Austin, the capital of Texas and one of the most personable cities in America, surprisingly is a place that really rocks. It's not only billed as the Live Music Capital of the World and has the most bars per capita of any US city on Sixth Street, but it also has a lot of real rock. Yep, that is a real surprise in the heart of Texas.
Austin is the hub of central Texas limestone climbing. All kinds of good routes are found on small cliffs in the city, including over 200 along Barton Creek in the Barton Creek Greenbelt and more toughies at Bull Creek, with its hard testpieces on the Library Wall.
Farther afield, a 30-minute drive southwest of Austin, is the surreal area at Reimer's Ranch. The site, one of the best sand-bass fishing areas in Texas, offers lots of good climbing, including a bounty of routes from 5.9 to 5.11. Even farther away is Enchanted Rock near Fredricksburg. This big ole granite dome yields lots of good ole rock climbs, mostly on slabs and cracks.
Winter, which is starting right about now, is the best time to go climbing around Austin. Read my new article Austin Rock Climbing: Where to Climb in Texas and make plans to go listen to some Texas country music, tip back a few longnecks, and pull down on some limestone and granite cliffs.
Read more about Texas rock climbing:
Austin Rock Climbing: Where to Climb in Texas
Hueco Tanks: America's Best Winter Climbing and Bouldering Area
Hueco Tanks: Guide to the Front Side Routes
Hueco Tanks Photo Gallery
Photograph above: Enchanted Rock, a big granite dome west of Austin, offers some great slab and crack climbs. Photograph courtesy Austin Rock Gym
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