Rock Climbing in Searcy, Arkansas

Searcy sits in the Arkansas piedmont, not a region most climbers think of first, but the local bouldering scene here is legitimate and worth the detour if you're already moving through central Arkansas. The 13 listed problems and areas are concentrated around two main spots: Riverside and the Hillside Boulder Area, both of which host a mix of bouldering circuits with names like Protect Ya Neck, Backstabber, and Backwoods Assassin that suggest the locals have a sense of humor about the rock. The problems skew toward bouldering rather than roped climbing, with Itchy Phoenix being the one listed route in the traditional rock-climbing category. The area won't replace a trip to the Red River Gorge, but for a day session or a warm-up stop, the concentration of problems at Hillside and Riverside makes it easy to link multiple problems without a lot of hiking between them. Sandstone and similar soft-rock types common to this part of Arkansas can be slick when wet, so conditions matter more here than at harder granite destinations. If you're based in Little Rock or passing through on I-67, Searcy is close enough to justify pulling off for a half-day.