Description:

A fun Columbia Gorge destination with a nice variety of top rope climbs and boulder problems. This picturesque area on the Washington side of the river sits atop the basalt columns of Horsethief Butte; a trail circumnavigates the butte and a handful of trails snake through the corridors that hold most of the exposed rock.

The basalt here is generally of good quality and has some fun features, but be wary of loose blocks. The tops of many of the boulder problems have some loose chunks on them, and there are undoubtedly plenty of ticking time bombs on top of the top rope areas.

No bolts are allowed here so be sure to bring a trad rack and plenty of long slings if you're going to be setting up topropes. There are probably a couple hundred toprope climbs so pick out a line that looks good and go for it.

Directions / Travel Info:

Take I-84 East from Portland to The Dalles. Cross over the bridge to Washington and take a right on Hwy. 14 after a mile or so. Go a few miles (past the state park with Horsethief Lake) and park at the pullout for the Horsethief Butte Trail. The bulk of the bouldering is on top of the butte along with much of the toproping.