The ground rules for climbing location "yeahs" and "neahs"
- Each location will receive an opinion rating - "It Rocks!", "Worth It," "Meh," or "Trash."
- Each crag has its own personality with unique advantages and challenges, which are highlighted.
- It is tempting to list “beautiful” as a “yeah,” but that is true for a lot of crags. I allude to beauty and scenery in the summary. You can also (sometimes) tell by the photo. If the place is a dump, then that will be listed in the “neahs” and rated as "Meh" or "Trash.
Summary
Maple Canyon is a narrow canyon hidden on the east side of the Wasatch mountains 100 miles south of Salt Lake City, UT. Maple is primarily a sport (bolted) crag and the climbing is unique. The rock, called conglomerate, is river stone set in cement. When you look up at a climb it is deceptive, appearing as though there are holds galore. However, despite the plethora of rocks jutting out of nearly every square inch, many are slick slopers, which prompt you to keep searching for something a little better. It takes some adjustment to trust that these stones won’t pop out of the wall when you bear down some weight. Be warned that rocks do come loose, particularly after the winter at the beginning of the climbing season, however most of the rock here is high quality. With that said, helmets are still recommended.
Much of Maple Canyon is in the trees, which keeps it cooler and more comfortable in the warm Utah summers, so the area can get quite loud and busy on summer weekends. Weekend campsites can be hard to come by (more on camping below). Because the canyon is narrow, parking can also be limited. Carpooling into the canyon is strongly recommended and it is not recommended to bring RVs or trailers larger than 15’ into the canyon (turning around can be difficult!).
Because the canyon is small and busy, please do not poop in the woods. There are plenty of well-kept pit toilets scattered in the canyon. Make the effort to use them! Also, please keep the area lovely and remove your trash (and others trash, if you see it).
PRIVATE LAND NOTICE: There are climbing areas in the canyon that are on private land (particularly as you drive into the canyon before it turns into National Forest). If you park, use, or climb in these areas, please place a contribution in the donation box. If there is a No Trespassing sign, respect it – there are plenty of other places to climb.
Directions
From Salt Lake City:
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
Maple Canyon is primarily a bolted sport crag established in the 2000s. Because it was developed more recently, the climb grades are modern and bolting tends to be plentiful/well protected. There is a good variety of grades, ranging from truly easy 5.5 to overhung 5.14c.
Guidebooks for the area include:
Camping
CLOSED: October 31- May 5
Maple Canyon has a small, well-kept campground with pit toilets and 17 campsites, one of which is a group site, with fire rings and picnic tables. There is no running water, so be sure to bring plenty of your own water. Because the canon is narrow, parking is limited at the campsites, as well as, for day-trip climbing. RVs or trailers/5th wheels larger than 15’ are NOT recommended in the canyon.
Camping is affordable here at around $8 per night. Please pay!
Reservations can be made online at: http://www.recreation.gov/camping/maple-canyon/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70822
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
As described in the summary, the rock is conglomerate with pebble to boulder-sized river stones set in concrete. Most of the stones tend to be fist-sized. Holds are surprisingly difficult to find, but that is half the experience this rock. Some holds are the smooth round stones, others are the vacancy left by stones that popped out, occasionally a square stone gets in the mix, or a small crimp is created from the chip in the stone. Over and over you look at something that seems bomber, then you touch it and discover otherwise. Our eyes are less helpful to us at Maple.
The primary style of climbing is face, becoming more technical, vertical, or overhung with increases in the grade. Most of the climbs are single pitch, but there are several fun multi-pitches (with bolted anchors and rappels).
Yeahs
Neahs
Opinion Rating
It Rocks!
Photos and Beta - Maple Canyon
Maple Canyon is a narrow canyon hidden on the east side of the Wasatch mountains 100 miles south of Salt Lake City, UT. Maple is primarily a sport (bolted) crag and the climbing is unique. The rock, called conglomerate, is river stone set in cement. When you look up at a climb it is deceptive, appearing as though there are holds galore. However, despite the plethora of rocks jutting out of nearly every square inch, many are slick slopers, which prompt you to keep searching for something a little better. It takes some adjustment to trust that these stones won’t pop out of the wall when you bear down some weight. Be warned that rocks do come loose, particularly after the winter at the beginning of the climbing season, however most of the rock here is high quality. With that said, helmets are still recommended.
Much of Maple Canyon is in the trees, which keeps it cooler and more comfortable in the warm Utah summers, so the area can get quite loud and busy on summer weekends. Weekend campsites can be hard to come by (more on camping below). Because the canyon is narrow, parking can also be limited. Carpooling into the canyon is strongly recommended and it is not recommended to bring RVs or trailers larger than 15’ into the canyon (turning around can be difficult!).
Because the canyon is small and busy, please do not poop in the woods. There are plenty of well-kept pit toilets scattered in the canyon. Make the effort to use them! Also, please keep the area lovely and remove your trash (and others trash, if you see it).
PRIVATE LAND NOTICE: There are climbing areas in the canyon that are on private land (particularly as you drive into the canyon before it turns into National Forest). If you park, use, or climb in these areas, please place a contribution in the donation box. If there is a No Trespassing sign, respect it – there are plenty of other places to climb.
Directions
From Salt Lake City:
- Take I-15 South for about 80 miles to UT-132 (exit 225, near Manti/Nephi)
- Turn left onto UT-132 (E 100 N) toward Moroni/Ephriam follow for 13 miles to Fountain Green, UT
- From Fountain Green head South on West Side Rd for about 7 miles
- Turn right onto Freedom Road (watch for Maple Canyon signs) go into the canyon approximately 3 miles
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
Maple Canyon is primarily a bolted sport crag established in the 2000s. Because it was developed more recently, the climb grades are modern and bolting tends to be plentiful/well protected. There is a good variety of grades, ranging from truly easy 5.5 to overhung 5.14c.
Guidebooks for the area include:
- Maple Canyon Climbing Guidebook by Darren Knezek - https://www.amazon.com/DARREN-KNEZEK-Canyon-Climbing-Guidebook/dp/098547940X
- Maple Canyon Rock Climbing Guidebook by Dave Pegg, Sibylle Hechtel & Josh Holmes:
- Digital Rakkup Guide: http://rakkup.com/guidebooks/maple-canyon-rock-climbing/
- Print guide (2012): https://wolverinepublishing.com/maple-canyon-rock-climbs
- Rock Climbing Utah by Stewart M. Green, Falcon Guide (2012): https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Utah-State/dp/0762744510/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=58Q7P3B04AVZ52G0FNP8
Camping
CLOSED: October 31- May 5
Maple Canyon has a small, well-kept campground with pit toilets and 17 campsites, one of which is a group site, with fire rings and picnic tables. There is no running water, so be sure to bring plenty of your own water. Because the canon is narrow, parking is limited at the campsites, as well as, for day-trip climbing. RVs or trailers/5th wheels larger than 15’ are NOT recommended in the canyon.
Camping is affordable here at around $8 per night. Please pay!
Reservations can be made online at: http://www.recreation.gov/camping/maple-canyon/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70822
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
As described in the summary, the rock is conglomerate with pebble to boulder-sized river stones set in concrete. Most of the stones tend to be fist-sized. Holds are surprisingly difficult to find, but that is half the experience this rock. Some holds are the smooth round stones, others are the vacancy left by stones that popped out, occasionally a square stone gets in the mix, or a small crimp is created from the chip in the stone. Over and over you look at something that seems bomber, then you touch it and discover otherwise. Our eyes are less helpful to us at Maple.
The primary style of climbing is face, becoming more technical, vertical, or overhung with increases in the grade. Most of the climbs are single pitch, but there are several fun multi-pitches (with bolted anchors and rappels).
Yeahs
- The unique rock
- The clean, lovely setting
- Cool summers and colorful autumns
- Well bolted
- Modern grades
- Well-kept and plentiful pit toilets
- There are quite a few routes and areas scattered throughout the canyon, so you can avoid crowds if you walk a bit. With that said most approaches are short and easy.
- There are easy and challenging crags.
- Nice and affordable camp sites.
Neahs
- Small camping area and limited parking
- The narrow canyon carries noise, so it can be loud on busy days
- Rockfall hazard in lower trafficked areas or after winter freeze-thaw cycles. Wear a helmet.
Opinion Rating
It Rocks!
Photos and Beta - Maple Canyon
