The Red - Land of the Arches Campground

Im headed to the Red this weekend and found this campsite when looking for a Lago's and Miguel's alternative. Anyone have any experience with the place? We are looking to tent camp and want a place close to muir that has a bathroom and showers. Does the place actually have sites or is it just a field where you throw up a tent? safe to leave a tent up for 2 days? loud crowd? Any input would be great. Thanks!

stay close to left flank, military wall, and a bunch of other climbing at Red River Gorgeous. the family that owns the place is great, it is super chilled out and quite, and i am sure if you called them and told them you wanted to tent camp they would hook you up with an awesome place to pitch, and if you are feeling like living large stay in a cabin...

having said that, i know nothing about Land of the Arches, but i am sure it is "safe", good luck.

ALSO - for five bucks you can buy an overnight pass at shell (or wherever) and camp out wherever you want in the geological area. some of the most amazing places to wake up ever can be found out there.

I stayed at Land of the Arches for a week this spring. I found it to be a great alternative to Miguel's. The cooking area is much nicer, there are more bathrooms, more showers, and a huge indoor space to hang out in if it's raining. There aren't dedicated "sites", but you can pretty much pull your car up to wherever and throw down a tent. It wasn't loud when I was there, but in the event it is there is a more secluded camping area down the hill from the cooking area that will definitely be quiet.

I'd recommend it.

I agree with jaysquared. This is where my wife and I always stay. There is even wifi inside. We rarely bring a tent anymore because of how frequently it rains that the red. We just use the big foam mats in the back of the inside area. Throw a sleeping bag on it and leave our stuff in there for days. Nobody ever bothers our stuff.

It is also very close to the Beer Trailer and Muir Valley. It is closer to PMRP than Miguels also. Stay there if you want more solitude, especially on the weekdays.

You know the red isn't the only place with good climbing in the south? Open your horizons, its going to be packed this weekend especially in Muir.

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like we will give the place a try.

Was there when they opened to walk about and check it over. Have heard all the above good things about it, so seems safe enough to leave your tent and gear about for the day.

Eric Dorsey wrote:You know the red isn't the only place with good climbing in the south? Open your horizons, its going to be packed this weekend especially in Muir.

+1. I'll never understand the phenomenon of the Red. Excellent climbing, but not worth a longer drive, which is what most people end up doing to get there. OP, you realize that you are about 100 miles closer to the New right? Not to mention that it blows the Red away...

Ryan Williams wrote: +1. I'll never understand the phenomenon of the Red. Excellent climbing, but not worth a longer drive, which is what most people end up doing to get there. OP, you realize that you are about 100 miles closer to the New right? Not to mention that it blows the Red away...

Actually, the New is rainy all the time, the routes have hard moves that might rip your tendons, their bolts are too far apart, Endless Wall is sandbagged, Roger's is a sidehill, and the guidebook is too thick. People are way better of going to the Red and staying away from the New.

I have been to The Red and The New quite a few times. To me, they are both really good. IMHO, one does not blow the other away. In general terms, I really like the not too-overhung technical climbs at The New; Central Endless and Butchers in particular. (Sorry, never been to The Meadows or The Cirque.) I also like the steep, athletic climbing one finds at The Red a lot. The relatively new steep crags at Muir and those at Driver-By, Bob Marley, and Sore Heel are just a lot of fun.
And, yes, Oct is a very busy time to visit The Red, esp since Roadside is closed and Torrent has rather limited access.

I too have a hard time getting to the New when it is not raining.

New has a bunch more of the moderate trad, but the large quantity of sport really starts in the upper 11's and 12's. The Red has a good quantity of sport at all grades, but not nearly as much moderate trad. So beginner trad climbers go to the New, beginner sport climbers go to the Red. The Red also has way more rainy day crags, so it is normally a better option in the spring.

I can always count on camhead to get it right. Thing is, I can't tell if you're joking or not haha!

I love the climbing at the Red, and if I was the same distance from both I'd probably climb there more often - especially now that I know about the alternative camping options. I will not stay in Miguel's again unless I'm resting the next day and in the mood to drink and burn things.

But the Red is twice as far from me, and I'm only in this part of the country in the fall months and I can schedule any work around good weather. That's nice, because rain will shut you down at the New a lot more often at the Red. In fact, that's probably it's only drawback. That, and the fact that Roger is closing down.

Also agree w/ you Tom about grades. 5.10- trad climbers have a TON of stuff to do at the New, but 5.10- sport climbers, not so much. The Red on the other hand, has a lot of good sport at all grades.

Anyways, glad to hear there are more options available for good sleep. I'll remember this Land of the Arches place.

Ryan, have you ever slept through a restful night at 12,000 ft with wind blowing at 40mph and snow slapping the tent? I guess I can sleep through anything, even the nightly bangs, bright flames and noise at Miguels just as easily as T-storms. Just seems like normal part of the environment.

Woodchuck ATC wrote:Ryan, have you ever slept through a restful night at 12,000 ft with wind blowing at 40mph and snow slapping the tent? I guess I can sleep through anything, even the nightly bangs, bright flames and noise at Miguels just as easily as T-storms. Just seems like normal part of the environment.

Slept in a snowcave at 10,500 once, but I was so stoned that I think even an avalanche wouldn't have woken me up. Too bad I started hanging out at Miguel's right around the time I stopped smoking so much weed.

Ryan Williams wrote: Slept in a snowcave at 10,500 once, but I was so stoned that I think even an avalanche wouldn't have woken me up. Too bad I started hanging out at Miguel's right around the time I stopped smoking so much weed.

Weed, high altitude, =partaaay time in the tent no matter what the weather. Sigh,,, my past 70's life.