Castle Rocks CLIMBING Park Bans Climbing (you read it right, bans climbing)

So I start planning a climbing trip for next month and decide to forgo the crowds at City of Rocks and head into Castle Rocks.....which is COR's next door neighbor. A state park that is essentially just for climbing and though hiking can be done too, it is usually done by someone with climbing gear slung and on their way to a climb. When I search a bit I find yet another example of a park deciding to protect me, from me, for me. See the below link. Rock climbing banned in a rock climbing park?? WT Fudge? How about banning football from Merlin Olsen stadium so that it lasts longer? No skiing allowed in Big or Little Cottonwood canyons because the 19th century miner shacks are oxidizing? Keep in mind that this is a climbing park and is bolted to kingdom come already though no NEW bolts are allowed. Lots and lots of climbing has been done here.

Anyone know the story on this? I went to the Idaho Parks/Rec CR site and saw nothing listed but there are many posts similar to the below so it doesn't seem to be a fake. I remember seeing/hearing rumors about this but don't remember it actually coming to fruition. @Brian in SLC , you are probably the Bogley CR expert.........do you have any insight? I certainly hope I am mistaken.

http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news...s-castle-rocks

I'm fairly certain this only affects a certain portion of Castle Rock State Park, that portion owned by the BLM. The decision is extremely terrible and lame and against what locals and every other person on the planet wants, but as it stands now, it only affects a very small portion of established routes. It does, however, prevent a lot of new routes.

When are you planning your trip?

P.S. If you were desperate to do a certain route, I'd wager a small fortune you could poach any route that was currently closed. I've never seen a local ranger in Castle Rock, and even if they saw you there, I think the local opinion of the BLM decision is fairly negative.

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Originally Posted by qedcook

When are you planning your trip?

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Thanks. Not sure exactly when. I might even have to wait until Nov, which puts me at snow risk I know but still trying to schedule when both of my boys can go.

I see now that it is only a portion. I was gritting my teeth too much when reading it to realize that. However, it is still a lame decision as you said and I am not happy to hear it confirmed to be true.

Does anyone know Castle Rock well that can explain where the closure area is? I half-heartedly tried to figure this out once without success. As is my understanding, it is the rarely visited portion of Castle Rock that is south of the main Castle Rock complex. A moot point if no one enforces the closure, but...

Heavy sigh...

Nothing at the IDPR run Castle Rock is closed to climbing. What is closed is the BLM parcel behind the state park. Its 400 acres and includes a bunch of off the radar climbing. It's located to the North and a bit West. There's not much south of the main Castle Rock formation. Ok, a couple local climber's house, but, there's no rocks to climb.

Here's the formations that are effected:

Jugwall, Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Teasor Tower, the Kingdom, Tidal Wave Wall, Blarney Stone, Pole Cat, RC Rock, Smoking Room, Gobstopper, Wall o' Plenty, Celtic Cross, Stone Circle, Outpost Spire, the Courtyard, Mango Tower.

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/blm...01#a_108123071

I posted a map on the above thread.

You probably wouldn't know the closure existed unless you'd spent a fair bit of time at the Castle. All the main "front country" formations are open to climbing. The BLM parcel is kinda small, but, it does have a bunch of rocks, but, some of us, ahem, haven't been great at reporting or spraying about all the climbing there, so...

Speakin' of never seeing a ranger there...I almost never don't see one (uhh, meaning I run into them nearly every time I climb there). Last trip, a few weeks ago, two in the parking lot in separate vehicles and still folks had dogs off leash. Too funny. Anyhoo, I've climbed with and very much appreciate the ranger presence there.

Big climbing festival there this weekend, I hear...sold out...

http://www.idahomountainfest.com/p/schedule.html

Anyhoo, if you plan on going, give me a shout. I know the area fairly well and still climb there a fair bit.

Thanks Brian. That is a relief. I wonder why the Access Group is so interested in pursuing this if it is inconsequential? Perhaps just the principle of the matter?

The Access Fund. Well, its climbing access on public land, which, is mostly what they lobby for.

Plus, they have a fair amount of juice and history on this place. They (the Access Fund's Jason Keith) stood up in front of Congress and helped put the land swap into place that created the IDPR's Castle Rock State Park. The Fed's wanted some state land, the Access Fund helped broker the sale of the private land, then, helped the Fed's swap it with the state of Idaho. Really neat.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-20...t1-PgH9962.htm

In all the negotiations up to last year or so, both the FS and the BLM were on board with the management plan at the state park. They attended the meeting, didn't seem to have any concerns, every thing hunky dory. Then the wheels kinda fell off.

How hard would it be to find a climbing partner for Saturday up there?

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Originally Posted by Brian in SLC

Heavy sigh...

Nothing at the IDPR run Castle Rock is closed to climbing. What is closed is the BLM parcel behind the state park. Its 400 acres and includes a bunch of off the radar climbing. It's located to the North and a bit West. There's not much south of the main Castle Rock formation. Ok, a couple local climber's house, but, there's no rocks to climb.

Here's the formations that are effected:

Jugwall, Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Teasor Tower, the Kingdom, Tidal Wave Wall, Blarney Stone, Pole Cat, RC Rock, Smoking Room, Gobstopper, Wall o' Plenty, Celtic Cross, Stone Circle, Outpost Spire, the Courtyard, Mango Tower.

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/blm...01#a_108123071

I posted a map on the above thread.

You probably wouldn't know the closure existed unless you'd spent a fair bit of time at the Castle. All the main "front country" formations are open to climbing. The BLM parcel is kinda small, but, it does have a bunch of rocks, but, some of us, ahem, haven't been great at reporting or spraying about all the climbing there, so...

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Thanks again for the map. In looking at it I don't think I would call the BLM area small and inconsequential, but it does look to be "back areas". Still a bummer but good the main areas are open. I want to backpack in to the area for a couple or three days some time.........not sure I'll ever get off the couch and do that but just knowing that this particular portion is off the list, if climbing is also on the agenda, causes me some consternation. Now......... just to get me fired up.......... they will get a permit system.

Thanks again for the info.

As an update to this I saw an Idaho Public TV show about Idaho climbing in which they discuss the 400 acres being closed and the access fund attempting to get it reopened. This is it

http://video.idahoptv.org/video/2290462424/