OVERVIEW: The Red River Gorge—simply “The Red”—is one of North America’s premier sport climbing destinations. Its pocketed sandstone cliffs, steep overhangs, and endless variety make it a must-visit for climbers worldwide. The area is known for long, pumpy endurance routes, striking orange walls, and a friendly, tight-knit community centered around Miguel’s Pizza—an iconic basecamp for climbers. STYLE: Predominantly sport climbing, with thousands of bolted routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.15. Traditional climbing exists too, especially in the less-traveled Northern Gorge. Expect overhanging jug hauls, technical face climbs, and occasional crack lines. ACCESS & ETHICS: Many cliffs are on private land maintained by the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition (RRGCC)—respect closures, pack out all trash, and stay on marked trails. A small parking donation helps maintain access roads and facilities. TIPS: Bring a 60–70m rope and plenty of quickdraws (up to 18). Conditions dry quickly after rain, but some cliffs seep for days. Rest days? Hike to Natural Bridge or swim in the Red River. VIBE: Laid-back, inclusive, and fueled by pizza and red clay dust. Whether you’re projecting 5.13s or clipping your first bolts, The Red delivers a mix of challenge, community, and sandstone perfection found nowhere else.

Waimea Bay. A small but fun collection of beach bouldering exists at the famous surf spot. You need those two things. The climbing here is a perfect for beginners. Most of the problems are between VB - V4, but what really makes it special is the fact that you usually don't need a crash pad either. The sand, when it's deep, can be a very safe landing. That said, almost everything is highball (25' in some parts), and the sand can fluctuate as much as six feet in a day from large surf. Falls can be big and exposed rock is common. People can and do get hurt. Waimea Bay bouldering goes back maybe 30+ years. There's a history here, a lot more than can be covered in the few paragraphs of this short description.

Cordova Bay is also known as Timber Lane in Peter Michaux's old guidebook. On Cordova Bay accessed via Timber Lane there are some short bouldering bluffs on the beach. [Area Guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ieJob95IGgNQkCpK5_5aiCq97Ni-6ATs6rpPgtObCXk/edit?usp=sharing) This small area close to town offers several excellent problems on some of the best rock on the island, and a long cliff band that is pretty fun to traverse. The downside to this area is that when the tide is high it is inaccessible, so make sure to time the tides right. You can check the tides for the area at this link: http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/station?sid=7140

Shut-In Island is located in St. Margaret’s Bay. It is the largest island in the Bay and has attracted visitors for centuries. It is also publicly owned, thus will remain protected and free from any development. Shut-In is like one huge granite boulder that juts up from the ocean floor and is quite a striking sight. Although much of the island is exposed rock, just as much is forested. The top is covered in low lying shrubs such as fox berry bushes making way for unobstructed views of the Bay.

Red Rocks is composed of a three-thousand-foot thick escarpment of Aztec Sandstone, which has weathered into a series of ten major canyons which drain from west to east. This rock is generally well-bonded, being more solid than that found in the other great sandstone areas of the west, such as Zion or Canyonlands. Another major difference is that much of the rock is covered with a thin layer of desert varnish which on many of the faces, has partially weathered to lave behind a sea or good incut edges. it is these edges which allow routes like "Dream of Wild Turkeys", "Eagle Dance", and "Crimson Chrysalis" to climb such impressive features at a reasonable standard. in general, the unvarnished white and red rock can be soft, sandy and rounded in its natural state, although it cleans up well on popular routes to give very enjoyable climbing. Especially on some of the north-facing walls where the varnish has resisted weathering and there are far fewer face holds. on these walls the long, clean, crack and corner systems provide some of the best climbing routes in Red Rocks. - Red Rocks, Jerry Handren

An area for moderate leads! The routes are featured, steep, and bolt protected.

A small remote area with really good limestone climbing. Accessed from a day use area of the same name.

Helen lake Quartzite. Sugar Cube and Sitting bull.

This is a small islet off the east side of Quadra Island between Open Bay and Village Bay. It marks the start of an area of short granite sea cliffs that dominate the shorelines of Quadra and the neighbouring Islands east of here. Although the rock outcrops are short (5-10m) the setting and the quality of the rock is first class.

Forbidden features a beautiful cliff and a collection of pristine granite boulders located just north of the Trans Canada highway, roughly 10KM west of Vermillion Bay. The cliff hosts the highest concentration of hard routes in the Kenora area. The cliff varies from vertical to 15 degrees overhanging. The boulders grades range from V0 to V8 along with a great mix of styles. The southeasterly direction of the cliff face creates long, hot days in the summer. There is still a great deal of potential for more climbs. The bouldering guide for the area can be purchased here: https://manitobakenorabouldering.com/

Red tail is a very popular climbing area in skaha. The wall is a large glacier polished gneiss crag, that has two tiers. Most routes consist of small crimps on a slab face, however some require climbing small overlaps and cracks. There are few smaller satellite areas within red tail and also a area for teaching how to set up anchors and rappels on the far right side of the crag.

Located in Willow Springs, Ragged Edges is arguably the most popular area in Red Rocks for short trad routes. Rock quality is very good and it is only a 5-10 minute walk from the Picnic Area parking lot. Most routes do not have top anchors and thus require rappelling from neighboring anchors or a walk off. The namesake route and Chicken Eruptus are both considered Red Rocks classics.

Dead Hawk Rake is the ramp that provides access to the routes on the Upper Red Tail. The sequence of routes on Lower Red Tail starts just downhill and right of this ramp and extend all the way across the crag to the diminutive Seven Dwarfs slab at the far right end.

Palionisos bay is a red wall with big holes and a roof on the left, and quality grey slabs on the right.