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.
THE CLIMBING AREA IS CLOSED JANUARY 15-AUGUST 15 (possible early opening in May if no nesting occurs) because of protected bird nesting. Check the Friends of Trout Creek Facebook page for closure information: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofTroutCreek/.
Summary
Trout Creek is located on the dry side of the Cascades in Oregon. It’s about 1 hour north of Smith Rock and about 2.5 hours away from Portland. The area is visually spectacular, with the columnar Basalt rising up from the grassy hills and the Deschutes River winding its way through the canyon.
Trout Creek is known for its columnar basalt trad, crack climbing (more on this below). Most of the climbs are above 5.10.
A campground with a vault toilet is nearby, but it does not have potable water. So, come prepared with water (or water treatment devices, if you plan to get water from the nearby Deschutes River). The largest nearby town with multiple restaurants and grocery stores is Madras, about a 30-40 minute drive. Thus, it is also helpful to bring food, first-aid, and other supplies.
The approach from the parking area to the climbing area is steep, arduous, and tricky. The hike takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is tricky because there is a field of very large boulders that cannot really be avoided. Be aware that, although you can fairly readily maneuver through the boulder field, there is the potential for 10-20 foot falls off the boulders. THIS BOULDER FIELD IS NOT DOG- OR YOUNG-KID-FRIENDLY.
There are not bathrooms at the climbing area. The closest bathrooms are at the campground.
Weather can be variable here, but mostly it is sunny. In the summer, there can be perfect climbing days or blazing hot. In the winter, there can be perfect climbing days or freezing cold (I’d highly recommend against doing the approach/decent with ice on the ground and boulders!). Fall and spring are pretty reliable. But be aware that rain and snow can sometimes sweep beyond the Cascades and unexpectedly ruin a climbing day.
Directions
From HWY 26: Immediately on top of the hill as you rise out of Warm Springs turn left on Gumwood (towards Gateway), turn left on Columbia, turn right on Juniper and continue to the end of the mesa where you will drop down into Gateway. Take first left onto Clemens Dr. This road turns to gravel and drops down thru a single lane tunnel before following Trout Creek towards the Deschutes River. Park at the day use area located on the upstream side of the Trout Creek Campground (campground is four miles in).
From Madras: Head north on HWY 97. Turn left onto Cora lane as you descend the first hill out of town, this merges with NE Clark. Recalibrate here if coming from the north. Stay straight on NE Clark (sign to Gateway) at the NE old intersection. Cross the tracks in Gateway and turn right on Clemens Dr., follow this bumpy road for about four miles to campground. Park at the day use area located on the upstream side of the Trout Creek
Campground.
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
Most of the climbs are graded at 5.10 or above. However, if you are not trad climbing at those levels, there are enough lower grade trad climbs to make the trip worth-while. Most of the easier climbs are on the Northern End of the Wall. A photo showing the location of the easier climbs is on the Trout Creek Photos and Beta page.
Climbing grades can be tough to judge for crack climbs, because each person’s hand and finger size influence whether one climb is hard for someone or easy for another, but the grades seem pretty on-par. Easier grades are lower angle, have some face features, features within the crack, and/or stemming options with adjacent columns to help things along.
The only bolts here are at the anchors. Almost all of the climbs end in bolted anchors, although there are a few where you might discover questionable webbing.
Camping
There is a BLM campground adjacent to the Deschutes River near the parking area for Trout Creek. There are 21 sites with fees ranging from $8-$35 depending on tent versus RV. There is a vault toilet and no potable water.
NOTE: There are TWO Trout Creek Campgrounds in Oregon. One is located near the Santiam River – that is NOT the correct campground. The correct campground is near the Deschutes River. The link is provided below.
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
The rock is columnar basalt and the climbing type/style is primarily crack climbing. There is some variety in climbing styles due to the angle, position, and features of the columns. One climb may be pure crack with no additional features to help, others may have some face features, while others may allow you to stem or chimney using adjacent columns.
The quality of rock is high, although there are some less stable areas near the ends of the main wall where the columns are collapsing.
Yeahs
Neahs
Opinion Rating
Worth it! (with BIG caveats)
Photos and Beta for Trout Creek
Summary
Trout Creek is located on the dry side of the Cascades in Oregon. It’s about 1 hour north of Smith Rock and about 2.5 hours away from Portland. The area is visually spectacular, with the columnar Basalt rising up from the grassy hills and the Deschutes River winding its way through the canyon.
Trout Creek is known for its columnar basalt trad, crack climbing (more on this below). Most of the climbs are above 5.10.
A campground with a vault toilet is nearby, but it does not have potable water. So, come prepared with water (or water treatment devices, if you plan to get water from the nearby Deschutes River). The largest nearby town with multiple restaurants and grocery stores is Madras, about a 30-40 minute drive. Thus, it is also helpful to bring food, first-aid, and other supplies.
The approach from the parking area to the climbing area is steep, arduous, and tricky. The hike takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is tricky because there is a field of very large boulders that cannot really be avoided. Be aware that, although you can fairly readily maneuver through the boulder field, there is the potential for 10-20 foot falls off the boulders. THIS BOULDER FIELD IS NOT DOG- OR YOUNG-KID-FRIENDLY.
There are not bathrooms at the climbing area. The closest bathrooms are at the campground.
Weather can be variable here, but mostly it is sunny. In the summer, there can be perfect climbing days or blazing hot. In the winter, there can be perfect climbing days or freezing cold (I’d highly recommend against doing the approach/decent with ice on the ground and boulders!). Fall and spring are pretty reliable. But be aware that rain and snow can sometimes sweep beyond the Cascades and unexpectedly ruin a climbing day.
Directions
From HWY 26: Immediately on top of the hill as you rise out of Warm Springs turn left on Gumwood (towards Gateway), turn left on Columbia, turn right on Juniper and continue to the end of the mesa where you will drop down into Gateway. Take first left onto Clemens Dr. This road turns to gravel and drops down thru a single lane tunnel before following Trout Creek towards the Deschutes River. Park at the day use area located on the upstream side of the Trout Creek Campground (campground is four miles in).
From Madras: Head north on HWY 97. Turn left onto Cora lane as you descend the first hill out of town, this merges with NE Clark. Recalibrate here if coming from the north. Stay straight on NE Clark (sign to Gateway) at the NE old intersection. Cross the tracks in Gateway and turn right on Clemens Dr., follow this bumpy road for about four miles to campground. Park at the day use area located on the upstream side of the Trout Creek
Campground.
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
Most of the climbs are graded at 5.10 or above. However, if you are not trad climbing at those levels, there are enough lower grade trad climbs to make the trip worth-while. Most of the easier climbs are on the Northern End of the Wall. A photo showing the location of the easier climbs is on the Trout Creek Photos and Beta page.
Climbing grades can be tough to judge for crack climbs, because each person’s hand and finger size influence whether one climb is hard for someone or easy for another, but the grades seem pretty on-par. Easier grades are lower angle, have some face features, features within the crack, and/or stemming options with adjacent columns to help things along.
The only bolts here are at the anchors. Almost all of the climbs end in bolted anchors, although there are a few where you might discover questionable webbing.
- Jeff Weneger has now converted his PDF guidebook into the digital Rakkup version. You can find it at: Trout Creek Climbing, Jeff Weneger ($4.99) https://rakkup.com/guidebooks/trout-creek-rock-climbing/
- Mountain Project also has beta at: https://www.mountainproject.com/v/trout-creek/106505473
Camping
There is a BLM campground adjacent to the Deschutes River near the parking area for Trout Creek. There are 21 sites with fees ranging from $8-$35 depending on tent versus RV. There is a vault toilet and no potable water.
NOTE: There are TWO Trout Creek Campgrounds in Oregon. One is located near the Santiam River – that is NOT the correct campground. The correct campground is near the Deschutes River. The link is provided below.
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
The rock is columnar basalt and the climbing type/style is primarily crack climbing. There is some variety in climbing styles due to the angle, position, and features of the columns. One climb may be pure crack with no additional features to help, others may have some face features, while others may allow you to stem or chimney using adjacent columns.
The quality of rock is high, although there are some less stable areas near the ends of the main wall where the columns are collapsing.
Yeahs
- High quality rock with amazing lines and features that provide some varied climbing.
- It’s on the dry side of the Cascades, which allows climbing during the rainy season (but, be aware the rain and snow can sometimes sneak over the Cascades).
- It is a clean, well cared for, lovely, peaceful setting.
- Camping is nearby.
Neahs
- The approach is long, steep, and challenging with the boulder field.
- In some areas, the boulder field makes it difficult to move along the base of the wall between climbs.
- If you are a sport climber, find a partner that climbs trad. There are not walk-up top-rope options here.
Opinion Rating
Worth it! (with BIG caveats)
- Trout Creek is worth it if you are a trad climber or climbing with one. If not, it’s not worth your time and effort.
- If you don’t mind challenging approaches, it is probably worth it even if you are a lower grade trad climber who does not climb pure crack. There are enough fun, easy, featured climbs to keep you busy for a day or two. The majority of the easier climbs are located at the Northern End of the wall (a photo is provided on the Photos and Beta page).
Photos and Beta for Trout Creek
