Climbing
Vedauwoo Recreation Area, just 25 minutes southeast of Laramie, is the perfect place to learn new climbing techniques, sharpen your wide crack climbing skills, or watch some aerial acrobatics. Stable weather, grippy rock, and a variety of challenges make this an international climbing attraction.
Vedauwoo (pronounced VEE-da-voo) offers something for everyone, most notably, great access. Most formations are a short, flat hike from the roads. There are all styles of climbing to be found here, and with perfect pitches and great anchors, you can train here like nobody’s business. But should you decide to take this challenge, don’t forget the tape. The Sherman Granite rock is coarse-grained and very sharp.
Vedauwoo rocks offer easy access to some of the best wide crack climbing in the world. There are also crimpy face climbs, abundant boulder problems, and bomb-proof anchors for setting up top ropes. The sharp, coarse-grained rock inspires tape and durable clothing in all but the most masochistic of climbers.
The best climbers in the world flock here to test their skills. Despite hosting some of the most difficult wide crack climbing in the world, this area offers great granite routes for every level of climber.
Many thanks to the Southeast Wyoming Climber's Coalition for hosting events, cleanups, and projects to help better the climbing experience.
Explore the interactive digital Vedauwoo Climber's guidebook at vedauwoobouldering.com.
Recommended Climbs
Beginner
Rip Chords 5.6
Back to Bucket Country 5.6
Ed’s Crack 5.7
Captain Nemo 5.7
Mother #1 5.8
Intermediate
MRC 5.9
Lower Progressive 5.9
Friday the 13th 5.10
Advanced
The Wing 5.12
Lucille 5.13
Christie’s Ultimatum 5.12b
Vedauwoo History
Wandering nomadic hunters may have scrambled on the striking formations of Vedauwoo, but modern climbing arrived here post-WWII, courtesy of former 10th Mountain Division soldiers. The first guidebook came out in 1966 and described 33 climbs; there are now over 900 established routes in Vedauwoo with new areas constantly evolving. For the most current information, a chat with locals in a Laramie outdoor store and purchase of the most recent edition of the guidebook are highly recommended.
Vedauwoo is derived from the Arapaho word “bito’o’wu” meaning “earth-born.” The characteristic hoodoos and outcrops of this region are made of 1.4 billion-year-old Sherman Granite, some of the oldest rock in Wyoming, but still a billion years younger than the Tetons. The fabulous formations are due to an uplift of the Laramie Mountains that began about 70 million years ago, along with the erosion of younger layers of rock and sediment, which continues to this day.
Directions: From Laramie, take Interstate 80 East for 16 miles to Exit 329. Turn left onto Vedauwoo Glen Road and follow it for just over a mile, where another left on Road 720 will take you to the campground.
Fees and Camping Information
Entrance Fee: There is a $5 a day parking fee for the paved lot in the main climbing area.
Camping: The two Forest Service campgrounds near the main climbing area cost $10 per vehicle per night. There is also free at-large camping on Forest Service Land in the Vedauwoo area.
Camping
Stunning scenery beckons to those who want to sleep under the stars in the Laramie area. Escape the crowds and enjoy your own slice of Wyoming wilderness in Medicine Bow National Forest or the Vedauwoo Recreation Area.
Outdoors & Recreation
Laramie, Wyoming offers sports and recreation enthusiasts an endless supply of things to do. If adventure is what you’re after, this area in and around Laramie offers adrenaline for every outdoor sports and recreation...