Woodbury Road Crags

Lat/Lon: 37.03056°N / 113.87°W
Wow, what a find. I have been investigating the Utah and Arizona strip with numerous
local partners for years on end and had yet to be introduced to Woodbury Road
Crags. Despite warnings that this area was too high of an elevation to be worthy of
winter climbing, my wife and I took that risk in early February and found outstanding
rock in outstanding weather conditions. The name “Woodbury Road Crags” might be
somewhat misleading. This is no Wallstreet. You can access any one of three walls
via a remote gravel road off of Old Route 91 between St. George, UT and Mesquite,
NV. This is the tri state area of NV, AZ and UT. We have run the Tri State Marathon on
this road that begins in the hills west of Gunlock and ends in Mesquite. I have always
noticed a road that obviously goes nowhere on the left hand side marked Woodbury
Desert Study Area, a 3,040-acre community of creosote bush, Joshua trees,
bursage, and pinyon-juniper that has been closed to grazing and is returning to its
natural state. The Woodbury Study served as the first ecological study of the
endangered desert tortoise. Part of the largest stand of Joshua trees in the
northern extent of their range is found here but it is evident that a recent fire (2007)
has taken its toll on this unique vegetation. This whole area is part of the Joshua
Tree unit of BLM’s Utah wilderness inventory.

St. George, Utah is surrounded by climbing walls on all fronts with the likes of
Chuckawalla Wall, Green Valley Gap, Black Rocks and Bluff Street Cracks. However,
the best rock is further out of town at higher elevations such as Woodbury Road
Crags. Not to mention, most of the year you can have these more remote areas
completely to yourself. There are 72 medium to long bolted routes featured in Todd
Goss’s new edition guide book, “Rock Climbs of Southwest Utah” for Woodbury
Road Crags. This recent edition was published in 2006 and I highly recommend it. I
have climbed a dozen of the routes by 2007. These routes are longer than most in
Black Rocks or Green Valley Gap. Due to the rock texture, I found the grades to be
somewhat relaxed.

Walls/Crags
Woodbury Road Crags is comprised of three walls:

Black and Tan wall has 32 published routes (2007) varying from 5.7 to 5.14.
This wall is not the most ideal in winter or summer. If you do attempt to
climb on Black and Tan in the winter, you will want to climb before noon to
enjoy any rays and of course early mornings this high up in the desert in
winter can be pretty damn cold. However, there are three routes that make
up the “Annex” that will get afternoon sun in the winter, they are 5.10a to
5.11b. The two 5.7 routes on Black and Tan seem really easy for the grade
and can be climbed in gloves. The rock is extremely sticky and a welcome
contrast to the sandstone associated with nearby Snow Canyon State Park. A
ton of project work is still being pursued on Black and Tan, particularly the
long undercut portion at the base of the wall.

Kelly’s Rock contains 22 published routes (2007) from 5.8-5.13. Like Black
and Tan, this wall will have too much shade to be very pleasant for winter
climbing. Todd Goss claims that both are too brutal in the summer as well,
thus like most climbing spots in the area, spring and fall would be ideal. You
can attain Kelly’s Rock routes as well as the Black and Tan routes from the
same parking area.

Solstice Wall sports 18 routes and is by far the most moderate climbing of
the three walls that make up Woodbury Crags, if not all of southwestern Utah.
We discovered this wall after trying to climb in the winter shade on Black and
Tan. Todd Goss leads you to believe in his guide book that the whole area is
best to avoid in winter. But if you read on to the specific description he gives
for Solstice Wall, he describes it as a good winter crag and we confirmed
such. It is the first wall you get to of the three at Woodbury Crags. The rock is
extremely sticky and although tedious looking holds (younger Kaibab
limestone), most of the routes appear to have been well cleaned of their
weaknesses. However, I would still pay attention on lead. I know I pulled

on a few pieces more than once. I found the routes quite easy for the

grade, perhaps due to the fact I am just not used to so many feature

options, particularly on 5.10 routes.

Getting There
Drive west out of St. George and through Santa Clara on Sunset Blvd approximately
11 miles to the Gunlock turnoff intersection. Stay left on old route 91 for another 14
miles plus. As you are descending towards AZ and NV, look for the BLM Woodbury
Desert Study Area sign on the left. Follow this well maintained dirt/gravel road for
several miles depending on which wall you are heading towards. Black and Tan wall
along with Kelly’s Rock is approximately 3.5 miles east. There are several small
pullouts on the right, in front of Black and Tan wall. Access for Solstice is less than 3
miles east from the road and then turn left onto a 4 wheel drive road for less than a
mile. Solstice Wall is unmistakably on your left. There is an old mine road that you
can hike up towards the base of the climbs. Watch for the open pit, there is no
fencing or warning signs. It is imperative that you stay on the existing trails (hard to
determine at times) to avoid damage to the desert terrain, damage that can last for
much longer relative to other environs.

Red Tape
The BLM manages nearly 22.9 million acres of public lands in Utah, representing
about 42 percent of the state. The regulations regarding most BLM land are fairly
wide open compared to State and Federal parks. It appears you can camp and climb
in this area at will. Pit fires are highly discouraged if not illegal. Unlike most of the
rock back in the St. George area, this limestone is quite solid. The main
difference is the effect of rain. I would not hesitate to climb at Woodbury Road
Crags after a rain.

My favorite place for dinner is the sushi bar at Samurai, 245 Red Cliffs Drive, St.
George. The best breakfast and coffee can be had at Jazzy Java. The Outdoor Outlet
is one of my favorite independent climbing stores anywhere. They know the climbing
area well and have a great selection of gear at competitive prices. I am not sure a
ride into Mesquite is necessary. St. George is the place to center yourself. Mesquite
is mostly for the retired golf/gambling set. That being said, it is just another 15 miles
or so to reach Mesquite from Woodbury Crags. We have run the Tri State Marathon
on old route 91 and it can make for a scenic run or bike.

When to Climb
I have climbed in St. George for years during the winter months and have always
found any south facing walls inviting places to climb. The climbing is good all year
round with the exception of daytime during the summer months. If you are climbing
anywhere in southwestern Utah during the summer months, you more than likely
better get up early and finish your climb early. The walls can get brutally hot. Solstice
is the best bet at Woodbury in the winter. We climbed it on February 1 in fantastic
temps.

Camping/Lodging
You can car camp at the Black and Tan wall, but there are no facilities of any kind
back on Woodbury Road. There are three campgrounds within the city limits of St.
George none of which I have experienced. Temple View RV Resort at 975 South Main
Street; Settlers RV Park at 1333 East 100 South; St. George Campground at 2100
East Middleton Drive.

Of course my druthers would be to stay at the campground in Snow Canyon State
Park. This has to be one of the finest State campgrounds anywhere with direct
access to tons of climbing routes. The campground is open all year, no holiday
closures. There is a limit on your stay of 5 days. They have 33 total units, 17 of which
are reserved for the big boys (RV’s) with utility hookups. The tent sites were $14 in
2005. Drinking water is available on site along with vault toilets and even showers.
The running/hiking/equestrian trail system is pretty cool and as long as you don’t run
into the occasional Segway group, the whole park is usually very quiet, particularly
during winter months.