Exit 38 Climbing

Exit 38, home to an abundance of sport routes, is nestled in the I-90 corridor just out of Seattle. It consists of 3 major sub-areas, each with its own parking area: Mt Washington, Deception Crags and Far Side. Each area has many small crags of metamorphic, oft-chossy rock to be found in the hills. A Discover pass is required to park at the Dirty Harry's Peak trailhead (the Far Side), the Mt Washington trailhead, and as of 2021, a portion of the parking for the Deception Crags is set aside for Discover pass holders.

Developed first by Bryan Burdo, these multitudes of cliffs would have been inaccessible thirty years ago, but first climbers' paths and then hikers' trails now lead directly and easily to each area. You won't find many trad climbs here, and very few cracks, but plenty of juggy (and steep) face climbs and a few nice slabs. Loose rock is a problem on less-visited areas, but most routes aren't as chossy as they look. Every climb was sport bolted up until recently but a several trad routes have been developed at the Far Side (mostly at Shangri-La). You also won't find hardly any multipitch climbs. The rock type (or something, since after all, Goat Wall is the same kind of stone) doesn't lend itself to 500-foot massifs, but there are one or two three-pitch outings here and there. It's a great area for your first lead, some fun experience with Washington's rhino rock, some steep face challenges or, depending, a one-hour bushwhack approach or ten minutes from the car.