Cowiche Canyon Rock Climbing

The Cowiche Canyon hosts a small number of short and easily accessible basalt climbs on the East End Wall. All of the routes are top-ropable, accessed via a short walk on climber’s left which goes to the top of the cliff. The quality of the routes are inferior compared to the andesite in the Tieton river; however, the Cowiche Canyon is close to those in the Yakima area, and would be a great place to introduce beginners to the sport. The area is also south facing, making it a great place to climb on sunny, colder days.

The upper part of the Cowiche Canyon north of the creek contains basalt and andesite, and is a mixture of private property, Cowiche Canyon Conservancy property, and BLM land. The current climbing on the East End Wall is located on BLM land and is accessed via private property (Wilridge Vineyard property from the top and Cowiche Canyon Conservancy property from the bottom).

Please be courteous to the land owners around the area and only access the East End Wall via the two descriptions below. Also be aware of property lines if planning on establishing any new routes or areas and know that the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy currently does not allow climbing on their property. A map (Cowiche Canyon/Uplands Map) on the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy website shows current property boundaries: https://www.cowichecanyon.org/trails/