Location

Approximately 50 miles west of Ft. Worth, Texas.

Useful Phone Numbers

Campsite reservations - (512) 389-8900
Park office - (940) 328-1171

Getting There

From Dallas, take I-30 west to Ft. Worth, then take I-20 west to the US Highway 180 split at Weatherford. Follow 180 through Weatherford to the Mineral Wells park road turn-off 3 miles east of Mineral Wells (14 miles west of Weatherford). Turn right (north) onto the park road, and follow it approximately 1/2 mile to the park office. Directions

Club Trips

None. Grab a cooler, your gear, and a couple of friends and go spend a Sunday afternoon playing outside.

Types of Climbing

Primarily toproping with limited bouldering. There are approximately 75 listed routes in the park, most in the 5.5 to 5.10 range. The most popular routes are usually grabbed in the morning and may have ropes hanging on them even when there is no one climbing. Generally people are pretty good about letting you use their rope when they aren't using it, but ALWAYS check first. It is also a good idea (anytime, but especially in an area like Mineral Wells) to check the setup before you climb on it. There are a lot of newbies setting up climbs who don't know what safe, redundant, equalized, no-extension... means.

Lead climbing is prohibited at Mineral Wells, and sometimes all but knee-high bouldering is discouraged; however, somebody has to go up and set up the climbs. Some routes can be set up practically from the trail on the way in, but some of the approaches to the tops of climbs are dangerous undertakings. The setups for PeeWee's, the Diving Board, and 5.9 Crack include approaches that should be considered either very high bouldering or outright free soloing. Falls from the top of these approaches could be serious or possibly even fatal.

Rock

The rock at Mineral Wells is a relatively soft, sometimes loose, sandstone conglometate. It features some long, continuous crack lines; layered, limestone- like sections; crystaline rugosities; and even huecos. Routes at the Wells can require a mixture of delicate friction face, crack, and overhanging limestone jug-haul techniques.

Climbing Season

Almost anytime. Most trips to Mineral Wells are day trips from the metroplex, so the weather is not a major factor. Many of the climbs are in the shade at least part of the day, so climbing, even in the middle of the summer, is not entirely out of the question. Conversely, most of the climbs are protected from direct wind, so climbing in the middle of the winter, especially on sunny routes, can be quite pleasant.

Rain, however, can be a problem at Mineral Wells because so many of the routes are partially shaded and do not dry off quickly. The rangers close and occasionally patrol the climbing area if they determine that it is too wet to climb. If you have any doubts about climbing conditions, call the park office.

Accommodations

Mineral Wells offers all types of camping and lodging arrangements from primitive back country campsites, to tent and RV sites with water and electrical hook-ups, to screened shelters, to cabins. Call the Texas Parks and Wildlife reservations number for prices and availability.

There is a park store that sells food, drinks, and some tourist essentials. The park also has a boat ramp, mountain biking, and equestrian trails.

Expenses

Day use fees at the Wells are $5.00 per person per day for park entry, and $3.00 per person per day for a climbing pass.

Guidebooks

Texas Limestone II, second edition, by Jeff Jackson, copyright 1995, Texas Mountain Guides/Homo Aggro Press. $14.95. Don't expect any glitzy route descriptions for Mineral Wells in this guide, but it at least lists the routes, includes a little map, and provides a fair estimate of the grades. One of the best reasons to buy this guide is that it's also the guide for practically every other climbing area in Texas except for Enchanted Rock and Hueco Tanks.

Texas Limestone II can be purchased at most gear shops in the area.