Summer Climbing Destinations for Road Trip starting from DC?

Hi everyone! I live around the DC area and am hoping to do a 2 (possibly 3, work depending) roadtrip out west. My assumption right now (although not ideal) is that I would start towards the end of June and need to be back by early September. I was thinking about hitting the RRG on my way out west and heading to Spearfish Canyon, then through Lander, Ten Sleep, potentially City of rocks. I will also be traveling up to Banff to meet a friend but wasn't sure if there was anything anyone would suggest in WA or OR?

I will be traveling solo, meeting up with a few partners but excited to meet new partners along the way! I am primarily a sport climber just now starting to push into the 11s grade outside but I really enjoy following trad to learn about placements and would love to start once I feel confident in my own placements.

My question is, are there any other crags you would recommend for this not quite ideal sport climbing timeframe? Thank you so much for any info you can provide! 

I don't think 2 weeks is enough to include Banff.  It takes two days to make it to Denver, 2 days home.  So that already only leaves 10 days of climbing if you don't include the third week.  

If you want to sport climb and are going to Banff anyway to meet a friend, skip everything else and bask in the bow valley limestone for your whole trip. You will have so much to climb and probably better (cooler) conditions than all the other places you mentioned.

I just did a two month trip this summer and did not even have enough time to make it up to Banff. That would be a haul and a half. If you haven'y climbed outside of the east coast I would recommend just staying in the states for this first trip. There is a lot to offer, all of which will likely blow your mind if you too had never been climbing out west. 

Hey Molly, the standard  summer circuit seems to be Maple to Wild Iris/Ten Sleep, to Front Range, and then to Rifle/western Slope. There are City of Rocks/Fins/spearfish variations to this, but there is usually a whole community of summer road trippers doing this circuit.

As for Canmore/Banff/Lake Luise, I'd highly recommend going. It is like the Dolomites, but cheaper and with worse food. It is a day and a half drive from Ten Sleep. 

JRZane wrote: I don't think 2 weeks is enough to include Banff.  It takes two days to make it to Denver, 2 days home.  So that already only leaves 10 days of climbing if you don't include the third week.  

Months, not weeks: "I would start towards the end of June and need to be back by early September."

"I was thinking about hitting the RRG on my way out west and heading to Spearfish Canyon, then through Lander, Ten Sleep, potentially City of rocks. I will also be traveling up to Banff to meet a friend but wasn't sure if there was anything anyone would suggest in WA or OR?"

If you decide to go all the way up into the PNW, the best destination in summer is Squamish. Great weather in July/August, nice camping, extrmeley easy to find partners. The climbing is varied and amazing. It is best known for trad and bouldering, the the sport is great too. If you camp up at Chek (the main sport area, 20 minutes north of town), you'll meet lots of people to sport climb with. And if you have an interest in learning to trad climb, Squamish is a greta place to do so. There are a lot of good moderate, beginner friendly cracks to learn on in the Smoke Bluffs. I really think that Squamish is the best all-around summer destination in North America. Only downside is that it is a long way from DC.

My other notes from doing a few similar roadtrips:

Note on general road-trip strategy
- Don't try to see everything. It is better to give youself enough time (2-3 weeks) at each area to settle in a get to know it. So you'll have to mercilessly pare down your destination list.
- But also know when it is time to move on. I found that if I stayed at an area too long, my motivation would start to wane and I'd get lazy. After 2-3 weeks, once you start slowing down on that area, jump in the car, drive a day, and replenish the psyche.
- Don't waste time at areas that are out of season. No reason to go somewhere where it is 95 F, if you can plan better and go to a different crag that the climbing is just as good it is 70 F.

Notes on specific areas:
- RRG: Skip it. Yes, it is amazing. But it will be hot and humid. And from DC you can visit the RRG any time you have a week free in Fall or Spring. Drive directly west.
- Spearfish: Good climbing, could be worth a stopover, but not a must-visit. It might be better to just keep driving straight to Tensleep, which has cooler weather and more plentiful climbing partners. Or stop for a few days.
- Tensleep: Primo summer destination. Great climbing, good weather, and easy to find partners. Must visit. Worth staying 2-3 weeks.
- Lander: I might be in the minority here, but I don't think Lander is that great a summer destination. Although it is high elevation, most of the main crags face south/southeast (hot!), relegating your climbing hours to early morning and late afternoon. That siad, the climbing is good, the town is nice, and it is a classic destination. Maybe visit for a shorter stopover (a week at Wild Iris would be good).
- Canmore/Banff/Lake Louise: Totally amazing scenery; good climbing too. Long approaches. Finding camping and partners is a bit harder here for the solo dirtbag traveler. I'd suggets going up here if you are meeting a friend there, but maybe not if rolling in solo.
- Squamish: Amazing summer area. Must visit, if you are willing to drive that far. See notes above. Easily worth spending 3+ weeks of your trip there.
- Smith: If you are in Squamish you'll be near Smith. You will be tempted to vist. Don't. It will be 100 degrees.
- City of Rocks: Great climbing. but also pretty hot in mid-summer. Could be worth stopping at for a few days to check it out, or keep driving. Either is fine.
- Maple Canyon: Really fun, steep jug climbing on bizarre cobble rock. Lots of shade; generally comfortable conditions in summer. Good camping; easy to find partners.
- Rifle: Amazing summer destination, but mainly for 5.12 and higher. Limited options at 5.10 and 5.11. Maybe OK as a short stopover on the drive home, but don't plan a long visit.
- Independence Pass: A nice summer area in Colorado. Very scenic. Could be worth a short stopover on the way home.

Suggested Itinerary 1 (More driving, but you get to see the awesome climbing and scenery in Canada. Visits a smaller number of destinations, but the ones you do visit are the best summer destinations):
DC -> Tensleep -> Canmore -> Squamish -> Maple -> DC
Plan on 2 weeks in Tensleep, 2 weeks in Canmore, 3 weeks in Squamish, 2 weeks in Maple. Plus about a total of about 10 days driving spread throughout.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Washington,+District+of+Columbia/44.1000626,-107.2840422/Canmore/Squamish/Wales/Washington+D.C.,+DC/@41.9742378,-114.8626704,4.76z/data=!4m33!4m32!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7c6de5af6e45b:0xc2524522d4885d2a!2m2!1d-77.0368707!2d38.9071923!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x5370c59595456331:0x46b6315f9e1e692e!2m2!1d-115.3597129!2d51.0892428!1m5!1m1!1s0x5486f815ac782d73:0xafa96868495a11db!2m2!1d-123.1558121!2d49.7016339!1m5!1m1!1s0x874c68f189b9d1b5:0x1d83cb2777e73008!2m2!1d-111.6351961!2d39.4869056!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7c6de5af6e45b:0xc2524522d4885d2a!2m2!1d-77.0368707!2d38.9071923!3e0

Suggested Itinerary 2 (Less driving, stays in the US. Includes some shorter stops at places which might be a bit warm):
DC -> Spearfish -> Tensleep -> Lander -> City of Rocks -> Maple -> Optional Colorado Stopover -> DC

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Washington,+District+of+Columbia/Spearfish,+South+Dakota/44.1000626,-107.2840422/Lander,+WY/Arco,+ID/Wales/Rifle,+CO/Washington+D.C.,+DC/@41.2973862,-104.1528769,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m45!4m44!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7c6de5af6e45b:0xc2524522d4885d2a!2m2!1d-77.0368707!2d38.9071923!1m5!1m1!1s0x533298585baba5ef:0xe8dded619c5da0aa!2m2!1d-103.8593697!2d44.4908172!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x534cdbd5955700af:0x466a779abe9d3d13!2m2!1d-108.7306725!2d42.833014!1m5!1m1!1s0x5355f98b91dc53dd:0x8b10aa6044ec2c49!2m2!1d-113.3002844!2d43.6365693!1m5!1m1!1s0x874c68f189b9d1b5:0x1d83cb2777e73008!2m2!1d-111.6351961!2d39.4869056!1m5!1m1!1s0x874138d074187a9b:0xe5f163529c2b1c67!2m2!1d-107.7831198!2d39.5347023!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7c6de5af6e45b:0xc2524522d4885d2a!2m2!1d-77.0368707!2d38.9071923!3e0

JCM: Thank you so much for the detailed notes! I would love to make it to Squamish, do you know if it is easy to find partners there? In Banff, the friend I am meeting is not a climber but I am also ok taking some rest time to hike etc around the area unless it is just incredibly out of the way.

On the flip side, are there any top crags you would recommend on the east coast during the summer in case the out west trip seems too rushed? I REALLY want to make it out west and not just stay on the east but many things are still up in the air.

Thank you!

JCM wrote: Note on general road-trip strategy
- Don't try to see everything. It is better to give youself enough time (2-3 weeks) at each area to settle in a get to know it. So you'll have to mercilessly pare down your destination list.
- But also know when it is time to move on. I found that if I stayed at an area too long, my motivation would start to wane and I'd get lazy. After 2-3 weeks, once you start slowing down on that area, jump in the car, drive a day, and replenish the psyche.
- Don't waste time at areas that are out of season. No reason to go somewhere where it is 95 F, if you can plan better and go to a different crag that the climbing is just as good it is 70 F.

+ about 1000. Really, heed this advice. Or just go to Tuolumne Meadows.

Notes on specific areas:
- City of Rocks: Great climbing. but also pretty hot in mid-summer. Could be worth stopping at for a few days to check it out, or keep driving. Either is fine.

Having climbed there a few times mid-summer I found myself constantly chasing the shade. Now I keep it strictly as a spring & fall trip (after all, it's only about 3 hrs away).

- Maple Canyon: Really fun, steep jug climbing on bizarre cobble rock. Lots of shade; generally comfortable conditions in summer. Good camping; easy to find partners.

Some people find it highly repetitive in any given grade - there's a certain self-similarity among the climbs. And the near constant choice among a dozen holds on *every single move* can lead to an early pump, even on the easier grades. But certainly unique as hell.

Re: Non-climbing stop in Banff: That could be a good plan. It can be nice to take a week off from climbing in the middle of a long trip, to fully recover and bring up the climbing motivation. Going up to Banff would be quite far out of your way if you were planning to spend the whole trip in the US (i.e driving from Wyoming to Banff and then back to Wyoming). But if you are planning to go to Squamish anyway, the Banff detour wouldn't be too bad. Also, the drive from Banff to Squamish is one of the most scenic days of driving you'll ever do; it really is amazing.

Re: Squamish: Absurdly easy to find partners during July/August peak season. Easiest place I've ever been for this. Many people camp at the main campground at the Chief. There is a nice communal cooking area with picnic tables and slacklines next to the main campground parking area in the front of the campground. It is really obvious, and there will be a bunch of people there. Hang around there, cook your meal, talk to people, and within an hour you'll have partners for the rest of your trip. Lots of travelling climbers, very international, great community vibe & social scene.

Re: East vs. West: In terms of good summer weather, easy camping, and variety of climbing, it is absolutely worth it to go west if you can. If you find yourself somewhat time constrained (say, 4-5 weeks instead of 10 weeks), you should cut down on your driving time by only going as far as WY , and not driving all the way to Banff/Squamish. You could have a pretty great 1-month trip by driving west, spending a few days in Spearfish, then go to Tensleep and spend most of your trip there, then stop by Wild Iris for a little while, then head home.  Wyoming is the best option for this abbreviated trip because it is a shorter drive (compared to Squamish), has some of the best summer sport climbing, and is a proper "out west" experience in terms of vibe and scenery.

If you have even less time (2 weeks) and really can't make it west, spending a few weeks sport climbing at Rumney in the summer could be pretty fun. Certainly warm/humid, but a bit better than DC, and the swimming holes are nice. Good camping; should be able to find partners.

Re: Tuolumne: Amazing summer destination, but less so if sport climbing is your thing. Even the "sport" climbing there is a bit...traditional.

Re: City of Rocks: Yeah, I'd lean towards agreeing with Marc that it is too hot mid summer. Skip it in favor of somewhere cooler.

Re: Maple: Agree with Marc's description. It is unique, and I loved climbing there, but some may get bored. Personal preference. The great thing about a solo road trip is the flexibility. If you love it in Maple, stay a few weeks. If you find it boring, you can leave after a few days and find a different destination (perhaps somewhere in Colorado) to spend that extra time.

JMC thank you so much for all the great info! I really appreciate it, now just to make it happen! 

Hey JCM, quick question (and thank you so much for all the help already!) Things cha ged and I only have two weeks to move on out to Denver. I was going to stop at badla D's my Rushmore area for a few days and then plan was to head to ten sleep. Based on your previous post maybe spend more days there over lander. Then I was going to meet a friend in salt lake to climb around there and maple for four days. Any suggestions or thoughts? Am I trying to do too much?