Section 18
- 4 routes
- 5.6 – 5.8
- Trad
- May–Oct
- best months
Section 18 is a climbing area in Crystal Falls State Forest Area in Michigan, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, including Picnic Area and Picnic Wall Right, both about 0.7 miles away, and Dry-Tool Cliff at roughly 0.9 miles. Four traditional routes make up the crux of the area. They range from 5.6 to 5.8 on the YDS scale, with Rain Maker at 5.6 and Double Crack at 5.8. All are trad climbs, and Carter Stritch is listed as the first ascender of Rain Maker and O Dub. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 80°F with lows near 54°F. Winters are cold, with January highs around 23°F. Other climbing and recreation close by include Creekside Talus about 3.3 miles away and the Merriman East Pathway hike at 4.5 miles. Norway Mountain Ski Resort is 5.8 miles away, and paddlers can head to the Sturgeon River, about 9.1 miles off.
- Picnic AreaRock climbing0.7 mi
- Picnic Wall RightRock climbing0.7 mi
- Dry-Tool CliffRock climbing0.9 mi
- Creekside TalusRock climbing3.3 mi
- Merriman East PathwayHiking4.5 mi
- Norway Mountain Ski ResortDownhill skiing5.8 mi
- Pine Mountain Ski HillDownhill skiing7 mi
- Sturgeon RiverCanoeing9.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Iron MountainRock climbing · ~11 min drivePhoto: IvanTortuga, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Picnic AreaRock climbing · ~1 min drive
- Picnic Wall RightRock climbing · ~1 min drive
- Dry-Tool CliffRock climbing · ~2 min drive
- Creekside TalusRock climbing · ~6 min drive
- Pine Creek BoulderingRock climbing · ~6 min drive
- North BouldersRock climbing · ~6 min drive
- Carney CragRock climbing · ~6 min drive
- Carney Talus BoulderingRock climbing · ~7 min drive
- Granite BluffRock climbing · ~13 min drive
Best time to visit Section 18
Best months: May–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
23° / 6°
6 wet
Feb
27° / 7°
5 wet
Mar
38° / 17°
7 wet
Apr
52° / 27°
9 wet
May
66° / 40°
10 wet
Jun
76° / 50°
11 wet
Jul
80° / 54°
11 wet
Aug
78° / 53°
12 wet
Sep
69° / 45°
11 wet
Oct
55° / 34°
10 wet
Nov
40° / 24°
7 wet
Dec
29° / 13°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Iron Mtn Ford Ap, MI, 8.8 mi away at 1,149 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
