Windy Point
Climbers will find everything from an easy-angled practice cliff to dead-vertical test pieces at this site near milepost 14 on the Catalina Highway northeast of Tucson. It's a wonderland of spires, towers and sheer faces perched high above the surrounding canyons.
Cochise Stronghold
Massive granite domes and fins pose grand vertical challenges in a rugged redoubt once used as a hideout by the Apache warrior Cochise. The site, in the Dragoon Mountains east of Benson, is known for its long, strenuous climbs - but the area also has plenty of easier lines.
Jack's Canyon
Steep - way steep - limestone and sandstone cliffs lure climbers to this comely canyon southwest of Winslow. Spring and fall are the best seasons, but some climbers visit Jack's on hot summer days and even on sunny afternoons in winter.
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Queen Creek
Scores of climbing routes - on a type of volcanic rock known as tuff - make this site near Superior one of the largest and most active climbing areas in the state. Queen Creek is known for its sport climbs - routes with anchors permanently fixed to the rock.
Granite Dells
This area near Prescott is famous for - wouldn't you know? - its granite rock formations. Climbers will find an array of appealing ascents at sites known as the High Rappel Dells and Watson Lake Dells.
- Selected by Doug Kreutz