~gravitz1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/guidebook.pdf
![GPS track of our approach from the Needles parking to Goldfinger Rock. We might not have hit the "trail" perfectly the whole way, but this seemed like generally the right way to go. Plan on about an hour car to base of climb at an average pace. Make sure to pay close attention to landmarks hiking in and out. GPS unit isn't a bad idea. I could see having a hard time finding your car on the way back out!]()
[Hide Photo] GPS track of our approach from the Needles parking to Goldfinger Rock. We might not have hit the "trail" perfectly the whole way, but this seemed like generally the right way to go. Plan…
![1st Ascent of Smear Campaign, (5.11A), Political Pin, The Primary (5.10C) is just to the right and shares anchors.]()
[Hide Photo] 1st Ascent of Smear Campaign, (5.11A), Political Pin, The Primary (5.10C) is just to the right and shares anchors.
![One of the many rocks at the well hidden pins and needles]()
[Hide Photo] One of the many rocks at the well hidden pins and needles
![At about 6500-7000 feet, the wildflowers were really going strong!]()
[Hide Photo] At about 6500-7000 feet, the wildflowers were really going strong!
![The road into Pins and Needles. It is a narrow one lane in places, but was good when we were there.]()
[Hide Photo] The road into Pins and Needles. It is a narrow one lane in places, but was good when we were there.
![Nice little camping area for Pins and Needles]()
[Hide Photo] Nice little camping area for Pins and Needles
![Terrapin SE end. From left to right: Bee Line (10a), Shakedown Street (9), Dancing' in the Street (10b). 100ft.]()
[Hide Photo] Terrapin SE end. From left to right: Bee Line (10a), Shakedown Street (9), Dancing' in the Street (10b). 100ft.
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Boise, ID
This however comes with a grain of salt. We are Boise climbers and our standards are low. The rock quality varies greatly, even over the course of a climb.
Still, the Pins is a great climbing area. It is very secluded. We did not see any other climbers the entire weekend. The climbs are fun. We enjoyed many climbs at the Terrapin, the King Pin, and at Goldfinger Rock and the Whale's Tale at the Needles.
At the Terrapin one must do Shakedown Street and Franklins Tower. The Virgin is a classic line but a tad flaky at the crux. There is also some serious choss here for those inclined.
At the King Pin Scared From Above is classic and King Tut looks awesome. Jesters Pockets is a short but hard moderate.
The Needles is a long off trail hike. This place is very secluded. The Goldfinger was quality stone and the Nugget looks good. If you decide to go up to the Needles you may want to bring camping gear and food. It is a long approach. Jul 12, 2013
At the end of 402 C is the only campsite.
To approach the Pins must walk down the obvious road beyond the one campsite at the end of 402 C. You will find a trail when the road ends. Take this to the saddle mentioned in the Klosof Guide. This is an obvious hill crest where you can first see many of the Pins. You will know when you reach this spot. At the Saddle there is a trail to the left, a trail to the right, and a trail straight ahead. They are all marked with Cairns and relatively well travelled. Left to the Space Pin, Right to the Terrapin.
It was not all that hard to find the rocks but three of our party did get turned around on the walk back. It would not be good to get lost out there. Jul 12, 2013
Or here is the link to the late 90s guidebook:
69.89.31.248/~gravitz1/word…
Enjoy! And try not to get too lost! Feb 28, 2014
The Terrapin is super easy to find and has routes from beginners all the way up. 25+ routes and you can chase the shade. You could definitely camp there and there is as of this post a water source a few hundred yards directly north of the Terrapin Center section. There is a fairly obvious trail where you will eventually see pink flags and ATV tracks. Consensus among other climbers at the crag was that guidebook was accurate on directions and protection but better to bring 70m rope and best to take 2.
Going to The Needles is worth the hike and there are a few ways to go. The guidebook is tricky to follow so here's my advice... Park at the end of 402G and head almost directly for the Needles. There is some faint trails that can be followed but keep an eye out for pink flags. There you will find ATV tracks and freshly removed downed trees. I will update after I figure out which trail this is. Look for a yellow flag and hang a right directly toward the Needles, which will be obvious on your right (east). May have to bushwack for a bit but eventually you will start hitting some pretty sweet undeveloped rock and maybe even a second yellow flag quite a ways up if you're lucky. Worst case you can just bee line it and its not really that much worse. Bring plenty of water but as of this post there was some along the way and with the total absence of snow I'm thinking these are springs and hopefully available all year.
Take the protection recommended in the guidebook with a grain of salt in the Needles area. I would not recommend going out there with sport gear alone. Some of the routes are vague in description and might lead you to believe its a sport route when its mixed at best. Jul 9, 2016
Idaho
Awesome backcountry sport climbing. I’m grateful for the work that has been done to develop this zone; it’s a gem. Jun 19, 2023