Kimball Canyon Rock Climbing

The "discovery" of this remote area on MSH can be traced partly to a trip report provided by three weary college students upon their return from a long day of exploration. In the summer of 1995 Jerry Dodrill, Kurt Jenson and Jared Chaney spent a hot 12-hour day seeking and eventually finding a single pitch rock climb in the remote outback of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. This adventurous trio endured hours of bushwhacking up a steep secluded canyon to reach this objective, a mysterious tower previously spied from the distant "Far Side" climbing area. Once found, a ground-up ascent of the "Black Tower" was achieved... complete with long run-outs, questionable pro, sketchy rock, and a description peppered with dismissive notes: "To far away". "got lost". "major bushwhacking"... and most memorable the name given to their bold F.A. - "Never Again".

The upper reaches of Kimball Canyon extend almost 4 miles above the paved section of the approach and in wet weather concentrate the true "headwaters" of the Napa River. On the highest slopes of MSH this "river" begins as a mere trickle; quickly growing to a torrent in the narrow watercourse before eventually reaching the Napa Valley floor miles below. The stream flows below the Black Tower/Kimball Canyon Crag during winter and spring providing a refreshing respite.

The "Black Tower" and it's companion "Kimball Canyon Crag" are clearly visible from the farthest western reaches of the Far Side area. The "Macondo" cliff looks down upon these formations from the opposite rim of Kimball Canyon, almost 1000 vertical feet above the crags. This area is now home to 18+ single pitch sport routes and top rope variations. Anchors can be reached by scrambling up the access trails that snake around the backs of the formations. 10 quick draws and a 60 meter rope will get you up and down all of the climbs, though a few routes on Black Tower are rope stretchers to lower or rappel.

The extremely remote location, long approach, and questionable rock quality reported from the FA was noted and kept this area on the back burner for well over 2 decades. As sport climbing development took hold in other areas of MSH over the past 20 years much work was performed to properly clean and equip routes here. The rock type is Rhyolite and is for the most part solid and featured but varies depending on which route you are on. These formations share a volcanic origin with the other MSH area crags, yet have their own unique flavors and textures. The 100' Black Tower features many climbs of moderate steepness and thoughtful exposure which require attentive footwork and technique. Kimball Canyon Crag offers a host of well-protected steeper routes, with jug hauls, crimps, edges, pockets, huecos, etc. many of the routes here are 70-80 feet in length.

There are several sun and shade exposures offered throughout the area when climbing the routes. Spring and Fall offer the most consistent climbing temps. When the winter wind rips down the shady canyon it can be bitterly cold, yet on the warmest summer days climbing here has a pleasant "Alpine" feel. In the the shade of the trees the North facing routes provide excellent conditions on the hottest summer days.

The climbs are concentrated in such a way that makes this area is a true "destination", one which you could very easily spend a full day climbing and not visit any other areas of the park which are quite distant.