Utah · Rock climbing · Bluff

Cottonwood Wash

Cottonwood Wash in Utah features 4 mixed and traditional climbing routes with 4 distinct difficulty grades.

Cottonwood WashPhoto: AhwatukeeBauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
4 routes
5.5 – 5.10+
Trad · Mixed

Best time to visit Cottonwood Wash

Best months: March–May and September–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.

  1. Jan

    43° / 20°

    4 wet · 2 snow

  2. Feb

    51° / 25°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    63° / 32°

    4 wet

  4. Apr

    71° / 39°

    3 wet

  5. May

    81° / 48°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    92° / 56°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    96° / 64°

    4 wet

  8. Aug

    93° / 62°

    5 wet

  9. Sep

    84° / 52°

    4 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 38°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    55° / 27°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 20°

    4 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bluff, UT, 1 mi away at 4,319 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Cottonwood Wash is a climbing area in Utah, about a mile from the town of Bluff. It sits close to the town, making it an easy addition to a day spent in the area. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bluff show April highs around 71°F and October highs around 70°F, while July averages climb to about 96°F. The area has four routes, with grades ranging from 5.5 to 5.10+. Three are traditional climbs, and one, Million Dollar Tower, is a mixed route. The hardest is 5 O'clock Shadow at 5.10+. Sandwalker Buttress is about half a mile away, and the Bluff climbing area is about a mile off. For an overnight stay, Sand Island Recreation Area is roughly 3.4 miles away.

Routes (4)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Sandwalker ButtressPhoto: AhwatukeeBauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sandwalker Buttress

~1 min drive

Sandwalker Buttress in Utah has 8 trad climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

BluffPhoto: AhwatukeeBauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bluff

~2 min drive

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Valley of the GodsPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Valley of the Gods

~26 min drive

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BlandingPhoto: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Blanding

~43 min drive

Blanding in Utah has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Pistol WhippedPhoto: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pistol Whipped

~1h 24m drive

Pistol Whipped in Utah has 50 traditional climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.

Arch CanyonPhoto: BLMUtah, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Arch Canyon

~40 min drive

Arch Canyon in Utah has 16 traditional climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Comb Ridge

~14 min drive

Comb Ridge in Utah offers 8 traditional climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Blanding Boulders

~33 min drive

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Northside

~56 min drive

Northside in Colorado has 5 bouldering routes across 5 difficulty grades.

Hillbilly Wall

~1h 5m drive

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