Iron Hayden Wall Rock Climbing

Approach
Park at the Highline Trailhead in the hiker’s parking lot. From the parking lot, head east on a primitive trail that can be hard to find but exists to the north of the bathrooms and a good trail marker is a tall twin tree stump visible from the parking lot. This trail follows a poorly defined spur/ridge which avoids the wetlands to the north. Follow this trail east for a ¼ of a mile and then head northeast on a well traveled trail that alternates between traversing to the north and climbing to the east. It may be cairned and it traverses more than it climbs at this point. This path will lead past a few small meadows. Continue up and north until you are at tree line and below a series of chutes/avalanche paths sweeping down from the upper reaches of Hayden Peak. If you have followed the trail to here you should be in a clearing with several well positioned boulders. This is a good rest spot with a nice view of the wall. Begin up a shallow gully that is often snow covered until mid-summer. When the gully turns to loose scree and begins to steepen head to the left looking for a trail that switchbacks a few times before traversing to the left again. Cross a talus field and follow a rough climbers trail up the left side of a wide couloir. At the top of this couloir cross a boulder field and climb a short section of 3rd class to access the middle bench. Head north on the well cairned trail to the base of the Iron Hayden Wall.

1 hour approach