Central Valley And Foothills Guide

Use this Region Guide to easily find and compare Crags.

Table of contents

1. Central Valley And Foothills 268 routes in Region

9 8 10 6 5 7 3 4 1 2 11 12 13

1 Putah Creek 2 Vacaville Boulders 3 The Pit (Rec Hall) 4 Rocknasium 5 Sacramento Pipeworks 6 Granite Arch Climbing Center 7 The Well at Sacramento State 8 Deer Creek Park 9 Auburn Cliffs 10 Cosumnes River Gorge 11 Valley Springs Klippe 12 Knight's Ferry 13 Stonehenge Climbing Gym

Summary:

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Seasonality

Bouldering, Sport climbing and other styles

Lat / Long: 38.460267, -121.446153

access issues

For any/all access issues at crags in this region, please contact the Bay Area Climbers Coalition.

inherited from San Francisco Bay Area

1.1. Putah Creek 8 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.513905, -122.056294

1.1.1. Roadside Boulder 1 route in Boulder

Summary:

1.1.2. The Weasel 2 routes in Boulder

Summary:

1.1.3. Heavy Metal Boulder 1 route in Unknown

Summary:

1.1.4. Purgatory Boulder 0 routes in Boulder

1.2. Vacaville Boulders 27 routes in Area

1 2 3

1 Hillcrest 2 Wrentham 3 Woodcrest

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.385932, -121.988823

summary

Excellent problems on generally excellent rock, with unlimited variant and eliminate opportunities for those who enjoy such things. Just a shame the season is so short.

description

An extended field of perfect basalt boulders scattered across a picturesque hillside. On a clear winter's day you can see the snowcapped 'Sierra Nevada' range off in the distance. This is a high quality area with substantial opportunities for circuits; the only downside being how hot it is for much of the year.

The problems here are generally steep (vertical or more) with mostly good landings. Some problems do have rocks underneath, so a mat and spotter are highly recommended.

Only the most commonly climbed boulders and problems are listed here, but given the steep and featured nature of the rock there is significant potential for more problems. Aaron Rough's incomplete guide is a good resource if you're interested in learning more about what motivated locals have been doing here over the years.

Notes:

• because prime climbing season here overlaps with California's wet season, it can be worth bringing a small tarp to try to keep your shoes and pads dry. Some of the landing zones stay muddy through winter and into spring.
• don't mess with the cows, and think twice about bringing your dog. If you do, please keep it on-leash at all times.

history

This areas has been climbed on at least since the early 1980s, and given the highly climbable nature of the rock and the large pool of local(ish) climbers, it's guaranteed that every conceivable hold has been cranked on at some point.

The boulders themselves are the most distant part of a large igneous province (the Lovejoy Basalt) that erupted from Thompson Peak, over 150 miles to the northeast, around 15 million years ago.

1.2.1. Hillcrest 3 routes in Area

Summary:

Lat / Long: 38.391654, -121.990167

1.2.2. Wrentham 2 routes in Area

Summary:

Lat / Long: 38.386931, -121.988020

1.2.3. Woodcrest 22 routes in Area

Summary:

Lat / Long: 38.376420, -121.986040

summary

The most popular of the 3 Vacaville zones, due to its relatively high number and tight concentration of problems.

approach

Park on Woodcrest Dr, just south of the intersection with Wrentham, taking extra care not to block the gate or any driveways. This is shown in Google Maps as the Drakes Point / Old Rocky Trailhead.

Walk up the gravel road to the left for a hundred yards or so until you reach a locked gate on the right. Carefully step around the gate on the left hand side (do not climb over the gate - this damages the hinges), then wander up to the (obvious) boulders.

1.3. The Pit (Rec Hall) 0 routes in Gym

description

232 ARC - One Shields Avenue - UC Davis

Davis

California 95616 USA

https://cru.ucdavis.edu/content/13-climbing-wall.htm

call: (530) 752-1995

1.4. Rocknasium 0 routes in Gym

description

720 Olive Drive - Suite Z

Davis

California 95616 USA

http://www.rocknasium.com/

call: (530) 757-2902

1.5. Sacramento Pipeworks 0 routes in Gym

description

116 N. 16th Street

Sacramento

California 95814 USA

https://touchstoneclimbing.com/pipeworks/

call: (916) 341-0100

1.6. Granite Arch Climbing Center 0 routes in Gym

description

11335-G Folsom Blvd

Sacramento

California 95742 USA

http://granitearch.com/

call: (916) 852-ROCK (4605)

1.7. The Well at Sacramento State 0 routes in Gym

1.8. Deer Creek Park 75 routes in Crag

1 8 9 3 6 5 7 4 2

1 The Bayou 2 Pacific Street Wall 3 Deer Creek Slab 4 The Monzonite Block And The Banana 5 The Bucket Flake 6 Children Of The Night Boulder 7 The Nook 8 The Swamp 9 Mushroom Boulder

Summary:

Mostly Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787147, -121.239392

description

Worn but fun granite bouldering (mostly quarried) not too far from Sacramento. Can be brutally hot in summer.

history

This is where the stone for the state capitol building and San Francisco city hall was quarried.

1.8.1. The Bayou 21 routes in Boulder

Summary:

Mostly Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787217, -121.239409

1.8.2. Pacific Street Wall 17 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.786881, -121.239240

1.8.3. Deer Creek Slab 3 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787133, -121.239505

1.8.4. The Monzonite Block And The Banana 9 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.786996, -121.239647

1.8.5. The Bucket Flake 10 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787071, -121.239805

1.8.6. Children Of The Night Boulder 6 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787086, -121.239376

1.8.7. The Nook 4 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787040, -121.239484

1.8.8. The Swamp 2 routes in Sector

Summary:

All Top roping

Lat / Long: 38.787179, -121.239132

1.8.9. Mushroom Boulder 3 routes in Boulder

Summary:

All Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.787165, -121.239303

1.9. Auburn Cliffs 100 routes in Crag

2 3 1 4

1 Auburn Quarry 2 Outlaw Ridge 3 The Bar 4 "bare" Rock

Summary:

Sport climbing, Bouldering and other styles

Lat / Long: 38.918803, -121.018221

1.9.1. Auburn Quarry 62 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Sport climbing

Lat / Long: 38.914170, -121.024690

description

Auburn Quarry is the climbing area made of the public sections of the quarry. Note that Auburn State Recreation Area's signs call it "Cave Valley," but I've used Auburn Quarry to follow Aaron Rough's climbing guide (and local usage among the climbers I've met).

access issues

Only open to public climbing during daylight hours of Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and California state holidays.

1.9.2. Outlaw Ridge 1 route in Crag

Summary:

All Trad climbing

Lat / Long: 38.918860, -121.015819

description

The routes here are named after outlaws.

The northern band of Cool-Cave Valley Limestone across the American River Middle Fork from Auburn Quarry. Interpretive signs on the Quarry Trail point out its little spires, crags and gullies.

Not worth visiting for its own sake, but if you're sightseeing, mountain biking, running or hiking the trails just off this pullout on Old Foresthill Road, it's worth a scramble or boulder, and the views. It was a fun short stop in my trail runners, better still with sticky soles.

This is what Auburn Quarry must have looked like two centuries ago. Natural limestone walls with ledges and many features, covered in dirt, loose rock, spiky little plants, poison oak and bird droppings. The formation are short and the walls are generally not seep, as they were not quarried into convenient vertical climbing walls like the rock across the river.

approach

Confluence Trailhead pullout on the Mammoth Bar road, a bit downhill from Old Foresthill Road. Follow the Confluence trail west and downhill from there around a mile, and you'll be on top of the limestone. Follow a use trail downhill when you see the formation. Beware of poison oak and rattlesnakes.

1.9.3. The Bar 34 routes in Field

Summary:

Mostly Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.919050, -121.007431

1.9.4. "bare" Rock 3 routes in Crag

Summary:

Top roping and Bouldering

Lat / Long: 38.901060, -121.050556

1.10. Cosumnes River Gorge 58 routes in Crag

4 1 2 3 5

1 Buck's Bar Dome 2 Struggler Cliff 3 Ten Minute Cliff 4 Gutenberger Wall 5 Midway Rocks

Summary:

Trad climbing, Top roping and other styles

Lat / Long: 38.647390, -120.710808

summary

Just outside Placerville lies this lower elevation granite playground.

Bouldering, Sport, TR, Trad, and Multi-pitch are all here! It is also a fantastic area for the high liners out there.

history

"...the most accurate historical pronunciation is "kasumme," since the "n" is essentially silent in the pronunciation of both "Tuolumne" and Mokelumne," and there is no "s" or "z" sound at the end of those names."

Its translates to, people of (umne) the salmon (Kosum).

1.10.1. Buck's Bar Dome 25 routes in Area

Summary:

Trad climbing and Top roping

Lat / Long: 38.648909, -120.706488

1.10.2. Struggler Cliff 8 routes in Cliff

Summary:

Trad climbing and Top roping

Lat / Long: 38.648472, -120.706835

description

The wall immediately west and downstream of Bucks Bar Dome. It's easy to access for toproping, and it receives some of the earliest sun in the gorge.

1.10.3. Ten Minute Cliff 5 routes in Area

Summary:

Trad climbing, Rock climbing and Top roping

Lat / Long: 38.648419, -120.707100

1.10.4. Gutenberger Wall 18 routes in Cliff

Summary:

Sport climbing, Trad climbing and Aid climbing

Lat / Long: 38.648890, -120.705401

description

The large dome across the river, offering some great moderate multi-pitch.

approach

Work your way down from Buck's Bar Dome and carefully boulder hop across the river. Take great care crossing the river, especially when the water is high (especially in early season) - there have been fatalities in sinkholes in the river here.

descent notes

Rap off - there is no top access.

1.10.5. Midway Rocks 1 route in Crag

Summary:

All Trad climbing

Lat / Long: 38.647483, -120.708141

description

A collection of short cliffs downstream from the main and most popular climbing areas of Cosumnes.

1.11. Valley Springs Klippe 0 routes in Crag

access issues

Located on private property, and the land owners are not happy about climbers accessing this formation. If you climb here, you can expect to get a visit from the local Sheriff's dept.

1.12. Knight's Ferry 0 routes in Crag

1.13. Stonehenge Climbing Gym 0 routes in Gym

description

500 9th Street

Modesto

California 95534 USA

http://www.climbstonehenge.com/

call: (209) 521-3644