If you had a month long road trip of the west, what climbing areas would be high on your list?

I've got a big block of time coming up after I get out of college in May and want to hit up as many climbing areas as possible. I'm thinking Moab, Red Rocks, Yosemite, J Tree, Little Cottonwood, Maple Canyon.. What are your guys thoughts? I am starting in SE Idaho. Just toss out some of your favorite crags and destinations! Also looking into Colorado and Montana.

Devils Tower and Zion

Needles, owens river gorge, mammoth area/pine creek canyon, Tahoe, castle crags, smith rock, trout creek, index, north cascades.

If you are looking to clip some bolts.

Since Colorado is close, I would say to try not to miss Wyoming. As mentioned by Greg, it has some great sport climbing areas, as well as Vedauwoo literally being right off of the highway.

City of Rocks, Red Rocks, High Sierra.

In June: Squamish, Tuolumne, and the Needles.

Squamish and Washington Pass. 

If I were just getting out of college, taking a break for a month or so before heading into a career, I would consider British Columbis, North Weat Terratories or Yosemite.  Any of these would cover over a months worth of climbing without having to spend time on the road, if climbing is your goal.  If you are just wanting to travel, see as much as you can, stay int he mountains where the heat will not drive you nuts.

If I had a month I would spend it at two places, three tops. I agree with all of the posters who say stay out of the southwest. Wyoming is great, as is the High Sierra.

In summer months I would head to the Sierras and hit some long routes.  That would easily fill a whole summer, but if you need a second locale, Tuolumne.

It's not cragging, but... you're right next to the Tetons, which are awesome and uncrowded in June.  Do that, then the Bugaboos and Rogers Pass in July.

Agreed... Stay away from SW in the summer.  

Custer SP/Rushmore and Spearfish for June, Devil's Tower, Lander, the Woo and Estes Park (the Monastery is amazing) during July then work around southern CO for August 

ViperScale . wrote:

Devils Tower and Zion

Zion is too hot for most people starting around May, and certainly Jun-Sep.

North cascades. British Columbia. Alberta. Alaska. 

Amazing climbing and glaciers. 

Sam Root wrote:

I've got a big block of time coming up after I get out of college in May and want to hit up as many climbing areas as possible. I'm thinking Moab, Red Rocks, Yosemite, J Tree, Little Cottonwood, Maple Canyon.. What are your guys thoughts? I am starting in SE Idaho. Just toss out some of your favorite crags and destinations! Also looking into Colorado and Montana.

For May-June from your list of places,

Moab - Too hot

Red Rock - Too Hot

Yosemite - good to go, but getting hot in June

J-Tree - Too Hot

Little Cottonwood, May is probably good, June will be getting too hot

Maple Canyon - great summer location.

Other places to consider (off the top of my head):

Wild Iris, Ten Sleep, The Fins, Squamish, Rifle (lots of seeping though), City of Rocks, Rocky Mountain National Park, and I'm sure there are lots of others, For that time of year, definitely stay out of the southern part of the country, and you will be seeking kind of medium elevation crags, if you are too low it will be too hot, if you are too high it will still be snowed in.  

Kevin MP wrote:

In June: Squamish, Tuolumne, and the Needles.

Needles and Tuolumne may still be snowed in at that time, depending on the remainder of the snow year.

In Tuolumne the mosquitos are so dense as to provide enough lifting power to pick up a Sprinter van.

Ill be doing the same from mid April to mid May starting from CO and heading back to Utah. The climbing might be hot but many of the tighter canyons are still awesome to canyoneer because they get so much shade. If you make it to CO or Utah shoot me a message, I plan to be in Maple, LCC, Uintas, and maybe Joes (depends if I will melt or not) when I do the Utah part of the trip.

Where ever you go will be great because you'll have nothing to do but climb for a month, and you can't go wrong with anyplace listed above.  So I would minimize time on the road, and getting to know new places.  I'd just go to one place for a month, and get to know it really well.  Keep in mind, you can't climb EVERY day so pick a place with good rest day activities.  At most, I'd go to two places with an extended three day rest / travel break in between.  

I did a month road trip years ago to Lander, Ten Sleep, Red Rocks, Maple, Yosemite, and the Eastern Sierra.  It was good to see all those places, but in retrospect would have gotten more out of the trip (and a lot more climbing done) had we trimmed the Itinerary down a bit.

Jealous, I'm so jealous. I got to do it myself a couple times after finishing BA and MA, and I'm still super jealous. Have a blast!!!!

Marc801 C wrote:

Needles and Tuolumne may still be snowed in at that time, depending on the remainder of the snow year.

In Tuolumne the mosquitos are so dense as to provide enough lifting power to pick up a Sprinter van.

Hardly any snow this year