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 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.
Important revision!! - Due to paranoia after 9/11, Monumental Dam is closed to traffic. Now the only way to get to Devils Canyon from Walla Walla is to drive to Pasco and turn right on the Pasco-Kahlotus road shortly after crossing the Snake River. It takes about two hours to get there this way and it's probably not worth driving 4 hours round trip.
How long of a drive is it? one hour
What's there?: A lot of rotten basalt in an abandoned railway cut. 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 moring and shady in afternoon. The potential exists for some truly photogenic climbs on the swirling columns in this area. In the near future, the abandoned railroad grade at the base of the cliff is scheduled to become a rails-to-trails recreational trail managed by Washington state parks.
Land Ownership: unknown
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 when you can't drive too far and Spring Mountain is too cold.