Go Climbing Near Yellowstone

Many of us who love to hike also love to summit mountains. Our motto is: Good views come to those who climb uphill! The lure of wanting to see what’s on the other side and the abundance of rugged mountain ranges in the Yellowstone region beckon visitors to hike and climb here.

Some of the best mountains to climb in Wyoming can be found in the Teton, Wind River, and Big Horn ranges. Lander, Jackson, and Sheridan, Wyoming, are great places to base out of before heading into the backcountry to climb mountains like Gannett Peak, Lizard Head, Pingora, Wind River Peak, the Grand Teton, and Cloud Peak.

Summit a Colorado peak—heck, summit two or three. There are hundreds of world-class mountains in the state, including 54 peaks that top out at 14,000 feet or more.

If you’re a beginning mountaineer, or want help expanding your skill set and reaching the next level, contact a professional mountain guiding company and arrange a guided trip. Rock climbers won’t find any shortage of challenging walls in the Greater Yellowstone region. Hike around Lander, Wyoming, and you’ll have 40 peaks that top 13,000 feet to choose from, not to mention the hundreds of peaks at lower elevations.

It is the “climbing capital of the Rockies,” with some of the best and most challenging sport climbing in the country. Climbers featured on the covers of Outside magazine and National Geographic have all climbed the slabs and traditional alpine routes in the Lander area. It’s also home to the 17th annual International Climbers’ Festival, held the second full weekend of July every year.

Areas such as Sinks Canyon, Wild Iris, and Baldwin Creek provide hundreds of sport-climbing and bouldering routes on dolomite and granite. Wild Iris, 25 miles south of Lander, boasts hundreds of routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.14 in difficulty. Sinks Canyon, only nine miles southwest of Lander, offers year-round outdoor climbing, due to its south-facing cliffs. Go to windriver.org, call (800) 645-6233.

In Pinedale, beginners can practice the art of climbing at the upper Fremont Lake Campground or Mulligan Park, 14 miles up Skyline Drive, where large rock overhangs immediately opposite the lake overlook past the ski turnoff. Go to visitpinedale.org.

In Idaho, climbers will love City of Rocks. Located 45 minutes south of Burley, City of Rocks features about 700 designated climbing routes. To outfit your climbing adventure, stop in and shop at the Sierra Trading Post in Cody or Cheyenne. Go to sierratradingpost.com, call (800) 713-4354.

See our sister publication, Climbing.com, for more information.