Climbing in Kansas? HA

Hey there! I am living in Kansas now, two hours west of Kansas City. I know we're flat as...well...Kansas, but does anyone know of any hidden gems within 4 or 5 hours? Home bouldering gyms? Tiny crags? 

Independence has a small crag, it’s listed on here. Just one sport route and some trad and TR. And I know there’s climbing over by KC, not sure exactly what is there but probably worth checking out.

Luke Pace wrote:

Kansas is probably a bad place to live if you like climbing.... IMO  

I am in the military and don't have much of a say in where they station me!

It might be kinda far (maybe 5-6 hours) but northern Arkansas has superb climbing on bomber, highly featured sandstone, with lots of both sport and trad. Horseshoe Canyon is a world class sport climbing destination and nearby Sam's Throne has many hundreds of trad routes, plus there are many other backwoods crags for all kinds of climbing.  Good luck! 

Check out the Kansas Cliff Club in Wichita. They even have concrete cracks on the outside of the gym that you can lead on gear. 

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Rock City yet!

Rock City! It is north of Salina. There are a few sandstone boulders in the 12-15 foot range.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. But it's more like 6 hours from Fort Riley.

Horseshoe Canyon ranch is a must visit. >700 routes >400 boulder problems all in less than a sq mile. Can be pricey though, it will cost you to camp there and cost you to climb there but it's a working dude ranch so there's animals (and shit) everywhere

Sending you a PM too, but if you're willing to drive ~4 hrs the Truman Lake crags in Western MO are your best bet. Horseshoe is probably not a good bet due to being 5 hrs from KC. Truman has limestone at Warsaw, Trapper's Camp, and Reed's Bluff, and sandstone at Monegaw Springs and Raven Rocks.

Edit: all of this said, I would still probably head out to CO

....the witch's castle? oh wait that wouldn't be in Kansas anymore now would it toto

Bliss

Two hours west of KC means that much closer to the Front Range.  6 hours to Horseshoe?  Not when I can go a little over 6 hours and get to RMNP.

Mushroom state park. Or Colorado 

For indoor there are a couple cool spots in Wichita, KS. Bliss Bouldering and Climbing gym as well as the Kansas Cliff Club, both offer a pretty great experience...for kansas LOL. Theres some cool bouldering at the Zen Pen in Oklahoma https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105988507/zen-pen. Arkansas offers a lot of fun climbing thats within close driving distance. Crags like Fern https://www.mountainproject.com/area/107468143/fern , Lake Lincoln https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106232604/lake-lincoln, Sams Throne https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105901036/sams-throne. Can list a lot more thats worth a short 4 or 5 hour drive to spend a day or two. Feel free to add me and shoot a message, always down to meet up with new people and hit a spot! If youre still stationed here come spring come on down to Wichita and do a few skydives with us!!

Word on the street says good things are coming to Kansas!