He flashes a grin and asks to be let down. My six-year-old struggles to get started, then figures out a rhythm, finding holds for his hands and feet. We set up a rope on an isolated stone in Castle Rock State Park and let the kids take protected round trips up and down the casual slope. Most private property is well marked however, and guidebooks can introduce you to the proper route information. The region is a patchwork of public and private lands, so it’s important to be mindful of where you can and cannot climb. Most routes top out on silo-like features, requiring a climber to lead to the top to set up a top rope for others to follow. The two adjacent valleys, City of Rocks and Castle Rocks, have superior granite-drawing climbers from around the world to tackle the region’s 1,000 or so routes.Ĭlimbs range from easy scrambling to the top-of-the-game, 5.14 routes. Truck loaded with bikes, hiking shoes and a weekend’s worth of rations, we make our way to the “Silent City”.Īfter the pioneers of yesteryear, climbing is what put the City of Rocks on the modern topographical map, and I would be remiss not to mention it. The Tracy General Store claims to be the longest continuously run mercantile in the state, where the biggest change might be the addition of climbing chalk in the bin next to tack supplies.īut the end of the road is where the adventure begins, and that’s why my family has packed our bags to make our fourth trip to the City of Rocks. Rather, it embraces its traditional ranching roots. Literally perched at the end of the pavement, Almo hasn’t been gussied up like so many towns of the Old West. Not much has changed here in the last 150 years. Still, throngs of visitors are still captivated by this polylithic city of stone.Īt the outskirts of the “City”, we stop at the quaint township of Almo to stock up on ice. Nowadays, the wagon of choice is more Subaru than Conestoga. Named for the prominent granite fins that protrude from the desert, the Silent City of Rocks was a milestone for emigrants traveling west in search of a new start, or fortunes via the California Trail. My family and I came to spend a long weekend at the City of Rocks, a martian-like landscape where rocks appear to bubble up out of the desert sage. We’ve purposely traveled 200 miles into nowhere to get to our final destination. A distant truck rambles down a lonesome desert road kicking up an orange plume of dust that hangs in the air. The high-desert landscape takes on a hue of blue as the sun sets behind the Albion Mountains. Looking for professional services? We can provide referrals for top of the line stone masons, landscape companies, and designers that would be happy to assist you in the design and installation of your indoor or outdoor living space with the unique elegance of natural stone.Steve Graepel worked in partnership with Visit Idaho to create this Travel Tip. We encourage you to stop in to speak with one of our friendly, knowledgeable sales team members to get all of your questions answered, help with quantity estimates, and advice on the best rock to meet your needs. We are also a resource for all of your landscape and masonry accessories including commercial-grade Oly-Ola Polymer Landscape Edgings, 12-gauge steel landscape edging, Gator Dust Polymeric flagstone and paver joint sand, Prosoco Sealant / Cleaning Products, Professional-Grade Quikrete mortar products, and Phillips Manufacturing self-furring steel lath. Our landscape stone is also available for pickup in your truck or trailer in any amount. We handle orders from a half ton to several hundred tons while offering convenient daily delivery service throughout the Kansas City Metro and beyond. We are also your local source for gravel, sand, mulch, and pulverized compost-enriched top soil. We carry several different colors and sizes of river rock, bagged rock, natural wall stone, stone edging, decomposed granite, limestone slabs, landscape boulders, flagstone, bluestone, Mexican beach pebbles and natural stone thin veneer. For nearly 40 years, we have been serving Kansas City contractors and homeowners with several types of natural stone and landscape rock for a variety of needs. We welcome you to the House of Rocks, one of the Midwest’s most complete natural stone and landscape supply companies.
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