Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
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42.19699°N / 91.11923°W |
Activities:
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Sport Climbing |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall |
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Overview
Pictured Rocks County Park, called Wild Iowa by climbers is the best sport climbing Iowa has to offer. It offers around 80 routes of varying difficulty. The best, quality routes fall in the 5.11-5.12 range. This limestone crag offers lots of juggy, sustained, overhung climbs. Out of the few places that are available to climb in Iowa this one is by far the cleanest and most used, probably due to its variety (for Iowa) and proximity to some cities. The cliffs range from short powerful 30 foot climbs to the 60-70 ft walls at the Comic Gallery. This is a county park that is used frequently by hikers, fisherman, and hunters. It also sits right beside the Maquoketa River.Getting There
From Cedar Rapids Take 151 north to Monticello. Upon entering Monticello turn right onto highway 38 south. Turn left on 190th street and follow this road past the Christian Camps. Once the road turns to gravel and goes down a hill turn left and you are there. You will be able to see the Chicago Wall from here. The approaches to the climbs are very short, Wild Iowa Wall is just past Chicago and Comic Gallery just past that to the north, these are the main walls.View Larger Map
Red Tape
Wild Iowa is in a state of flux right now and any climbers visiting this area need to be aware that their actions can count for a lot right now. We really don't want to lose this wall since it is basically all we have so please be respectful to the area. Please do not set up slacklines in this park (we have been asked not too). Other than that, do the basic respect by being kind to other people and cleaning up after yourself.Camping
As far as I know there is limited free camping...Routes
For route information visit the Iowa Climbing Site