Name of area: Devils Canyon
Where: between Lower Monumental Dam and Kahlotus, WA
How do I get there from Walla Walla?: Drive north on Hwy 125 past the state Pen. Turn left on Harvey Shaw Rd. Head north for 20 miles or so to Clyde. Turn left at Clyde and right shortly thereafter on the road to Lower Monmental dam. Cross the dam (open only during daylight hours) and then turn right toward Kahlotus. Routes are 1.5 miles up the road on the left (west) where the talus field comes down to the road.
How long of a drive is it? one hour
What's there?: Basalt cliffs above an abandoned railroad grade. The cliffs are up to 300 ft. high but much is too rotten to climb. There are presently two bolted routes, a 5.9 (50 ft.) and 5.8 (80 ft.) with potential for more with extensive loose rock removal. A bolted-in cable in a steep gully serves as a handline to access the top of the climbs, however existing routes can not be top-roped. Wear your helmet!! The cliff faces east so is sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon. The potential exists for some truly photogenic climbs on the swirling columns in this area. The railroad grade at the base of the cliff is part of the Columbia Plateau Trail, a rails-to-trails recreational trail managed by Washington State Parks.
Land Ownership: Washington State Parks, Harder Family
Pros: It's close. It's real rock. It can be warm (in the morning) in the winter if the sun is out. It can be cool and shady in the summer in the afternoon. The swirling columns are pretty cool. there's good camping and a beach nearby at Windust Park, downstream from the dam.
Cons: The rock is very loose and crumbling in places. It takes a lot of rock removal to put up a new route. You need to where a helmet!
Comments: Good place to go have an adventure.