Weekend Rock: Arizona

Trad & Sport Routes from 5.0 to 5.10a

Whether you are an Arizona climber who wants to get out for the weekend or a visiting climber seeking winter sun, this guide will help you make the most of your time on the rock. Most approaches are short, drive times from Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson are noted, and climbs range from a few minutes to a full day. Even better, these routes have been selected for quality of experience, rated on a three-star system.

Ten major destinations are covered: Dragoon Mountains, Oak Creek Overlook, Granite Mountain, Pinnacle Peak, Jacks Canyon, Queen Creek, McDowell Mountains, Sedona, Mount Lemmon, and Thumb Butte.

Multi-pitch granite cracks and slabs, pocketed sport climbs on welded tuff and limestone, hand-friendly basalt cracks and corners, and soaring sandstone spires provide trad and sport climbers with all the variety the sport has to offer. Climbing destinations at elevations as low as 3000 feet and as high as 7000 feet provide escape from winter chill and sanctuary from summer heat. This fantastic climbing unfolds at locations easily accessible from urban areas, yet a world away from the rat race. And it’s all enjoyed in a landscape as diverse as it is beautiful: serene pine forests, flower-studded oak woodlands, and saguaro-strewn deserts.