Climbing Chimney Rock

Escalante

Overview

( Rated 3.0 / 3 Ratings )

17 Todo Lists / 0 Ticks

RATING: 5.7 C1

LENGTH: 1-2 hours

MAPS: King Mesa, UT

Sun

50 | 28

Mon

52 | 30

Tue

49 | 29

Wed

47 | 29

Thu

44 | 26

View Full Weather Details

SEASON: Fall, winter. This tower is closed between March 1 and August 31 for nesting birds.

GEAR: Aiders / Quickdraws / Rivet Hangers OR Hanger and Wing-nuts

NOTES: The trailhead requires a high clearance or 4 wheel drive vehicle. Road conditions vary from easily passable to very rough and slow going depending on when the county last maintained the Hole in the Rock road. Be careful if the road is wet, as it becomes impassable quickly during storms.

Sun

50 | 28

Mon

52 | 30

Tue

49 | 29

Wed

47 | 29

Thu

44 | 26

View Full Weather Details

climb

access: high clearance

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock is likely not the hardest tower you will ever climb, but it is certainly one of the proudest. The tower stands alone along the flat Hole In The Rock Road. It seems to defy it's surroundings and makes an impressive perch to view Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. To the east, Navajo Mountain to the south-east, King Mesa and slickrock country to the north, and the Kaiparowits Plateau to the south. The dirt road to its base is long, but this is a great adventure if you are in the neighborhood.

There is pretty good primitive camping near the base, as long as it's not windy, and plenty of solitude.

Chimney Rock

Getting There

Head east out of the town of Escalante about 5 miles on highway 12 until the well signed Hole in the Rock road on the south side of highway 12. Reset the odometer as you turn onto this road.

Mile 0 - Hole-In-The-Rock Road Turnoff ( 12S 453167mE 4175716mN / N37° 43' 39" W111° 31' 53" )
8.0 miles - Parking area after a cattle guard. This is the Zebra/Tunnel trailhead. ( 12S 460681mE 4165896mN / N37° 38' 22" W111° 26' 44" )
12.3 miles - Devil's Garden turn off on the right. The trailhead is about 1/4 of a mile down this road. No camping, but a pit toilet. ( 12S 463808mE 4160175mN / N37° 35' 17" W111° 24' 36" )
16.6 miles - Egypt road on the left. This access the Egypt and Neon trailheads ( 12S 468045mE 4154960mN / N37° 32' 28" W111° 21' 42" )
24.8 miles - Upper Dry Fork Trailhead on the right (south). This has a large parking area and pit toilet. ( 12S 478657mE 4148035mN / N37° 28' 44" W111° 14' 29" )
26.1 miles - Dry Fork Trailhead Road on the left (north). The trailhead is at the end of the road in about a mile. ( 12S 480198mE 4146661mN / N37° 27' 60" W111° 13' 26" )
30.9 miles - Red Well side road on the left. Follow this 1 mile to its end for the Red Well Trailhead. ( 12S 485669mE 4141593mN / N37° 25' 16" W111° 09' 43" )
33.1 miles - Chimney Rock side road on the left (north). ( 12S 487309mE 4138502mN / N37° 23' 36" W111° 08' 36" )
Chimney Rock Side Road - After 0.5 miles, go left at a junction ( 12S 487891mE 4139033mN / N37° 23' 53" W111° 08' 12" )
Chimney Rock Side Road - 1.9 miles - Hard right at a junction. ( 12S 488899mE 4140989mN / N37° 24' 56" W111° 07' 32" )
Chimney Rock Side Road - 2.6 miles - Go left. ( 12S 490006mE 4140455mN / N37° 24' 39" W111° 06' 47" )
Chimney Rock Side Road - 2.9 miles - Chimney Rock Proper ( 12S 490481mE 4140589mN / N37° 24' 43" W111° 06' 27" )
Chimney Rock Side Road - 3.6 miles - End of the road and Chimney Rock Trailhead ( 12S 491273mE 4141080mN / N37° 24' 59" W111° 05' 55" )

Chimney Rock from below

Route

Find the obvious bolt ladder on the north side. Many of the bolts do not have hangers, so river hangers, or wing-nuts and hangers (for the timid) work well. The route follows bolts up, and around the tower. It is simply a bolt ladder until the very top where a couple of easy (5.7) moves take you to the summit. A single 70 m ( 230 ft. ) rope will get you down.