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Bouldering in Joe's Valley, UT

Orangeville, Utah

5.0/5
based on 2 reviews

Description

Added by George Bruce Wilson

Joe's Valley is a mecca for sandstone bouldering. There are good areas right off the highway or opt for a quick hike out of ~10 minutes. There is camping in most canyons as it's BLM Land. Duration: Full day or overnight.

The bouldering in Joe's Valley has been a hot spot for climbers from all around the world. Discovered by Utah climbers decades ago it has turned into a mecca for anyone who loves sandstone bouldering. The texture of the rock is very grippy and after a long day can leave you with little skin left on your fingers. Plan on having some of your best bouldering days here.

The Valley consists of 3 parts: Left Fork, Right Fork, and New Joe's. Left Fork is the oldest and has the most eel established routes. There are tons of classics in this area and a lot of them are right off the road. Right Fork has many popular areas to climb and even in the summer months there is a newer are much higher in the canyon with decent temps. Most of the areas are right off the road, but there are a couple that will require a 10 min hike. New Joe's is the newest area and is the highest concentrated area out of the three. It is completely separate from the Left Fork canyon and Right Fork canyon. There are boulders everywhere and some of the hardest ones in all of Joe's Valley. This area is also the hottest temperature wise. So if its a pretty cold day in Left and Right Fork, plan on hitting New Joe's up. There are two parking areas one that is fairly high up (see the Newest Guide Book) and one where an oil well used to be, but plan for a full day here as it can be kind of a hike in and around this area.

There is free camping in most of the canyons because it is BLM land, but please practice Leave No Trace camping skills. The closest town is called Orangville, Its tiny and has one store that serves as a one stop that has everything. There are Groceries, Gas, Snacks, Chalk, Guidebooks, Hunting, wifi, pizza place, deli, etc. A quick drive a little further down the road you will find a couple of small restaurants in Castle Dale, UT.

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Rock Climbing
Chillin
Camping
Hiking
Dog Friendly
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Bouldering in Joe's Valley, UT Reviews

We had so much fun scrambling up the mountain and hiking through a wash, once we found everything. We tried to follow the directions posted on this page but didn’t find any of the “Forks” or “New Joes”. We eventually found some cool things to do along the part of Route 29 that runs along the river. There are several pull offs along the road that have the adventures you are looking for. We found some cool sandstone bouldering/climbing at the last pull off before the reservoir. There wasn’t any real trail (at least that we could find or that was marked). There was a little waterfall (very dry, at least when we were there in May, just trickling off the ledge), and we just kind of headed up the mountain until we got there. We camped the night before at the reservoir. If you are interested in doing that, you can make online reservations at rec.gov for $10 (+$10 online fee). There was a cool overlook just past the campsite, but we found no bouldering or hikes past the reservoir.

Make a trip out of it and go camping and climbing in Joes. Boulders are in walking distance from camp sites.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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