Palisade Park Rock Climbing

1) Drive past the Palisade visitor center and turn right onto E Mt Bigelow Road (paved for a tiny bit, then graded dirt). After a few hundred feet take a sharp right, thru a gate, and head east toward the radio towers. After a bit, a one-way road heads right, uphill,... DON'T TAKE IT. Bear LEFT and continue towards the radio towers. After 1.4 total miles you will see the radio towers clearly. Park on the north (left) side of the road, or go a touch farther and park on the right. 

Oct 2025 update: turn off ML highway onto Bigelow road. After 0.2 miles turn SHARP RIGHT and go through the hopefully open gate. Go 1.2 more miles to get to parking.

A sign by the gate mentioned above says it's closed from Dec 15 to Mar 1. BUT THE MAR 1 OPENING MAY BE DELAYED. SO APR 1 IS A SAFER BET.

If you parked north of the road, put on your pack and head straight south up the steep slope. If you parked farther up on the right, put on your pack and go back down the road a tiny bit to pick up a tourist trail diagonaling up the slope more gently. Follow the tourist trail southwest as it gradually descends toward the crag. The tops of several little craglets will present themselves (off to the left) as you hike in. Ignore them.

The views to the south will really open up as you near the crag. Then you will find yourself near the top of a fairly big, obvious formation, with a really great panorama from east to southwest. 5 minutes to here.

To get to the base of the Upper Wall, head east for a bit, then switchback west to the base. There are cairns and a decent path.

2) You could certainly get to the crag even if the gate is closed. Park at the visitor center, hike up to towers, and hike west along the road for a couple hundred yards. Head south up the slope etc.

3) Another way: park near the (locked) gate and just hike the Bigalow road back east instead of driving. Same idea except you are on foot instead of in vehicle. A reliable source tells me this is better than option 2.