Wasatch-Cache National Forest

This page is intended to give new and/or visiting climbers a feel for climbing in Logan Canyon. Logan Canyon offers many climbs of varying degrees of difficulty and quality on limestone rock. Major climbing areas are identified and a selection of suggested routes are given, ranging from 5.6 top roped climbs to 5.14 bolted sport climbs. Climbers from the Cache Valley hope you enjoy your visit to our area.

Please respect the climbing and rappelling zones and the climbing ethics listed in this document!

We all have worked very hard with the Forest service and other interested people to develop a policy of maintaining climbing as well as protecting resources.

District Climbing and Rappelling Policy
This resource protection policy was the result of a cooperative effort between local climbers, botanists, conservationists and the Logan Ranger District. Copies of the entire document are available from the Logan Ranger District office. Because of National interest, Regional policies may be developed that would supersede portions of this policy.

The Purpose of This Policy:

1. To protect rare plant species and their habitats.
2. To manage resource impacts.
3. To provide quality climbing opportunities where they do not conflict with resource protection.

Provisions Common to All Zones
Rock alteration by chipping, chiseling, drilling or gluing of holds to improve a route is prohibited! The intentional removal of live vegetation from any cliff face, top or base is prohibited! The installation of bolts with battery power drills is allowed on the District, except in wilderness! Fixed protection should be of high quality and must be camouflaged. Brightly colored slings WILL NOT BE LEFT on the rock! Climbing or rappelling is prohibited on Logan Cave cliff. Rappelling from the top of China Wall or in the Greenhouse Wall area is prohibited!

Local bulletin boards will have maps of the following zones:

1. Low Sensitivity. The majority of the District.
2. Moderate Sensitivity. Visually sensitive Logan Canyon.
3. High Sensitivity. Maguire primrose habitat. (Climbing and rappelling will not be allowed within fifty feet of any T&E; plant species. Includes provisions for the removal of routes with potential to negatively impact T&E; species.)
4. Extremely Sensitive (T&E; plant concerns). Extremely important seed sources for the Maguire primrose. Rock climbing and rappelling are not allowed.
5. Wilderness (Mt. Naomi and Wellsville Mountain Wildernesses). Bolts CANNOT be placed using either motorized, electric or mechanical drills providing increased mechanical advantage over the standard one piece (Rawl type) drill holder. Bolts and fixed protection are discouraged.

A Message from the Forest Service
Logan Canyon is a National Forest Scenic Byway and home of the Maguire primrose. Because the primrose is listed as threatened by the Endangered Species Act, the Forest Service must manage any activity that might adversely impact it.

In 1991, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USF&WS;) recommended climbing not be allowed on the cliffs in the canyon because of the primrose. Climbers pointed out that most of the routes were on the unvegetated and steep portions of these cliffs where no protected plants grow. They suggested cliffs be zoned to protect the primrose and other sensitive plants.

"All of the cliffs in Logan Canyon have Forest Service sensitive plants on them."
-District Range Conservationist

Sensitive plants while not threatened or endangered could be severely impacted by too many routes too close together. We strongly recommend that routes be spaced at least 50' apart. Please exercise restraint in developing new routes.

"The further apart climbing routes are, the less chance there will be further restrictions in the future."
-Forest Ecologist

Climbing and rappelling within 50 feet of a threatened or endangered plants is not permitted on the District. This closes about 10% of the existing routes due to their proximity to the primrose or the Smith violet.

"Currently, climbing and rappelling are not permitted on most of the China Wall or on the Greenhouse Wall and adjacent cliffs."
-District Recreation Forester

The Forest Service and USF&WS; will be writing biological assessments to determine how the rare plants in Logan Canyon will be affected by this policy as well as monitoring the effectiveness of this policy. Respect the climbing zones in Logan Canyon. If you see others climbing in sensitive areas, please diplomatically educate them or direct them to the nearest climber's information board.

"Without the very positive and proactive approach taken by the climbing community, large areas would probably now be closed to climbing in Logan Canyon."
-District Recreation Forester

If you have any questions or concerns regarding climbing on the Logan Ranger District or would like to be on the climbing mailing list, please write to:

Logan District Ranger
860 N 1200 E
Logan, UT 84321