{"id":4258,"date":"2015-04-24T09:30:29","date_gmt":"2015-04-24T16:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=4258"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:56:48","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:56:48","slug":"five-best-climbing-campgrounds-in-the-u-s-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/five-best-climbing-campgrounds-in-the-u-s-a","title":{"rendered":"Five Best Climbing Campgrounds in the U.S.A."},"content":{"rendered":"

We climbers are infamous for our ability to make home on the road. Unafraid to sleep in our cars and able to get by with very little, we do whatever it takes to be near the crags and mountains we love.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the camping situations are less than ideal. But sometimes the stars align and inexpensive, ideally situated campsites exist within a stone\u2019s throw of world-class climbing. Some are even within reach of a pizza and cold beer, too. Here are five of the best climber campgrounds in the U.S., where the accommodations are as awesome as the climbing.<\/p>\n

Yosemite\u2019s Camp 4<\/h4>\n

A visit to Camp 4<\/a> in Yosemite Valley might be the closest thing a climber can get to a sincere pilgrimage. The rowdy home base for the climbers of Yosemite\u2019s golden age, Camp 4 is still the valley\u2019s climbing hub. Its popularity\u2014or perhaps climbers\u2019 penchant for overstaying their welcome\u2014resulted in unique registration requirements for snagging one of the 35 tent sites, which are not available by reservation. Spring through fall, a ranger arrives at the campground\u2019s kiosk at 8:30am each day to start accepting registrations, but a line often forms even before that. The sites themselves aren\u2019t much to look at and can be pretty noisy, but staying there among the boulders near the base of Yosemite Falls is a cultural experience and the best access to the soaring walls above.<\/p>\n

Joshua Tree\u2019s Hidden Valley Campground<\/h4>\n

\"Joshua<\/p>\n

Photo\u00a0by\u00a0James Harnois<\/a>\u00a0– REI Employee.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hidden Valley<\/a> has been called the Camp 4 of Southern California, and for good reason. Nestled amongst Joshua Tree\u2019s famous piles of grippy monzogranite boulders, it\u2019s within walking distance of hundreds of trad climbing routes. Some routes\u2014and boulder problems\u2014actually sit within the campground. Its 44 sites are first-come, first-served and super popular, though, so get plan on arriving early on weekends or during peak season, November through March. Or get a pack of friends together and reserve a group site ahead of time.<\/p>\n

City of Rocks<\/h4>\n

City of Rocks<\/a> is a\u00a0heaven of trad and bolted climbing in southern Idaho that isn\u2019t close to anything much, which is a huge part of its appeal\u2014aside from its gorgeous, climber-friendly pocketed granite domes and spires, of course. And with more than 60 campsites strewn all over the park, each one is either near a climbing hub or boasts a private sunrise or sunset view\u2014or both. With no entrance fee to the park, the $12.72 per night camping fee is a steal, particularly since you can fill up your water jugs within the park and head into the nearby town of Almo if you really need a pizza or a soak or shower at Durfee Hot Springs.<\/p>\n

Miguel\u2019s Pizza at the Red River Gorge<\/h4>\n

No climbing trip to the Red River Gorge\u2019s steep sport routes would be complete without a stop at Miguel\u2019s<\/a>\u2014the pizzeria-cum-campground that\u2019s become the climbing headquarters for the area. For just $2 a night you can pitch a tent outside and then come home from climbing to a hot pizza or rice bowl and a cold beer. Showers go for $1.50 and Internet for $2 a week. Could it get any better for a climbing dirtbag? Oh, yes: Miguel\u2019s has a gear shop, too.<\/p>\n

Grand Teton Climbers\u2019 Ranch<\/h4>\n

\"Climbers'<\/p>\n

OK, the Climbers\u2019 Ranch<\/a> isn\u2019t really a campsite, it\u2019s more like a hostel. But at $16 a night for a bunk in the vicinity of Jackson Hole, I don\u2019t think anyone would argue about its value. Located inside Grand Teton National Park and with a view of the Grand right out the back door, the former dude ranch boasts a communal cooking shelter, laundry facilities, a small mountaineering library and hard-wired Internet access. Prices are a little higher for non-American Alpine Club members. But compared to other campsites in the park or around Jackson, it\u2019s still a steal and the climbing access is as good as it gets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We climbers are infamous for our ability to make home on the road. Unafraid to sleep in our cars and able to get by with very little, we do whatever it takes to be near the crags and mountains we love. Sometimes the camping situations are less than ideal. But sometimes the stars align and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[352,370,279,373,442,149],"internal-tag":[517,1672,1674,495],"class_list":["post-4258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-climb","tag-climb","tag-hilary-oliver","tag-idaho","tag-kentucky","tag-rock-climbing","tag-wyoming","internal-tag-california","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp","internal-tag-pre-redirect-climb","internal-tag-united-states"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/five-best-climbing-campgrounds-in-the-u-s-a","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Five Best Climbing Campgrounds in the U.S.A.","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/five-best-climbing-campgrounds-in-the-u-s-a","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/five-best-climbing-campgrounds-in-the-u-s-a"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/04\/James-Harnois-JTree.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/04\/James-Harnois-JTree.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["climb","hilary oliver","idaho","kentucky","rock climbing","wyoming"],"dateCreated":"2015-04-24T16:30:29Z","datePublished":"2015-04-24T16:30:29Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:56:48Z"},"rendered":"