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1845 Hits
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76.66% Score
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7 Votes
Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon:
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46.32300°N / 111.627°W |
Activities:
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Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing, Toprope |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall |
Elevation:
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4658 ft / 1420 m |
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Overview
If you head out here with dozens of cams to climb the world-famous sandstone splitter cracks, you're going to be deeply disappointed, for this is not "The Creek"; it is an obscure limestone sport area in Montana.
Nevertheless, it is a nice place to stop and spend a few hours and must be nice to have as a home crag if one lives in or near the small town of Townsend. And the canyon here is a welcome surprise considering its proximity to a massive mining operation.
The area consists of at least nine named crags, all clustered within a half-mile or so and along both sides of the dirt road that cuts through the canyon. Routes range from 5.4 to 5.12b. Almost everything is sport, but there is a handful of trad routes.
Getting There
Just north of Townsend on U.S. 287, there is a bridge. Just north of it, there is a road signed for Indian Creek heading west. Follow that road a short distance and head right at a junction. Drive about 3.5 mi and bear right again at an intersection. After that, park in a small parking area on the right side of the road.
All the routes are along the cliffs you pass before reaching the parking area.
Routes
Because I have only been here once and do not own a guidebook covering the area, and because the MP page arranges the walls alphabetically and has few helpful pictures, I'm afraid I can do little here that the MP page does not. However, I hope this page will be at least some help to users.
Arranged alphabetically, here are the crags (those in bold are the ones I climbed at and/or definitively identified):
- Bear Claw Buttress
- Bear Claw Wall-- This is right next to the road and easily located. There is a small pullout by it as well.
- Big Horn Wall
- The Chief
- Coyote Butrress
- Medicine Hole Wall-- Getting here requires walking back down the road for a couple minutes and then crossing the creek.
- Sacred Ground Buttress
- Vision Quest Wall
- War Wall
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Red Tape
None.
When to Climb
Late spring through early fall.
Camping
I'm not sure if camping is allowed here, but even if it is, there is very little room for it. You could probably sleep in your car at the parking area.