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Top Best Tourist Climbing Areas

Original Post
Carolina · · Front Range NC · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 20

Ok this isn't about the best climbing area, we all know that's Fremont Canyon, WY.  It's not about the best sport climbing area, because that's obviously Pilot Mountain NC.  

Where is the most tourist laden climbing area? So many tourist you would be hard pressed to find a local? The destination worthy of an instaface post.  Somewhere larger then life in climbing culture that draws folks from well... everywhere.  

The Tetons, The creek, The valley...Epinephrine?

I'm not a big fan of crowds, tell me where I shouldn't go.  

Andrew C · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2018 · Points: 0

Garden of gods 

Greg R · · Durango CO · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 10

Thailand

Steven Lee · · El Segundo, CA · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 385

Red rock: Kraft boulders, black corridor, panty wall, actually any sport area in red rock and any trad line easier than 5.9

Red river gorge: chocolate factory, muir valley, etc

Rumney 

Parachute Adams · · At the end of the line · Joined Mar 2019 · Points: 0

The entire state of CO.

Cory B · · Fresno, CA · Joined Feb 2015 · Points: 2,593

Cayman Brac

High Plains Drifter · · Lago · Joined Dec 2019 · Points: 91

Smith Rock has to be up there, at least the front side.

june m · · elmore, vt · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 124

Acadia National park in Maine, and most specifically top roping at otter  cliff

fvclimb · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 85

Red River Gorge 

Carolina · · Front Range NC · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 20

Lots of great suggestions.  Anyone with anecdotal stories to support?  Bonus points for stories with European climbers.  

Cron · · Maine / NH · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 60

Josh

Steven Lee · · El Segundo, CA · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 385
Carolinawrote:

Lots of great suggestions.  Anyone with anecdotal stories to support?  Bonus points for stories with European climbers.  

"you're not supposed to climb on wet sandstone, and it rained pretty hard yesterday" -> "We'll be extra careful, and the rock feels pretty solid. We flew all the way from New York, and this is our last day of climbing". -Personal encounter while on a hike through Kraft boulders

Jesse Quandt · · Golden, CO · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 117

Most climbing destinations are going to have tourists these days. However, it's not common that tourists are actually AT most crag locations in my experience. This particularly applies to Colorado in my opinion. Tourists in the canyons pointing at the climbers, but not actually up at the walls.

Gumby King · · The Gym · Joined Jun 2016 · Points: 52

Spy Mountain, in SoCal

Frank Stein · · Picayune, MS · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 205

Second Kalymnos. There may be less than a dozen locals on the island. 

Pnelson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 635
caughtinside wrote:

Kalymnos

And the Red.  The Red is the "local" area for like 12 states. 

And maybe three people who were born and raised there also climb there.

Jesse Quandt · · Golden, CO · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 117
Pnelsonwrote:

And maybe three people who were born and raised there also climb there.

I know 2 of those 3 people

Dayn Gray · · Kimberley, BC · Joined Dec 2020 · Points: 0

Niagara Glen bouldering in Niagara Falls, Ontario. 

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10

I'm still confused by the 'focus' of this topic, and from the responses others are as well. Do you want areas that attract 'non-climbing tourists' or ones that are primarily visited by 'touring climbers'--often quite different. For example, Muir Valley in the Red is always full of touring climbers, but not visited by too many  non-climbing tourists. Pilot Mountain, N.C. probably has more non-climbing tourists. Otter Cliffs in Acadia sees loads of both.

W K · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2018 · Points: 167

Little Falls ny, yosemite of the east!

Frank Stein · · Picayune, MS · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 205

Lake Louise for non-climbing tourists. Kalymnos for climber-tourons. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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