UKC

Looking for some recommendations of areas/crags to visit on my first trip climbing to America. I know of all the big names (Yosemite, Zion, Joshua tree etc) but wonder if these are really the best places to go or if there are other places better suited to those climbing accross the pond for the first time!

Looking for sport climbing (up to 7a) but also trad climb up to HVS.

Any recommendations or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

The time of year matters. When are you wanting to go (and for how long)?

For the mix of sport and trad in one location you can't beat Red Rock. Yes, it is near the Vagas madness, but the rock is amazing. We where really surprised by how good the trad was, just felt 'encouraging' after slipping around in Yosemite cracks. Great gear and holds even if walk ins are hot and dry. Campsite vibe was good as well even if it is basic.

Also recommend a visit to Tuoloume Meadows if you are in Yosemite as it is spectacular, but with a much more wilderness vibe than the valley.

Enjoy 

Red Rocks. You don't need anything else.

Amazing trad:

https://imgcdn.ukc2.com/i/302768?fm=webp&time=1560632559&s=8030f215...

Great bouldering:

https://imgcdn.ukc2.com/i/302713?fm=webp&time=1560632571&s=a591ef20...

Some good sport:

https://imgcdn.ukc2.com/i/215031?fm=webp&time=1566825467&s=8831f8ac...

It is fairly straight forward to drive between all the places you have mentioned, just takes a little time! Theres loads of cool looking stuff around those grades in colorado too, some adventurous desert towers round Moab, the wind river range looks mega, along with the Devils tower. Some of the trad round Tahoe...

Like others have said, when you want to go makes a difference to where will be in reasonable condition. Enjoy!

It's vital to know when you are going. This site has tools to find classic climbs in your grade range and the best times to go.

https://www.mountainproject.com/

Ref Rocks is the most friendly world class combined venue I know but the season is end of October to start of April. It links well with JT  or Zion which are both about a 4 hour drive (which is handy as you can't climb at Red Rocks after rain). The prime climbing season is at the bottom of each area page... Red Rocks page attached below.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105731932/red-rocks

I visited the States ten times back in the 80s and 90s. My personal favourites were City of Rock - Idaho, Tuolomne - California, Squamish (Canada, I know) and Devil's Tower - Wyoming. All are singular venues and so different from anything in Europe,

Chris

So many options! Plus 1 for Red Rocks combining world class sport and trad at the grades you mentioned. 

A Utah trip taking in Zion plus the huge amount of sport around St George would work (easily combined with Red Rocks). There's are some posts from our recent trip here: https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/usa/south-west-usa/ and you could check out the incredible Kolob Canyon for some of the most outrageous sport routes in the world (see photo)

Shifting coasts, New Hampshire offers great bolted routes across the grade range at Rumney https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2019/10/27/crushing-at-rumney/ and you can take in some of the legendary trad adventures of The Granite State eg Cathedral Ledge https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2019/09/25/cathedral-ledge-welcome-to-the-...

Loads more options from Colorado to California and Kentucky Arizona on the blog (climbing at the kinds of grades you are interested in) https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/usa/

Have a fab trip and feel free to PM me for any specifics. Cheers, Dom 

As Chris says City of Rocks is very good and a bit off the beaten track, which is good in my book. I've been there 3 times. Idaho is great. Smith Rock in Oregon is excellent too and very easy logistically if you stay in Redmond - good restaurants, a micro brewery and cheap motels. Lake Tahoe worth a visit although we only had one day at Lovers Leap on the way back to San Francisco.

City of Rocks never especially attracted me as it doesn't  have much multi pitch stuff below 5.10. The MP route finder only gives 28 options. The more sport focused on a good  mix with trad have raved about it.

If you’re talking about summer then I would combine Tuolomne with Needles, California and some Sierras Alpine rock in-between (if that’s of interest and the weather is settled).

Tuolomne is great at those grades both sport/trad and single/multi-pitch. I wouldn’t recommend Yosemite for trad climbing at 5.9 personally.
 

The Needles isn’t very popular (maybe the walk in and lack of infrastructure), but it’s possibly the best and most beautiful place I have climbed in the States. Not loads at those grades but I’d still recommend it. The rock is just incredible.

Joshua Tree is obviously a different season and whilst it’s undoubtedly a beautiful place, it’s just single-pitch craggin like you can do in the UK.

It’s interesting to read the recommendations for Red Rocks. I’ve never climbed there and from photos it's never looked very inspiring. I guess when I think about the USA I think about amazing crack and corner lines.

Front range above Denver from Boulder down to Eldorado should keep you busy for a few weeks

Just don’t go to Owen’s River Gorge! I’m not entirely convinced the sports climbing on the west coast is as good as in Europe (clearly it is elsewhere in America) so if you focus on that part of the US then try to do as much trad as possible, it’s truly excellent. 

My big trips in the late 90s were to Joshua Tree, Vegas, Bishop and Yosemite.

Everywhere I went I thought it was magic.

Single pitch cragging in Joshua Tree, a bit pokey because of the ground up bolting policy on the mixed trad and bolt routes but what a place.

Red Rocks - ticks every box and a stunning location. The single pitch sport in the 5:10d - 5:12a range (6b-7a) is amazing. The multi pitch incredible and I even did  a big wall ascent with a bivvy.

Bishop you have everything with some gems worth searching out. I even loved Owen's River Gorge because of the style of climbing and range of grades 5:10c - 5:12a. 

Yosemite - same again with some multi pitch classics and single pitch cragging. Touloumne too if the road is open.

E

Second this - if you drive down the Eastern Sierra from Tuolumne to Red Rocks (or vice versa) it's a great place to stop for a few days. Superb bouldering and more good trad than you might expect. Plus, the campground in town even has grass - which makes a nice change from the dust of Yosemite and the sand and gravel of Red Rocks!

I put it at the top of my list as it is (was) such a magical spot. When Parky got home from his year-long world tour, I asked him what was the best venue and he said CoR.

I visited as part of a longer trip in the following two summers and did (exactly!) 200 routes - all excellent,

Chris

That's what we did but in the other direction. Had a month there, trad, sport, bouldering. Never got bored.

E

Probably autumn time for maybe 4 weeks

Thank you everyone - lots to go an research. I think red rocks might be a must!

"and from photos it's never looked very inspiring."

Thats actually pretty funny.

Surprised no-one has mentioned Indian Creek yet; an amazing place to visit and totally different style to anything you find in the UK. I found the climbing there hugely enjoyable, don't be put off by the reputation (though prepare to be schooled to start with). It's easily combined with Red Rocks, we went for a week or so whilst staying with friends in Vegas, from memory it's about an 8 hour drive but very easy driving (only 2 turns!) and scenic through the Utah desert.

More generally my advice would be to go West rather than East, at least for your first trip. 

I agree City of Rocks is excellent and the nearby Castle Rocks is well worth visiting.

Actually, Joshua Tree has quite a lot of multipitch climbs, admittedly not more than a few hundred feet.

I've been a couple of times and loved it. A bit like Joshua Tree but in a wilder setting and much less busy (though I don't know if that is still true), so in some ways better! A different season (I've combined it on summer trips with Wind Rivers/Tetons/Devil's Tower and with The Cascades).

Yes, they obviously havn't checked out the latest edition of the guidebook

Figures on a Landscape - in my all time top 10 routes.

E

Too right... 16 routes of three pitches or more to 5.10a (should be 17 really as Orange Flake is best done as 3) most around 100m. Hundreds of two pitch routes including lots of 5.6 and below that can be split pitch UK mountaineering style. Wonderful place for UK trad climbers albeit grades can be very tough. Lost Horse Wall is my favourite area and grades are OK on that.

I didn't find Red Rocks very inspiring in the flesh with the added disadvantage that if it rains you can't climb for several days and it's a long drive to climb elsewhere.

I would favour the suggestion of Tuolomne and the East Side of the Sierras.

A few days in the Alabama Hills and Whitney Portal provides a great contrast in environment and climbing in a small area.

Autumn is a great season in the US- so good choice. I think it’s worth prioritising whether sport or Trad are your focus.

If Trad, then Red Rocks is a good call. Yosemite and Indian Creek are not that far away too - by American standards. If you’ve climbed in places like Kalymnos, then the sport at RR will disappoint. If Red Rocks is wet then redjerry’s excellent Mojave Limestone guidebook has endless sport climbing to go at within 2 hours. The Grail,  for instance has some of the best 7as I have ever done.

If sport, Red River Gorge in Kentucky is arguably the only world class area in the US. Brilliant climbing at all grades, mostly steep,  on perfect rock. A month there barely scratches the surface. October and December are prime time. 

That said, the desert scenery and general grandeur of the American West should probably push you to Vegas.  Plus the weather is likely to be better. 

Sorry typo. October and November prime time at RR Gorge. December can be ok but getting cold.

I'm from the US but just moved to Sweden from the west coast last year. Lots of good recommendations here already, I'll just share a few other ideas/considerations. 

Red Rocks: It's amazing for sure and logistically easy to find flights there fairly cheaply (they want you to spend your money at the casinos). One big issue is that it has gotten SUPER popular. Well basically since Covid forced many more people out of the gym and to the crag almost all the classic climbing areas have become a hot mess. This is relevant for you because there is now a permit system to get into National Park. It's not as bad as the Yosemite reservation system (yes, Yose also implemented a vehicle entry system during Covid). Just something to plan around but there are loads of other options around RR such as Mt Charleston and The Grail (which I actually think has the best Limestone in the US, take a look at Vesper https://www.mountainproject.com/route/108781068/vesper). 

St. George Utah: This summer I was discussing this exact topic with a friend and we agreed that St. George would be in our 'Top 5 recommendation' list for a European visiting the US to climb. Take a look at the 'Mojave Limestone' guide book, the quality of the limestone around St. George is amazing. The benefits to staying in St. George instead of Vegas is that you'll have better access to Zion NP for any trad climbing you'll want to do. Also better Airbnb options there too IMHO. But really the whole area is just gorgeous and I think offers some of the best and most unique landscape the US has to offer. 

Red River Gorge: Was surprised not more people recommended the Red,... it's where all the cool kids go in the fall! Yes the Red might be literally the safest recommendation for a sport climber coming from Europe since it is truly amazing in both quality and quantity. However it can also get super busy and if you hit a rainy patch in the fall chances are the whole southeast will be rainy so that is a risk to consider. 

Tuolumne/Bishop/Eastern Sierra: This whole area holds a special place in my heart and is my personal favorite area to climb. Risks here are wildfire season occurs in the autumn can potentially make it impossible to breath outside. Seriously, the past few (5) years have been no joke.But the area is vast and you can usually find an option, it just means you might have to go bouldering. The Alpine climbing is brilliant but that's more of a summer thing unless you visit in September. For Sport, the development at Pine Creek Canyon over that past few years has been really quite amazing. Stiff as nails and a bit spicy but that should be right up your alley as a Brit. Actually super good Trad climbing in Pine Creek as well. 

Thanks you for taking the time to write an indepth response - it is greatly appreciated.