All Locations > Utah > S Central Utah > Grand Staircase

Cap Rock City Bouldering

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Cap Rock City

North CRC 0 / 0 / 0 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 7

South CRC 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0

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Elevation:	4,300 ft
GPS:	37.16628, -111.91266 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	9,383 total · 68/month
Shared By:	Roy Suggett on Dec 17, 2012
Admins:	Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

Strictly a bouldering area with many scattered rocks of varying heights (5' to 45'). The rock (cap stones from the ridge above or what are known as the Straight Cliffs, consisting of a better grade of sandstone and a bit of a patina) is a mix of fair to not so good in its quality but the camping here is great, a bit like Ibex with a river (Paria River) near by. Hot in the summer but it's doable any other time of year.
NOTABLE FOSSIL: Just 30 meters northeast of Campfire Rock is a boulder with a very obvious fossil embedded in the top, northwest facing surface. It is the scapula of a land turtle about 85 million years old in the Straight Cliffs Formation, late Cretaceous Period. See photos below.

The area has been split into two subareas, ie. North and South. You drive into the North on the spur road (see topo photo) and park near the "Campfire Rock". The south requires a short hike across open ground south toward the ridge and the obvious lines.

Getting There

From west of Big Water and Church Wells on HW 89 take the Cottonwood dirt road 7 miles into the GSENM. When you first start seeing the river, look to your right for a spur road and the obvious boulders about 50-175 meters off. This place is approximately 1/4 of the way through the Cottonwood Rd. and between the Paria River and the Straight Cliffs above and east. Just about 6.5 miles further north on the main road is the trail head to Lower Hackberry Canyon and the many possibilities there for climbing, including Hacker's Tower (see the area "Hackberry Canyon"). Warning! If the road is wet, you are in for trouble! The Tropic Shale Formation and water form Bentonite. This slippery substance has befuddled the very biggest bad ass 4 X 4.