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Arizona · Rock Climbing
Dewey's rock climbing scene is compact but legitimate, centered on the Cherry Creek Boulder area and a handful of boulder problems that have earned their own names.
6 spotsUpdated weeklyFree to access
View on mapRock Climbing · 6 spots
Dewey's rock climbing scene is compact but legitimate, centered on the Cherry Creek Boulder area and a handful of boulder problems that have earned their own names. The six listed routes and areas here are all bouldering — no sport or trad routes appear in the current inventory — so if you're coming specifically for rope work, this isn't the destination. What you do get is a cluster of problems with names like Crimson Fists, Beez Neez, and the Cherry Creek-themed trio (Girls of Cherry Creek, Cherry Squeeze, and Dino-Juice), which suggests a concentrated area worth exploring in a single session rather than a multi-day trip. Dewey sits at roughly 4,500 feet in the Prescott Valley corridor, which means summers are more tolerable than Phoenix but still warm enough to make morning starts worth the early alarm. The sandstone and granite mix in this part of Yavapai County tends to be friction-dependent, so conditions matter. This is a good add-on to a broader central Arizona climbing trip rather than a standalone destination, but for locals or anyone passing through on Highway 69, the Cherry Creek Boulder area is worth a stop.
All six listed routes and areas are bouldering — there are no sport or trad climbing routes in the current inventory. The climbing centers on the Cherry Creek Boulder area, with individual problems including Crimson Fists, Beez Neez, Girls of Cherry Creek, Cherry Squeeze, and Dino-Juice.
For bouldering you'll want climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and a crash pad — at minimum one, ideally two if you're going with a partner. A brush for cleaning holds is useful, especially after rain. No ropes, harnesses, or protection are needed for any of the listed problems.
Roadside Crag
~17 min drive
Accessible Arizona crag with convenient roadside access and varied climbing.
Beez Neez
Among the hardest problems catalogued at Cherry Creek Boulder. FA: Tony Disanto?
Route 4
~11 min drive
Combines bolts and placed gear on the same line at Little Granite Mountain.
Dam Wall
~34 min drive
Arizona crag with moderate climbing on solid rock near a dam.
Cherry Squeeze
One of five routes at Cherry Creek Boulder, near the upper end of the crag's grade range.
Route 1
~11 min drive
Lower-intermediate route at Little Granite Mountain; takes bolts and placed gear.
Village of Oak Creek
~35 min drive
Central Arizona red rock climbing with varied routes for multiple skill levels.
Dino-Juice
Near the top of Cherry Creek Boulder's grade range. FA: D Mauz - Jan. 2021.
Route 2
~11 min drive
Lower-intermediate route combining bolts and placed gear protection.
Crags along the Peavine Trail
~35 min drive
Desert crags along Arizona's Peavine Trail offering accessible climbing.
Girls of Cherry Creek
Among the hardest climbs catalogued at Cherry Creek Boulder.
Route 3
~11 min drive
Takes both bolts and placed gear on the same line.
Fall and spring are the most reliable seasons — roughly October through November and March through May. Dewey sits around 4,500 feet, so summers are warmer than the Phoenix metro but afternoon temperatures can still push friction conditions past comfortable. If you're visiting in summer, plan to be on the rock by early morning and off it by midday.
Morning is generally best, particularly in warmer months when temperatures climb quickly by afternoon. In cooler months, midday can actually be ideal once the rock has had time to warm up from overnight lows.
The listed problems don't include published difficulty grades in the current data, so it's hard to say definitively which are beginner-friendly. Bouldering areas like this typically have a range of problems across difficulty levels, but without confirmed grade information, newer climbers should go with someone familiar with the area or be prepared to scope problems carefully before committing.
