Chimney Rocks
- 1 route
- 5.8
- Trad
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
Chimney Rocks is a climbing area in northwest Iowa, about 2 miles from the town of Bluffton. The site is best known for a single traditional route, Yellow Peril: Free standing pillar, a 5.8 that was first climbed by Dan Olsen, Tim Olsen and Russ Lee. The climbing here is straightforward. The route is a single traditional climb, and it sits at the 5.8 grade on the YDS scale. It's the only route listed for the area, so plan on this one pillar as the main objective. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 79°F in June to about 83°F in July, with September cooling to the mid-70s. Winters are cold, with January highs near 24°F and several snowy days each month from December through February. The Upper Iowa River, about 2 miles away, offers fishing access at Bluffton Ford. Canoe Creek, roughly 8.5 miles off, is a paddling spot worth adding to the trip.
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Winona, Sugar LoafRock climbing · ~1h 16m drivePhoto: Tim Wilson from Blaine, MN, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Warm Up WallRock climbing · ~1h 16m drivePhoto: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Volunteer WallRock climbing · ~1h 16m drivePhoto: Tim Wilson from Blaine, MN, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Main Wall AreaRock climbing · ~1h 16m drivePhoto: Tim Wilson from Blaine, MN, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Shew Buddy GullyRock climbing · ~1h 16m drivePhoto: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Low WallRock climbing · ~1h 16m drivePhoto: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- DecorahRock climbing · ~20 min drive
- Stockton Train Bridge BoulderingRock climbing · ~1h 8m drive
- Rasta Wall (old location - no longer in existence).Rock climbing · ~1h 16m drive
- The Miner's BouldersRock climbing · ~1h 17m drive
Best time to visit Chimney Rocks
Best months: April and June–October. 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.
Jan
24° / 6°
9 wet · 7 snow
Feb
29° / 9°
7 wet · 6 snow
Mar
42° / 21°
8 wet · 4 snow
Apr
57° / 33°
10 wet · 1 snow
May
69° / 45°
13 wet
Jun
79° / 56°
12 wet
Jul
83° / 60°
11 wet
Aug
81° / 57°
10 wet
Sep
74° / 48°
9 wet
Oct
60° / 36°
9 wet
Nov
44° / 24°
7 wet · 3 snow
Dec
30° / 13°
9 wet · 6 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cresco 1 Ne, IA, 8.5 mi away at 1,255 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
