Arizona · Rock climbing · Cochise · Near Whetstone

The Wasteland

8 routes
5.8 – 5.11-
Trad · Mixed · Sport
Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov
best months

Is Wasteland, The open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Coronado National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Coronado National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The Wasteland is a climbing area in the Douglas Ranger District of Coronado National Forest in Arizona, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with Exit Dome and Out-of-Towners Dome each about 0.1 mile away. The area has eight routes, five of which are trad, two are mixed and one is sport. The YDS grades run from 5.8 to 5.11-, with The Wasteland at 5.8 and The Roedel Route at 5.11- as the easiest and hardest. The Burial of the Dead and Teenage Wasteland are both 5.10, and Rickson's Pinnacle is 5.10+. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Sunsites run from highs around 78°F in April to 80°F in October, while July and August average highs in the low 90s and bring the most wet days of the year. The Wasteland Approach Trail is about half a mile away, and Half Moon Ranch and Shaw House campgrounds are within a mile. Cochise Stronghold is about 1.6 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Half Moon Ranch

    Campground

    The next 8 weekends are full on Recreation.gov
  • Eat after

    Wendy's

    Fast food

    Open after 6
  • If it rains

    O.K. Corral

    Museum

    Museum · 17 mi from Whetstone

    Livery and horse corral in Tombstone, Arizona (1879-1888)

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Whetstone
  • Best time to go · Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov

    Best time to visit The Wasteland

    Best months: February–April and October–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      60° / 29°

      4 wet

    2. Feb

      64° / 32°

      4 wet

    3. Mar

      70° / 37°

      3 wet

    4. Apr

      78° / 42°

      2 wet

    5. May

      86° / 50°

      2 wet

    6. Jun

      95° / 59°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      93° / 65°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      91° / 64°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      88° / 57°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      80° / 46°

      3 wet

    11. Nov

      69° / 35°

      3 wet

    12. Dec

      59° / 29°

      4 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pearce - Sunsites, AZ, 7.8 mi away at 4,350 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (8)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Exit DomePhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Exit Dome

Next door

Exit Dome in Arizona has 6 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

Creature BoulderPhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Creature Boulder

Next door

Creature Boulder is a bouldering crag in Arizona with 5 routes.

Batline DomePhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Batline Dome

Next door

12 traditional climbing routes at Batline Dome in Arizona.

Owl RockPhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Owl Rock

~1 min drive

Owl Rock in Arizona has 5 climbing routes ranging across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Cochise Dome (What's My Line Dome)Photo: StellarD, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cochise Dome (What's My Line Dome)

~2 min drive

Cochise Dome (What's My Line Dome) in Arizona has 7 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Rockfellow DomePhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rockfellow Dome

~2 min drive

Rockfellow Dome in Arizona has 13 climbing routes with mixed and trad styles.

End PinnaclePhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

End Pinnacle

~2 min drive

End Pinnacle in Arizona has 13 climbing routes with 11 difficulty grades.

Bastion TowersPhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bastion Towers

~2 min drive

Bastion Towers in Arizona has 7 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.

Rockfellow GroupPhoto: StellarD, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rockfellow Group

~2 min drive

Rockfellow Group in Arizona has 10 traditional climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

Lost Canyon AreaPhoto: Umnak, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Canyon Area

~3 min drive

5-route climbing area in Arizona with sport and trad options.