Climbing Areas in Crisis

Credit Photo Courtesy of:
Damon Corso

Many of our climbing areas are falling apart.

Eroding approach trails and beat-down, barren bases. Protruding tree roots that were never meant to see the light of day. Toilet paper flowers. The story is the same from Maine to California: The popularity of climbing has skyrocketed, and if we don't address these impacts they will eventually lead to access restrictions and closures.

Land managers lack the funding and often the expertise to fix these growing impacts, and getting through the red tape to put a shovel in the ground is often their biggest obstacle.

There are several bills and initiatives being drafted now that will streamline these processes for public lands, and we need your help to show land managers a groundswell of support and commitment from the climbing community.

The Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Teams and local climbing organizations across the country are shovel-ready—we just need approval to work. We can't let land managers get caught up in red tape and close areas because they don't have resources to fix them.

We need your help to tell land managers that:

  • Climbers are dedicated stewards, not just users of these lands
  • The Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team and many local climbing organizations have the expertise to tackle large-scale stewardship initiatives that will make these areas sustainable forever
  • Cut the red tape and allow our expert conservationists and professional trail builders to address the impacts of climbing
Tell Land Managers: Let Climbers Tackle Stewardship
I am a climber and a dedicated steward of our nation’s climbing areas. You have limited resources to care for the lands under your management, and I’m asking you to allow climbers to help. The Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team has the expertise to tackle large-scale, technical stewardship initiatives that will create sustainable recreation infrastructure that will last for generations. Streamline your approval processes and let climbers be your partners in actively managing and sustaining climbing areas.