Climbing in Queen Creek Canyon Arizona
- wgilbertartist
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit this area in central Arizona at the end of February, when the weather elsewhere still felt like winter. The mountains and canyons just east of Phoenix harbour a bunch of climbing sites, including tons of bouldering around Oak Flat, several popular sport climbing areas, and even some trad, multi-pitch and tower climbing. The rock quality varies, but in general is a soft, flaky tuff, with varying amounts of a harder dark brown varnish on the surface. In the Oak Flat area, the boulders often have a bubbly, pocketed texture which is very interesting to climb.
I climbed mainly in the roadside area Atlantis, and also at Apache Leap, a large cliff above the town of Superior. Atlantis is mainly a sport crag, with climbs ranging from easy 5.7 to hard 5.13, bolts ranging from sparkling new stainless gear to rusty old shuts, and rock ranging from very solid to very flaky. Wear a helmet! Wind can also be a problem at times. When I was there, the creek bed was dry.
The climbing style at Atlantis varies from juggy overhangs, to thin face climbing to low-angle romps and even some multi-pitch towers. I found the grading to be "new-school", and the bolts are usually fairly close, although some first clips are very high or risky. Take a good look at the hardware/permadraws before deciding to get on a climb.
When I was there, roadwork meant that weekday access was limited, best to check into this before driving out. The area is busy on weekends, quiet on weekdays, and probably unbearably hot in the summer.
One warm day, I visited the higher cliff of Apache Leap with my friend Ben from Bighorn Mountain Guides. This cliff is usually approached from the east by hiking to the top and rapping down. Most routes lie in the central part of the cliff, with lots of potential for new routes there and elsewhere on the cliff band. This is a multi-pitch area, with routes from 2-6 pitches in length (usually around 400'). Although many cracks exist, routes are bolted, due to the soft and often flaky rock.
Climbing at the Leap feels a bit alpine, with major exposure and views, variable rock, routefinding challenges, wind, etc. The first challenge is finding the top of your rappel route! Helmets and extra clothing are mandatory, and if climbers are unable to climb out, it's a very long hike back to town. Be super careful tossing the ropes to rappel, as the wind tends to grab them. If someone else is on your route, it might be better to choose another option, as there is always the risk of a little dirt or rockfall from above.
That said, my day at this cliff was a major highlight of my time in Arizona, with amazing views, great climbing, and good company. Highly recommended.
There are a number of other climbing areas nearby, and a friendly local climbing community. Some challenges facing the Queen Creek Canyon and Oak Flat are access and mining development. Climbers should be aware that many areas are on private mine property, and others may have active mining claims which could affect future access. If climbing in the area, visit theqcc.com to register to climb there, and to learn more. Hopefully much of the area can be preserved for future generations to enjoy!
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