UKC

I'm flying to the US (Las Vegas) tomorrow with my wife. The plan is/was to climb at Red Rocks for a couple of weeks and possibly a trip to Joshua Tree.

It's currently looking like there will be a government shutdown from Saturday night resulting in the closure of the national parks. Even if there is a shutdown, some states such as Arizona and Utah are saying they'll keep the parks open but I'm looking for suggestions for alternatives if the parks are closed. We're happy to travel as we're in the US for 2 weeks. We're ideally looking for a mix of climbing styles as I'm not particularly strong at crack climbing. Ideally up to about 5.9 multi-pitch and 5.10b single pitch trad.

Thanks.

Not speaking of first hand experience, but I believe quite a bit of the high Sierra is not in any real national park. Stuff like Incredible Hulk https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105852180/incredible-hulk

also I recall a lot of the climbing around Tahoe (Palisades etc.) is not in a NP. So that kind of proper adventure stuff might be up for grabs.

There's quite a bit around St George near the arizona / utah border. While it may not be the world class offerings of red rock and JT there is probably enough for a good few days of fun

Cochise Stronghold (Arizona) looks amazing, no idea if it would be affected and it’s an eight hour drive but I have read it’s world class. Maybe also Mount Lemon in Az. 
 

Bishop area is great and presumably also unaffected, maybe somewhere like Whitney Portal?

Red Rocks is a National Conservation Area and is not Federal Land (National Park). Red Rocks is on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land and may be exempt from a Federal Government closure. If the scenic loop road were to close within Conservation Areas,  then there is plenty of accessible climbing outside the loop road. Up to date information can be obtained from Mountain Project under Nevada, Regional Areas.

I've been to both Cochise Stronghold and Mt Lemon, they are both excellent and well worth the drive.

We had days bouldering, sport and trad in Red Rocks well away from the "scenic loop" road so these areas might be still accessible. I'm sure there were a few houses nearby in some areas, Calico Basin, Red Springs.

Calico Basin, Red Springs

Kraft Boulders

Did climbing access to Indian Cove in Joshua Tree shut in the previous budget spats that closed NPs?

I've spent weeks climbing there and still have many more weeks worth of stuff that looks interesting.

Brings back frustrating memories of being on a trip to the US during a government shut down in 2013. 

Around Red Rocks: Black Velvet Canyon isn’t in the National park. You can climb there no problem. You could easily spend a week climbing there.

The climbing around Bishop is also not in any parks. 

Probably worth posting in the regional forums on mountainproject too (if you haven’t already), as there will be heaps of local knowledge.

Probably about a 5 hour drive from Vegas but the the climbing around Mammoth is superb. Clarks Canyon is particularly good. You would pass through Bishop to get there so a bit of bouldering as well! Loads to go at around Benton as well, Hair Raiser buttress was there, an awesome 5.9 multi pitch which is worth the 5 hour drive on its own.
There is also Owens River Gorge which has fantastic climbing but a less salubrious aspect though it’s not that bad just not as spectacular as most other nearby areas with a stunning backdrop of the High Sierras. Oh and there also the hot springs and Whoa Nellies diner just up the road! And if the parks are open you can drive up to Tuolumne which also has the odd nice route or two!

Tuolimme /high sierras will be freezing by October won't they? 

I climbed in Tuolumne in the start of October last year. Cold when the sun went in, but when the sun was out it was too hot! I understand it was unseasonably hot last October though.

Well yes got to admit Tuolumne will be freezing but down at Mammoth and definitely Bishop will be very pleasant during the day but maybe a little bracing at night, depends if your camping or in a nice apartment! The hot springs will still be warm though, nothing little lazing in the crabber or shepherds with a sprinkling of snow on the ground! I’ve climbed at Clark’s and Owens River in October before and didn’t move onto JT until November.

Outside the loop road at Red Rocks is another area I've spent spent several months climbing and done way less than half of what looks good, and I don't climb much above 5.9. Tons of stuff sub HVS there as good as it gets for UK style trad, at much friendlier grading than on almost any CA granite.

I'd add Jerry's (a UKC regular) guidebook is as good as anything I've seen anywhere for such a massive area.

https://www.redrocksguidebook.com/index.html

Thanks everyone for all of the advice so far. I think we'll climb around Red Rocks (maybe outside the Scenic Loop if it's closed) for a couple of days as we've got accommodation booked anyway then plan from there. Keep the suggestions coming.

During the last shutdown the scenic loop was closed, but the BLM are currently saying that this time around, in the event of a shutdown,  they are going to keep the scenic loop open.

On the flip side, due to the road being completely destroyed, all the sport climbing on Mt Charleston is currently closed.

Thanks Jerry, that's sounding positive.

If its hot then Holcomb Valley (above Big Bear Lake), it faces south so is warmer than its altitude would suggest. Free campoing at the crag.

Alabama Hills have more climbing than a single trip would allow to complete (note only routes over 100ft/30m have lengths in the guide). Camping is free.

But the secret Mamouth crag is Area 13, John Bachar's secret area. Unless you have a full on 4x4 do not try to drive to the crag, there was (in 2019) a 2ft step on the access road. Examine the local map and there is a flat gravel road due west from which a simple walk/slide gets to the crag, climbing back up the pumice slopes is harder!

The other good crag is New Jack City, free camping, pit toilets, no water. walk-ins from 1 minute to 20 minutes.

If it's open for climbing I'll bet you find a couple of days isn't enough. First time we went we planned 8 days there then were to be off to Cochise Stronghold - but stayed at Red Rocks for a fortnight it's so very good for VS/Hard VS climbing.