Where in the U.S. has the closest access to at least 4 rock types?

I feel like the real challenge would be a single route that covers 4 rock types. I can think of plenty with two, so I'm sure there are threes not sure about fours. Obviously conglomerate only counts as conglomerate not the rock of every inclusion. Multipitch is perfectly acceptable of course.

JCMwrote:

Outside the US, but North Wales. Limestone, slate, rhyolite, quartzite in close proximity.

And Micro Granite, Diorite, Dolerite, Tuff, Basalt, bedded pyroclastics, Sandstone, Gritstone (a coarse sandstone really), Greywhackie, Pillow Lava, Gabbro, and probably others. All within an hour’s drive. 

People from LA are kidding themselves to say ANYTHING is close. Except more traffic. And we shouldn’t talk about flagstaff anymore. Tons of rock types very close.  It is special. In fact, forget I said this. And truly we don’t have granite within 90 minutes so you’ll hate it here. 

Alex Rwrote:

I feel like the real challenge would be a single route that covers 4 rock types. I can think of plenty with two, so I'm sure there are threes not sure about fours. Obviously conglomerate only counts as conglomerate not the rock of every inclusion. Multipitch is perfectly acceptable of course.

Long routes on bigwalls and peaks certainly cover multiple layers of different rock, although in many cases, climbers might lump them into the same family (diorite for instance, is often simplified to granite) 

Brian in SLCwrote:

Parley's Canyon has "nugget sandstone."

It's not limestone?  I always thought it climbed more like sandstone than limestone so that's interesting. 

zosowrote:

It's not limestone?  I always thought it climbed more like sandstone than limestone so that's interesting. 

Yeah the bungalow and whatnot is pretty high quality sandstone, I was impressed!

ABQ

Granite: Foothills bouldering, Sandias trad climbing, Gilman Tunnels

Limestone: Placitas, Temple, Big Block (dubious)

Tuff: Ponderosa bouldering, Jemez sport climbing

Sandstone: Small bouldering areas around Santa Fe

Basalt: Diablo area

Rhyolite: Socorro

J.Krusewrote:

ABQ

Granite: Foothills bouldering, Sandias trad climbing, Gilman Tunnels

Limestone: Placitas, Temple, Big Block (dubious)

Tuff: Ponderosa bouldering, Jemez sport climbing

Sandstone: Small bouldering areas around Santa Fe

Basalt: Diablo area

Rhyolite: Socorro

This is within a 80 mile radius…not exactly within the “30 minute drive” criteria. 

I'll put in a vote for the Taos/Northern NM area for the overall diversity of rock type and for the way the original question was worded. Google maps said it would take 3hr 20min to drive from Capulin Canyon (Welded Tuff), to The Dungeon (Rhyolite), to White Rock (Basalt), to El Rito (Conglomerate), to Cerro Azul (Quartzite), to Tres Piedras (Granite). Although there may be a quicker way via different climbing areas I'm not as familiar with in the region. Can anyone come up with a route to 6 or more climbing areas of different rock type that you can get to in less than 3hr and 20min?

Keep the answers coming! This has been an intersting forum. I have been kind of busy this week, but I intend on looking deeper into some of the answers provided by you guys. I apprieiciate all  of your input.

I know it is winter, but it would be pretty bad ass to see someone make a video of climbing on 4 or more rock types in one day.

The more I think about it, allowing 2 or 3 hours of driving actually opens up a lot of places to accomplishing the goal of 4 or more rock types. For instance Leavenworth Wa. If you started at the Peshastin Pinnacles (sandstone), drove to Leavenworth (granite), stopped at the Marley Crag in the Tumwater Canyon (some trippy Metamorphic rock) then drove up to Nason Ridge (gneiss) That would be about an hour of driving and 4 rock types. In 2 or three hours, you could start at Vantage Wa, and get basalt. 

Edit: you would not even need to drive to Nason Ridge since there are gneiss boulders at swifter. So that would be like a 30 minute drive total for 4 rock types 

Trying to plot an optimal route on Google Maps is an interesting approach to this question. I.e. if you were trying to climb those 4 rock types in one day, what would be the most efficient driving route to do so?

Here's the best I could come up with.  Basalt -> Gneiss -> Sandstone -> Granite in Golden CO.  Less than 30 min (16 miles) driving. For bonus points, it also features single pitch cracks, sport, bouldering, and multipitch trad. 

Shaun Johnsonwrote:

Keep the answers coming! This has been an intersting forum. I have been kind of busy this week, but I intend on looking deeper into some of the answers provided by you guys. I apprieiciate all  of your input.

I know it is winter, but it would be pretty bad ass to see someone make a video of climbing on 4 or more rock types in one day.

The more I think about it, allowing 2 or 3 hours of driving actually opens up a lot of places to accomplishing the goal of 4 or more rock types. For instance Leavenworth Wa. If you started at the Peshastin Pinnacles (sandstone), drove to Leavenworth (granite), stopped at the Marley Crag in the Tumwater Canyon (some trippy Metamorphic rock) then drove up to Nason Ridge (gneiss) That would be about an hour of driving and 4 rock types. In 2 or three hours, you could start at Vantage Wa, and get basalt. 

Lol! Allow 2 or 3 hours driving, and you'd get that easily from Pocatello! If everything volcanic is lumped as "basalt", maybe less, but if Connor columns, Shoshone ice tubes and the Channels bouldering are differentiated, for example, you'd get a lot of very varied climbing. At the least, basalt, limestone, and whatever City is, and likely other stuff I'm clueless on. There's only 2 rock types for me: "this is fun!" and "this sucks!"

Best, Helen

Salt Lake City is a contender. Little Cottonwood has a variation of granite as well as limestone. Big Cottonwood Canyon has quartzite & granite. Echo Canyon has conglomerate (similar to Maple). All within 45 minutes. 

Tal Mwrote:

For the Front Range, based out of the Golden area

BoCan or Mill Creek (Granite) > Clear Creek (Gneiss/Schist) > North Table (Basalt) > Morrison (Sandstone). Additionally, the conglomerated sandstone from Eldo climbs and looks pretty different to the Dakota Sandstone of Morrison if you wanted to count that as separate rock, meaning you could get 5 unique climbing experiences in a day fairly easily all within 30 minutes of home - some within 5 or less. There's also the flatirons for sandstone as well which I'd consider unique climbing styles from Morrison and Eldo as well but I haven't done enough mileage to feel good about that claim. And if you take the path listed above, pretty much every climbing area is <15 minutes away from each other in that radius.

Don't forget the Quartzite at Supremacy in Eldo.

Tal Mwrote:

For the Front Range, based out of the Golden area

BoCan or Mill Creek (Granite) > Clear Creek (Gneiss/Schist) > North Table (Basalt) > Morrison (Sandstone). Additionally, the conglomerated sandstone from Eldo climbs and looks pretty different to the Dakota Sandstone of Morrison if you wanted to count that as separate rock, meaning you could get 5 unique climbing experiences in a day fairly easily all within 30 minutes of home - some within 5 or less. There's also the flatirons for sandstone as well which I'd consider unique climbing styles from Morrison and Eldo as well but I haven't done enough mileage to feel good about that claim. And if you take the path listed above, pretty much every climbing area is <15 minutes away from each other in that radius.

Don't forget the Quartzite at Supremacy in Eldo.

Does including ice as a rock/mineral help reduce the driving distance/times or increase the locals with easy access to 4 types of rock?

Old lady Hwrote:

 If everything volcanic is lumped as "basalt", maybe less, but if Connor columns, Shoshone ice tubes and the Channels bouldering are differentiated, for example, you'd get a lot of very varied climbing. 

Those are all basalt. Varied features and climbing, yes, but geologically they are all Snake River Plain Basalts. Same geologic origin, same rock type, for the purposes of this thread.

dave custerwrote:

Does including ice as a rock/mineral help reduce the driving distance/times or increase the locals with easy access to 4 types of rock?

I have thought about including ice, but ice is usually climbed at a different time of the year. 

Living in a place that has rock in the summer and Ice in the winter does make for a more enjoyable climbing destination and also makes climbers that are more skilled.

Probably already mentioned but I think the answer, especially if you limit it to at least 1 good crag with some great routes (not some terrible choss) in each rock type:

Eldo Springs, CO

Within 15 miles you have:

-Sandstone type stuff of Eldo and Flatirons and Industrial Wall

-Granite at Bell Buttress and Boulder Canyon

-Gneiss in Clear Creek

-Basalt at the Bone Collector wall on North Table

JCMwrote:

Trying to plot an optimal route on Google Maps is an interesting approach to this question. I.e. if you were trying to climb those 4 rock types in one day, what would be the most efficient driving route to do so?

Here's the best I could come up with.  Basalt -> Gneiss -> Sandstone -> Granite in Golden CO.  Less than 30 min (16 miles) driving. For bonus points, it also features single pitch cracks, sport, bouldering, and multipitch trad. 

This google maps challenge is a fun game to play.  The best I can come up with for Flagstaff doesn't beat JCM's driving time and is instead around 35 min: Mt. Elden dacite, Buffalo Park basalt, Kelly Canyon sandstone, Tainted Gardens limestone. But, I can find a place to hit four rock types with less driving near Bozeman: Hyalite canyon gneiss bouldering, Swamp rock limestone, Magic wall andesite, bolted routes in the volcanic breccia further upcanyon in 22 min of Google maps drive time. (IIRC there are some bolted breccia/conglomerate routes described in the Dockins guidebook that you would access from the same trailhead as the Magic wall but maybe that's wrong, I don't have that book in front of me).

I suspect that Ouray could be a winner for the original question posted but I don't know the climbing there. Someone who knows that area, or St. George, should see what sort of optimal driving route you could come up with.