Recreation: Climbing
Salt Lake City is the premier rock climbing mecca for the United States. Many of the best climbers in the world have permanently settled here, and the rest pass through every year. There is an absolutely huge abundance of rock within minutes of the downtown area. There is traditional and sport climbing on the bullet-proof quartzite in Big Cottonwood canyon and on the granite domes in Little Cottonwood Canyon. There are literally thousands of quality routes in these two canyons alone, as well as in the smaller more obscure canyons along the Wasatch front. These canyons alone offer years of exploring from the determined rock hound.
A short 25 minute drive (doorstep-to-crag time) puts the aspiring Salt Lake rockjock in American Fork Canyon, home of super steep, pocketed limestone. American Fork has stacks upon stacks of hard routes. Hell Cave in AF probably has the greatest concentration of difficult routes in the country. Everything you have heard is true, but American Fork must be experienced to be believed! A little farther south sits the isolated and beautiful Maple Canyon, and sport climbing on very solid conglomerate.
Salt Lake is also central to the other major climbing areas in the west. To the north (3 hrs) are the City of Rocks and Massacre Rocks. The City of Rocks has hundreds of sport and traditional routes on quality granite. Massacre Rocks, situated on the Snake River has over 500 bolted sport lines on funky basalt. About 4 hours from Salt Lake is the legendary Wild Iris and Sinks Canyon(WY), sport climbing areas situated in a beautiful alpine environment. To the south are the Virgin River Gorge (5 hrs), Red Rocks, NV (6.5 hrs), and Moenkopi, Jack's Canyon, Enchanted Towers (10hrs). Such a huge variety of climbing experiences within such close distance to Salt Lake make this the ultimate place for rock climbing.
images (top to bottom):
Suicide Blonde, American Fork Canyon.
Suicide Blonde, American Fork Canyon.
Spray, Maple Canyon.
Crime Scene, Maple Canyon.
University of Utah