The Saloon Rock Climbing

A short 5 minute walk from the entrance to Sanctuary Cove, this 45 foot wall presents several moderate and well protected face climbs in a beautiful Sonoran desert setting. The rock is somewhat crumbly (characteristic for the Tucson Mountains) but the climbs are reasonably safe. The original climbs (including Sonoran Moonfire and One Legged Barstool) were done in 2015. Additional development in 2019-2021 has cleaned up the area significantly and added more climbing options. There is an easy walk off from the top to descend or set up a top rope from.

Near-roadside climbing, morning and afternoon shade (though not mild-day), and majority of moderates have made the Saloon grow in popularity. Please be respectful, keep group sizes small, and use the consolidated trail that accessed the middle of the cliff (not creating side trails from the edges).

Routes Face: Southwest · West

Sun Starts: ~10am

Sun Ends: ~3pm (later in Summer)

WARNING (posted 5/31/21):  I have been informed there are an unusually large amount of bees around the base and top of the cliff that present a real hazard.  Recall that a Tucson climber died on rappel in 2013 from a bee attack, so please take this seriously.  In addition to that plus the summer heat, this crag should be avoided wholesale till it is determined safe.

Update (via KW, from June-July 2021): the bees are still present, but are not an obvious danger. One member of our party was stung once while walking to the top, but the bees made no attempt to swarm. They didn’t mind our continued presence and loud noise level. Caution is still warranted, but we’ve still been enjoying the area without issue.