Summary
Queen Creek Canyon is located about 1 hour east of Phoenix, AZ just north of Superior. The area boasts walls and spires made from welded volcanic tuff, similar to the type of rock at Smith Rock, OR (but not quite as sharp). Although the area is not far from two major cities (Phoenix and Tucson) and some climbing is right off the highway, it is still more like wilderness than big-city crag.
Most of the climbing is on private land owned by a foreign mining company, Resolution Copper, but Devil’s Canyon is still on public land.
The mining company was traded 2500 acres by U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake via a hidden and unpopular amendment in a 2015 defense spending bill (they snuck it in the defense bill because they were unable to get the House and Senate to agree to the land swap via normal means.) Small exploratory mining is occurring now on the land (see image) and full ground-breaking is scheduled to begin in 2020. Once the mining begins, it will result in a 2 mile-wide hole 1000 feet deep and all of the surrounding land will be completely consumed by tailings for many miles. In short – the climbing will disappear under a bunch of dirt. So, if you want to experience some fun climbing in a unique and beautiful landscape before it is buried forever, then its time for a road trip.
To climb in most of the areas of Queen Creek Canyon you must register and sign a liability waiver: http://queencreekclimbing.com/
Directions
Go on highway 60 east to Superior, AZ. The climbing is located in various spots east of Superior and west of the small town Top of the World. Individual Descriptions on how to get to each area are provided in Mountain Project and guidebooks.
Although the Lower Devil’s Canyon has the most number of routes, you need a high clearance vehicle to access the area. The road is truly bad and not at all recommended for low clearance. 4wd is not necessary.
Many of the other climbing areas are easily accessible from the highway or the road near the Oak Flat Campground.
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
There are a nice variety of climbing grades available – from 5.6 to 5.13. Grading reliability can be variable. Most of the grading in areas other than Devil’s Canyon was on par with today’s grading standards. Devil’s Canyon was either badly sandbagged old school ratings and/or a significant number of holds have broken off over the years, making some of the climbs far harder than their grade. Be particularly careful of this on the lower grade climbs in Devil’s Canyon, which tend to have longer spacing between bolts and decking potential exists.
Queen Creek Canyon is a sport climbing area with a few trad climbs scattered in the mix. Many of the climbs were established in the 1990s and, although there are some newer bolted climbs, there is a considerable amount of rusting old bolts, including old anchors that move within their holes. The lack of bolt replacement is surprising given the area’s proximity to Phoenix and Tucson. Perhaps climbers don’t want to invest in an area that is about to be buried (and Devil’s Canyon is difficult to access due to the poor quality road).
Guidebooks:
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
Queen Creek Canyon, AZ is a sport climbing area comprised of welded volcanic tuff cliffs and spires. The friction is good, the rock is mostly solid but can be friable or hollow in spots. The climbing style is primarily featured face, with sharp crimps and fun holes/pockets. There are some lower angled slab like climbs here and there.
Camping
There is a small, free Forest Service Campground called Oak Flat Campground about 4 miles east of Superior. There are about 14 sites at the campground, some with picnic tables and firepits. There are two vault toilets and no running water. The campground can get busy on weekends. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recarea/?recid=35345
There are also boondocking options in the vicinity of the campground off surrounding dirt roads. Some but not all areas require high clearance to access. Please do not create firepits when bookdocking. Also remove all trash and human waste (the ground is very hard and you cannot dig). This is a desert environment and food, human, and animal waste do not biodegrade.
There are bouldering and bolted routes not far from the campground.
Yeahs
Neahs
Opinion Rating
Honestly I’m vascilating between a “Meh” and “Worth It” rating. The thing that pulls me towards “Meh” are the plethora of rusty bolts, which do not inspire confidence, the broken-hold/sandbagging in Devil’s Canyon, and the difficulty to access Devil’s Canyon. The mining situation is also a downer. But so many things are awesome too – the rock, the camping, the beauty of the area. I think the positives outweigh the negatives and it is worth visiting this place before it disappears. So the opinion rating is:
Worth it!
Queen Creek Canyon is located about 1 hour east of Phoenix, AZ just north of Superior. The area boasts walls and spires made from welded volcanic tuff, similar to the type of rock at Smith Rock, OR (but not quite as sharp). Although the area is not far from two major cities (Phoenix and Tucson) and some climbing is right off the highway, it is still more like wilderness than big-city crag.
Most of the climbing is on private land owned by a foreign mining company, Resolution Copper, but Devil’s Canyon is still on public land.
The mining company was traded 2500 acres by U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake via a hidden and unpopular amendment in a 2015 defense spending bill (they snuck it in the defense bill because they were unable to get the House and Senate to agree to the land swap via normal means.) Small exploratory mining is occurring now on the land (see image) and full ground-breaking is scheduled to begin in 2020. Once the mining begins, it will result in a 2 mile-wide hole 1000 feet deep and all of the surrounding land will be completely consumed by tailings for many miles. In short – the climbing will disappear under a bunch of dirt. So, if you want to experience some fun climbing in a unique and beautiful landscape before it is buried forever, then its time for a road trip.
To climb in most of the areas of Queen Creek Canyon you must register and sign a liability waiver: http://queencreekclimbing.com/
Directions
Go on highway 60 east to Superior, AZ. The climbing is located in various spots east of Superior and west of the small town Top of the World. Individual Descriptions on how to get to each area are provided in Mountain Project and guidebooks.
Although the Lower Devil’s Canyon has the most number of routes, you need a high clearance vehicle to access the area. The road is truly bad and not at all recommended for low clearance. 4wd is not necessary.
Many of the other climbing areas are easily accessible from the highway or the road near the Oak Flat Campground.
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
There are a nice variety of climbing grades available – from 5.6 to 5.13. Grading reliability can be variable. Most of the grading in areas other than Devil’s Canyon was on par with today’s grading standards. Devil’s Canyon was either badly sandbagged old school ratings and/or a significant number of holds have broken off over the years, making some of the climbs far harder than their grade. Be particularly careful of this on the lower grade climbs in Devil’s Canyon, which tend to have longer spacing between bolts and decking potential exists.
Queen Creek Canyon is a sport climbing area with a few trad climbs scattered in the mix. Many of the climbs were established in the 1990s and, although there are some newer bolted climbs, there is a considerable amount of rusting old bolts, including old anchors that move within their holes. The lack of bolt replacement is surprising given the area’s proximity to Phoenix and Tucson. Perhaps climbers don’t want to invest in an area that is about to be buried (and Devil’s Canyon is difficult to access due to the poor quality road).
Guidebooks:
- Mountain Project - https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105788089/queen-creek-canyon
- The Rock Jock’s Guide to Queen Creek Canyon (1996) - https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/rock-jocks-guide-queen-creek/author/karabin-marty/
- Weekend Rock, AZ ( ) - https://www.rockandsnow.com/8789/Weekend-Rock-Arizona/
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
Queen Creek Canyon, AZ is a sport climbing area comprised of welded volcanic tuff cliffs and spires. The friction is good, the rock is mostly solid but can be friable or hollow in spots. The climbing style is primarily featured face, with sharp crimps and fun holes/pockets. There are some lower angled slab like climbs here and there.
Camping
There is a small, free Forest Service Campground called Oak Flat Campground about 4 miles east of Superior. There are about 14 sites at the campground, some with picnic tables and firepits. There are two vault toilets and no running water. The campground can get busy on weekends. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recarea/?recid=35345
There are also boondocking options in the vicinity of the campground off surrounding dirt roads. Some but not all areas require high clearance to access. Please do not create firepits when bookdocking. Also remove all trash and human waste (the ground is very hard and you cannot dig). This is a desert environment and food, human, and animal waste do not biodegrade.
There are bouldering and bolted routes not far from the campground.
Yeahs
- Fun featured rock
- A nice variety of grades
- Attractive setting despite the presence of mining
- Some areas of climbing are pretty easy to access
- Camping is free and easy
Neahs
- The are a lot of old rusty bolts, which can make the climbing unnerving
- Mining does generate noise and lights all night long (bring ear plugs and eye covers)
- The area with the most number of routes (Devil’s Canyon) can be difficult to access with low clearance vehicles and it suffers from rusty bolts and sandbagging/broken holds
- A lot of the high quality climbs will be buried in the upcoming years due to the mining.
Opinion Rating
Honestly I’m vascilating between a “Meh” and “Worth It” rating. The thing that pulls me towards “Meh” are the plethora of rusty bolts, which do not inspire confidence, the broken-hold/sandbagging in Devil’s Canyon, and the difficulty to access Devil’s Canyon. The mining situation is also a downer. But so many things are awesome too – the rock, the camping, the beauty of the area. I think the positives outweigh the negatives and it is worth visiting this place before it disappears. So the opinion rating is:
Worth it!
