Grizzly Heights Bouldering

(GPS: 43.869969, -103.445582) If approaching from Iron Mountain Road, see GPX Approach trail on map. Park at or near the Grizzly Creek Campground at the base of Iron Mountain Road. Walk down the road to the south end of the campground loop where you will find an unmarked but noticeable trail that follows Grizzly Bear Creek (GPS: 43.874063, -103.441518). You will cross the creek right away and then follow the trail for 5 minutes or so until just after the next creek crossing where the creek makes a noticeable sharp “S” turn. Leave the trail to your right shortly after crossing (cairn and see picture) and start heading southwest up a drainage. Stay on the left side of the drainage as you ascend for another 10-15 minutes with some light bushwhacking. You will begin to encounter boulders as you ascend, but the majority of the boulders are at the top of this drainage where the terrain begins to flatten out. There is a landmark steep granite face on top of the hill which should be easy to identify at the listed GPS coordinates. Navigate to the rest of the boulders from here. Total approach time is 20 minutes and about 0.6 miles.

Alternatively, you can approach from Highway 244. Park near Reardon’s rock or at the Profile View pullout and walk the road back toward the Blackberry Trailhead. Leave the trailhead area on the east side of the clearing and head into the woods roughly southeast. You’ll pass the southern end of Waylon wall and continue hiking for another 10 minutes or so, first passing boulders like Monstro. The rest of the boulders are located to the southeast. Same approach time and mileage, but this approach would be much more managable with snow on the ground since it avoids the steep north facing drainage on the other approach.