Did you know that each June marks a voluntary closure at Devils Tower? Our choices have an impact, and respecting this voluntary closure is one way we can show respect for Native People.
In the high plains of Wyoming's Black Hills, rises an otherworldly stone beacon climbers call Devils Tower. Known as Bear Lodge by the Lakota, or Mato Tipila, the phonolite tower appears frequently in the traditional stories and spirituality of many of the Plains Tribes. If you've experienced the magic of this incredible place, you may begin to understand why it has drawn generations of Indigenous Plains peoples for thousands of years, and now also draws tourists and climbers.
Why is it closed in June?
June is the most sacred month for Native ceremonies at Bear Lodge. In 1995, the National Park Service instituted a voluntary climbing closure of Devils Tower to set aside time for Tribes to conduct ceremonies without interruption from climbers. It was instituted after extensive collaboration with the Tribes and the climbing community. The closure was purposefully designed to be voluntary, in part to allow climbers the opportunity to show their respect to the Native Americans who hold the tower sacred.
So, we have a choice to make.
Access Fund asks the climbing community to step up and make the intentional decision to refrain from climbing on Devils Tower during the month of June. We hope you'll join us in respecting this closure and take the time to understand its cultural significance. Read more at the link in our bio.
There are so many amazing climbing areas in Wyoming and the surrounding region—Tensleep, Vedauwoo, Spearfish Canyon, and The Needles. If you’re in this area in June, we encourage you to check out these places instead.
📸: @jonglassberg
These country roads did, in fact, take us home 💚
Fayetteville, West Virginia gave our Access Fund crew a warm welcome for our 2026 Climbing Advocacy Conference. Last week, we were joined by over 160 climbing advocates from across the country, representing 27 different states and 50 different organizations.
That's RAD.
The energy, the conversations, the community. We always look forward to our conference, and this one was special. We hope everyone enjoyed their time as much as we did, and we look forward to seeing you all next year in another epic location.
Special thanks to our sponsors @blackdiamond@wvuoedc@alliantinsurance@kayaclimbing@bridgebrewworkswv@freefolkbrew@guenergylabs@sportbolting@rhinoskinsolutions@waterstoneoutdoors and our planning partners at @nrac.official . We couldn’t have done it without you!
📸: @calebtimmermanphoto@karenklane
We do declare that's some mighty fine rock work.
Twas a humdinger of a good time out in the Red River Gorge, KY. Welsey, Cadence, and Janfel joined the crew over at @rrgcc for some good ol' fashioned conservation work at Crossroads in Coal Bank Hollow. Four weeks of work, plus 12 stoke-filled volunteers, resulted in some impressive stats from the team.
The project:
🥾 90 ft new trail, 120 ft maintained
⛰️ 1 staircase with 16 steps built
⚒️ 1 massive retaining wall (21 feet long and 13 feet tall) constructed
🪨 94 tons of rock moved
The southeast hasn't seen the last of us yet. The team will be boots on the ground in Tennessee, working at Foster Falls, from now until June. Stay tuned for more details on that project.
As for the climbers in the Red, we hope you get out and enjoy what these fine folk have built for ya!
Special thanks to the @nationalforests for supporting this project and our Red River Gorge Climber Stewards program.
Yup, this rocks.
Jeff, James, Jonna, and Geoff continue to impress in the west. The Conservation Team just wrapped at Supercrack Buttress in Indian Creek, and y'all, we are going to let these stats speak for themselves.
Project Recap:
🥾 900 ft of trail maintained
🚧 1000 ft of social trails closed and restored
⛰️ 17 staircases with 89 steps built
⚒️ 33 retaining walls constructed
🪨 101 tons of stone moved
🧗♂️ Another successful Work Week in the Creek with 46 total volunteers (thank you, @blackdiamond , for joining in on the fun!)
👈 Make sure to swipe to the end to see how these professional before & after photos are taken.
Thank you to all the volunteers who traded a morning of hand jamming for moving rocks. You made these stats possible.
The west team now moves on to Nevada, but don't worry, we will be back in the Creek this fall!
For now, Creek Freaks, enjoy the delightful AND sustainable approach to Supercrack.
A special thank you to our Work Week in the Creek sponsors: @blackdiamond@climbmoabgym@metoliusclimbing@skabrewing
Earth Day, Every Day.
Today is a powerful reminder of the why behind our mission. We purchase land at-risk of development. We fight for long-term policy protection of climbing areas at the national and state level. We head into the field with our stewardship teams to conserve these places for future generations.
At Access Fund, every day is Earth Day because we protect what we care about.
We hope you get outside today, climb, and reconnect with the places we all love.
📸: @morganphillips@seth.b.anderson@leonardsalas@francoislebeau
In August 2023, Hurricane Hilary swept through the Southwest, and Mt. Charleston, NV, was among the many areas heavily impacted. Trails were wiped out, parking lots flooded, educational kiosks and critical infrastructure were destroyed, and in the aftermath of the storm, the U.S. Forest Service closed the entire area, leaving climbers and outdoor recreationists without access indefinitely.
⏩ Fast forward to today.
Access Fund's West Conservation Team is headed to Mt. Charleston for a long-awaited restoration project. Over the next two months, we will be working on the Mary Jane Falls Trail, alongside the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and @southernnevadaclimbers , installing switchbacks, rebuilding trails, and constructing retaining walls.
The National Forest’s goal is to open the area by 2027, and Access Fund is both honored and equally stoked to be a part of this multi-year effort to address climbing access in the greater Mt. Charleston area.
This is a legacy project in the making, and we are inviting you to be a part of it! The more hands we have slinging rocks, the better.
⚒️ Pick up a rock bar, bring your stoke, and join us at Mt. Charleston.
🔗 Let's get to work (link in bio).
📸: Photo provided by SNCC
Hey, Washington! 👋 We're here!
Last weekend, we officially launched our 5th Climber Steward location, and it's a goodie! You can catch Adrien and Sharon in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, stationed at some of the most visited climbing areas in Washington. They’ll be kicking it in the alpine, boulderfields, and sport crags around Mazama and Leavenworth connecting with climbers at all the classic locations—Icicle Creek, Phun Rock, Washington Pass, and the Enchantments.
Climber Stewards are local experts dedicated to protecting and conserving the climbing environment, and empowering fellow climbers to do the same.
📍Where are they now? For the next month, the Stewards will be stationed in Leavenworth before moving up to Mazama in May.
❄️ Fridays: Snow Lakes parking lot
🌲 Saturdays: Forestlands parking lot
🌼 Sundays: Mad Meadows trailhead
Locations are set to change throughout the year, so stay tuned for when we are on the move.
☕ If you spot the Stews in the wild, stop by, grab a warm beverage, and learn a hot fact about the area.
Reach higher! 🧗 From boulders to big walls, we want the shots that capture the trust, precision, and bond between climber and rock.
🪨 Category supported by @accessfund
Think you’ve got the angle?
📩 Submissions open May 11!
Discover more via link in bio.
#theillume #photography #climbing #action #sports
On March 31, The US Forest Service (USFS) announced a major reorganization plan. Changes are coming to the agency over the next year, but not to how Access Fund shows up. We will continue to work with our partners at the USFS and help steward our national forests. Because we are climbers who protect our public lands.
Read about these changes (link in bio).
📸: @calebtimmermanphoto
📝 add these to the tick list!
Boulder problems, sport climbs, and trad lines, the midwest has it all. Whether you're looking for something new or just passing through, here are four crags to check out this summer.
A huge thank you to our local climbing organization partners. Stay in the loop with these orgs for trail days and local events to learn more about how you can help protect midwest climbing.
📸: photos & crag information provided by LCO partners
