Just right outside of Vegas is some of the best sandstone sport climbing in the US. Red Rocks is an amazing sport climbing playground with over 3,000 sport routes. The only issue here is camping and the lack there of. Every time we come to Red Rocks there’s a new place for all the dirtbags to camp on one side or the other of HWY 159.
There is one established campground outside of Red Rocks but it only has 53 sites and with the amount of visitors that now come to Red Rocks the campsites just isn't enough.
There are more options for dispersed camping out on Lovell Canyon Road which is about an hour drive to Red Rocks. Also keep in mind that when leaving Red Rocks you will have to do the windy but incredibly scenic 12 mile (30 Minute) loop back to HWY 159. Now your commute back to your campsite is now 45 minutes.
When we first went to Red Rocks we were pretty surprised at how much driving we would have to do to and from where we were sleeping. We found that sleeping on the side of the road next to the sign was our best option to avoid the long climbing commute. Also it is very hard to find a safe spot in Vegas that doesn't have security. Most of the neighborhoods on the way up to Red Rocks are gated with security which makes stealth camping on the streets near impossible we were kicked out of two spots.
An alternative although it requires more driving is to park at the Link Paid parking area behind the ferris wheel
With all this being said this is such an amazing place to climb that it is worth all the hassle and just enjoy your time and take in the spectacular rock formations and scenery. I put together a few great areas for the moderate climbers to check out to make the most of their day at Red Rocks before having to commute back to the campsite.
All of these crags are on the first pull out.
Panty Wall
You will get nice morning sun here and this is a great crag to get started on and feel the sandstone and get warmed up for an amazing day. There’s a lot of moderate climbs the new leader can show up to and crush that are about 60’ tall and have a nice view from the top. A few fun routes are Brief Encounter (5.8), Sacred Undergarment Squeeze Job (5.8), and Office Party (5.9). There are also some great 5.7’s to warm up on or lead for your first time at the Panty Wall.
The Hamlet Wall
After you’ve crushed a few climbs at Panty Wall Head over the The Hamlet Wall. This is the moderate lead sport climbers heaven with plenty of well protected bolted climbs ranging from 5.4 to 5.10a. This is just like climbing in the gym the holds are amazing and the routes are very well protected allowing you to really progress and start to feel the groove here at Red Rocks. You can also still potentially catch some shade here in the morning but this will be in the sun for the most of the day so it’s best to get after it earlier if you are here and it’s hot out.
Civilization Crag
Once you are feeling pretty solid about your climbing and are ready to head to a crag with a little bit more challenging moderate climbs this is a great crag to head to. You will want to use some beta for the approach as you can easily get off track on the many spur trails at Red Rocks. There are 17 sport routes over here and a large majority of them are under 5.9. This is a great place to come and dance around the crag to find the shady climbs. This is a fun crag and great to transition to after a good morning at Panty and The Hamlet Wall.
Big Bad Wolf S (5.9) 3 Pitches
After a solid day of crushing single pitch sport routes at Red Rocks today’s adventure is located in Calico Basin which is just east of the Red Rocks entrance. This is a great opportunity for a moderate (5.9) three pitch sport route up 220 feet. The first pitch is the most challenging pitch (5.9) after this you will be on two pitches 80’, 70’ of sustained 5.8 slab. There is the option to do it in four pitches but a 60 meter rope will get you to the anchors and you can skip the last pitch. The last pitch consist of 5th class scramble moves but it would be wise to stay roped in and use the bolts to get tot the anchor. This is definitely worth doing and will get afternoon shade so you could even squeeze it in after a morning of climbing in Red Rocks.
We hope this helps you on your next adventure to Red Rocks, Happy Climbing!
