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Red Rocks, Nevada is one of my favorite climbing destinations. Located just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, the combination of Sin City + fantastic climbing can make for an interesting vacation, if you’re so inclined. Like my Beginner’s Guide To Rock Climbing in Thailand, I focus on sport climbs in the 5.6 to 5.10d range.

The Guidebooks
Before you go, make sure to pick up one or two of the guidebooks for the area. The
Red Rocks Climbing book by Supertopo is best for the trad climbing but it has information on a few of the sport crags (the Gallery and Magic Bus). The Red Rock Canyon climbing guide by Roxanna Brock and Jared McMillen is a great guide for all the climbing in the area and is a bit more comprehensive than the Falcon climbing guide by Todd Swain. However, there are a number of errors in the Brock/McMillen book that can get you in trouble - Under the Boardwalk at the Pier is actually 5.11b and Nightmare on Crude Street in the Black Corrider is 5.10d.

Area Overview
Red Rock Canyon has amazing sport climbing on beautiful red, white and black sandstone. The climbs tend to be very gym-like, with positive handholds on steep walls. Make sure to inspect the bolts as much as possible before getting on a climb, as sandstone is a soft rock and I have seen bad bolts on climbs occasionally. Also, never climb on sandstone for a few days after it rains, since it becomes fragile when it is wet.

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How to get there
You can fly in to Las Vegas, but you will definitely need a car since Red Rock Canyon is about 30 minutes from the Las Vegas airport and you will need to be able to drive from your campground or hotel to the climbs. Las Vegas is a 4 hour drive from Los Angeles and 9 hours from San Francisco.

When to go

Las Vegas is in the desert, so the climbing is best in the spring and fall. Winter can be okay, but you’ll want to climb in the sun. October and March are my favorite months there, but I routinely go there for Thanksgiving in November and President’s Day Weekend in February. If you get there and it’s too cold, then Joshua Tree is only a few hours drive away and can be warmer.

The Walls

The Scenic Drive around Red Rock Canyon is a thirteen mile one way road, so plan your climbing day carefully. For this reason, I have arranged this guide by pullout, starting with the first and ending with the third (Sandstone Quarry). There are also other pullouts that lead to great trad climbing, but they aren’t covered in this guide.

• The First Pullout - The Panty Wall at the first pullout is an excellent beginner wall with a number of climbs from 5.5 to 5.8. It is a great place to learn how to lead and the Panty Prow (5.6) gets you to anchors where you can toprope a few 5.10’s from the anchor. Ultraman Wall is another good beginner wall with climbs in the 5.7 to 5.8+ range. However, bring another rope to Ultraman Wall, as some of the climbs are over 100 feet long. Also those climbs are in general a little more runout than those at the Panty Wall.

  

  Climbers at Panty Wall

• The Second Pullout - This pullout has the largest concentration of beginner sport climbs. The walls are close together and you can easily climb here for a few days. Magic Bus has one classic, well-bolted 5.8, Neon Sunset, and a few other more runout climbs in the 5.8 to 5.10a range. The Gallery is a popular cliff that is seemingly ready-made for sport climbing. It amazingly has a 5.8, 5.9, 5.10a, 5.10b and 5.10c all in a row from left to right. There is also a short pumpy 5.10d and a number of other harder classic climbs. The Wall of Confusion is a few minutes walk from the Gallery and has a 10b and 10c that are worth doing. Stone Wall is a nice, slightly less trafficked wall with a bunch of solid 5.10b-d climbs. It has one memorable 5.10c that makes for a good onsight. Finally, the Black Corridor is a narrow corridor with sport climbs on both sides. If it’s hot, then the Black Corridor will be cool and crowded. There are more than enough climbs in the corridor for a day, with classic climbs from 5.9 to 5.10d. If you’re ready for a solid 5.11a pump, the short Rebel without a Pause in the back of the corridor is a great climb to challenge yourself on. Also, Nightmare on Crude Street, is a steep 5.10d (not 10b as in the Brock/McMillen guidebook) that must be done.
  

  A Quiet Day at The Gallery

• The Third Pullout (Sandstone Quarry) - There are more cliffs on white sandstone here than at the other pullouts. Personally, I prefer climbing on the striking red sandstone and I find the climbs on white sandstone to be slabbier and more difficult. However, Mass Production Wall has some good challenging climbs on white sandstone from 5.8 to 5.10c and it’s possible to set up a toprope on the stout 11b. Although it is a more difficult crag, I really like the Pier, which only has a 5.9+ for beginners, but there is also an amazing juggy 5.11b, Under the Boardwalk, which is a great project on beautiful red rock. Another good project wall is the Holiday Wall, with some classic 5.11a’s and 5.11b’s on steep red rock. Overall, the third pullout is better for a challenge, but is worth checking out.
  

  Cranking on Mass Production Wall

Conclusion
If you get a chance to sport climb at Red Rocks, don’t miss the opportunity! It is a great place to bring beginning climbers and improve your own skills in a beautiful setting. With its proximity to Las Vegas, it’s easy to get to and the weather is fantastic in the spring and fall.

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