Overall: 

Billy the Kid Wall is one of the best places in Utah, or probably anywhere, to take kids to rock climb.  The only reason I am not giving it 5 cheerios is because there are not any difficult climbs for adults.  The approach is short and the landing is great.  The area is fun, and the climbs are easy.  For the especially tiny, the first part of the climb is really mellow, more like class 4 scrambling, and they do great on this.

Routes: 

Billy the Kid has three easy routes 5.6, 5.7, 5.8.  Here’s the graph I like to do, just to be consistent although it probably isn’t necessary in this area.

 

These routes can be found at…

The Mountain Project

Maple Canyon Guide Book pg. 172-173 (If you are planning on doing any substantial amount of climbing in Maple Canyon you really should buy this book.  The link is for a page where you can buy the book.)

These routes are easy for kids and can be a great opportunity for them to experience the height of rock climbing without difficult climbs. We have taken a four year old and she was able to get to the top of the 5.6. For those younger, the beginning of the climbs has a mellow grade that feels like climbing for the kids, but is easy enough to deal with any problems that could arise. We have taken our kids here as young as two and they were able to climb up the route until it becomes vertical. For the younger kids we suggest using a piece of webbing or rope attached to the back of the harness on the less steep terrain, see Tips for Ages Under 4.

 Approach: 

Time

The approach is not right next to the road, but close. With kids as young as two years old it should not take you more than five to ten minutes, most likely less.

Difficulty

Strait path. Nothing to worry about.

Danger

Not really dangerous, but a few years back our then two year old did stumble at the beginning of the hike. She tumbled down a hill that could have potentially hurt her pretty bad. She was fine, but a little shaken up.  You see those videos of miraculous dad saves on YouTube.  That wasn’t me.  I would say, not dangerous, but hold the littles hands at the beginning.

Landing: 

The landing here is great. It is flat and safe with room for kids to run around and be ridiculous. There are logs for parents to sit on and room enough to set down all climbing gear. It might feel a little tight if you have a big group, but that is a mild likely unsubstantiated complaint. Here are some pictures of the landing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traffic:

I have never chosen to go to Billy the Kid wall and not have the climbs available. Maple Canyon can get busy, but Billy the Kid wall has more mellow climbs so it is not frequented by the more experienced climbers. That said, if there is a group there, it is unlikely you will be able to get on any climbs. The area is not big enough for more than one group.

Extra Kid Fun:

I think this area is a lot of fun. The approach is a hike past The Pipeline, which has some difficult climbs and usually people good enough to do them. It is pretty fun to watch. Slightly farther up the path is a log crossing a small ravine. It is not super dangerous so my kids and I always like to do it. My dog will even cross it.

Here is a picture of the log.

Potential Dangers: 

The hike is mellow, but has enough room for kids to run around and explore. Some boundaries for wandering should probably be set depending on how old your children are, but for the most part there is no where they can go to get themselves in too much trouble.  Don’t let them walk across the log on their own. The back has a steep hill.

Overall:

The Schoolroom is a great destination for climbing with kids.  Honestly, one of the best.  There are climbs for kids, beginners and adults.  The landing is perfect, and it is easy to get to.  It can get busy here, but every time I have come to this area, there are always climbs available.  If you have kids and want to get them on a wall, this area should be at the top of your list.

Routes: 

The Schoolroom has routes for kids, beginners, and intermediate climbers.  Here is a beautiful graph showing what climbs are available:

We aren’t interested in duplicating effort, so you can find information about this area at…

The Mountain Project

Rockclimbing.com

Maple Canyon Guide book Pg. 146-149 (The link is to a site where you can purchase the book.  Really, if you are going to Maple, you should have it.)

The Schoolroom has everything that you want for a good day of climbing with your kids. There are enough kid friendly routes to keep them entertained. If you are going to bring a few kids try to also bring an extra rope or two so you can quickly set up several ropes and let the kids go. My group and another large group that was there had basically a rope on every single route hanging fixed. We used the roots on the tree to anchor the belay devices and quickly hooked up kid after kid with an 8 knot on a biner. That way the switch between kids was faster and parents could switch belaying quickly as well. We were pumping the kids through climbs like a factory. The best one for them to start on is Bob’s Bolts (5.4) to get their confidence up and then let them hit all the others. Kids also don’t seem to mind doing the same route over and over again.  I don’t know how many times I belayed that day but it was a lot. The kids had non stop fun climbing that day.

Areas for kids also sometimes need climbs to keep the adults entertained, which we were.  The 5.10bs in this area are really fun. The Horny Thing (oh climbers and their weird route names…) 5.10b is long, sustained, and has a very tricky start. There is not anything harder than .10bs here, but for something to climb when your on an outing with your kids, it is well worth it.

Approach: 

Time

The time to get here is next to nothing. It is very close to the main parking lot for Maple Canyon.

Difficulty

There is some mild difficulty getting here. Nothing your kids can’t handle. The hike is short, but it is uphill.

Danger

Only slight danger if you count the possibility of falling on a hill. Other than that, there are not cliffs or other worries that children tend to gravitate towards.

Landing: 

Honestly, you won’t find a better landing anywhere that you go climbing, ever. The landing is huge and flat. Everything you ever wanted.  Feel free to set up your house and everything else that you brought with you. Here’s a picture in case you don’t believe me.

Traffic: 

Because The Schoolroom is perfect for beginners, has a great landing, and is close to the main parking lot, it can get very busy. I’ve found it open whenever I have wanted to use it, but it has the potential of getting huge multiple family groups (like what you are probably bringing) and youth groups. However, because it has so many climbs and the landing is so big, everyone can usually find something to climb on, there will just likely be a crowd there.

Extra Kid Fun: 

There is a small cave/hole in the wall here. You can see it in the picture above. I’ve seen kids hang out in there forever.

Potential Dangers: 

I should note that there is an easy to climb crevasse to the right among all the easy climbs. This could be good to climb for really little kids, but you would have to MacGyver a way to set up protection. If there is not protection set, it could potentially be enticing to the older kids to climb and get themselves into trouble. I haven’t seen them get into trouble but I have seen parents make it a rule that they couldn’t go up there once the kids started climbing.