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Black Cliffs Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Black Cliffs

Bouldering Cave 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Dark Side, The 5 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 11

East Car Body Canyon 17 / 16 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 33

Face Canyon 10 / 10 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 20

Fringe, The 5 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8

Green Acres 9 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 10

Highway Face 1 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Mid Cliffs 31 / 22 / 7 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 52

New Fringe, The 2 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 10

Populace Wall 9 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 14

Rodeo Flips Wall 1 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Scary Canyon 1 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 11

Short Cliffs 32 / 16 / 15 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 47

Tall Cliffs 9 / 10 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 22

West Car Body Canyon 17 / 14 / 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 28

Elevation:	3,043 ft
GPS:	43.53729, -116.0879 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	486,899 total · 2,608/month
Shared By:	R Squared on Nov 12, 2007 · Updates
Admins:	Eric Bluemn, Mike Engle Page Updates (admin only)

Access Issue: Seasonal raptor closures - 2/24/23 update: Highway Face, Face canyon, East Car Body, Scary Canyon, and Nixon Head are now closed for raptors. Details

Adding new bolts, new anchors, and new routes at the Black Cliffs are currently NOT ALLOWED pending a BLM environmental assessment. Significant trail work is also on hold. Please contact the Boise Climbers Alliance with questions or for additional information

Description

The Black Cliffs provide year round climbing if you don't mind being cold in the winter. Summer days are really hot so spring and fall tend to be the best times a the Black Cliffs. The rock is all basalt. Access is easy and the cliffs usually aren't crowded. The guidebook Boise Climbs by Sandy Epeldi is a great thing to have if you are going to be climbing the Black Cliffs; alternatively, Bingham's newest Idaho Underground has color photos and good descriptions of most (but not all) of the climbing areas there.

Getting There

Take Highway 84 to the Gowen Rd/Highway 21 exit. Take Highway 21 towards Lucky Peak. The cliffs will be on both sides of the river. Park in the parking lots and choose a trail up.

271 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Black Cliffs

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 61 ● Toddler Sport, TR Short Cliffs
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 63 ● Little Nest Trad, Sport Populace Wall
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 49 ● Nash-e-mun Sport Mid Cliffs
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 71 ● Stems and Jammies Trad Populace Wall
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 63 ● Fat Ankles Sport, TR Mid Cliffs
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 92 ● Sweet Adene Sport Populace Wall
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 64 ● Almer Casile Memorial Buttress Sport Mid Cliffs
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 55 ● White Wash Sport Populace Wall
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 25 ● The Father Trad Mid Cliffs
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 43 ● Perception vs. Reality Sport Populace Wall
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 44 ● Circumciser Sport Tall Cliffs
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 34 ● Pabst Smear Trad, Sport W Car Body Canyon
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 25 ● Macabre Roof Trad E Car Body Canyon
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 33 ● Stone Tools Sport New Fringe
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b 51 ● Bologna Pony Sport Short Cliffs