Several miles east of Sweet Home, Oregon and near the community of Upper Soda is the unique Menagerie Wilderness Area, a small wild region that contains a wealth of tuffaceous rock spires, arches and cliffs of unusual shapes and sizes, even some monstrous spires in excess of 350’ high. The majority of summits and cliffs tend to be concentrated in the Keith Creek drainage, but a healthy selection of additional spires do exist in the Trout Creek drainage to the west, and Soda and Bear Creek to the east. The Menagerie is not a crowded destination climbing site, partly due to its distance from a major metro area. Other factors that tend to limit climber interest is the variable quality of rock, which can range from excellent quality at the Rooster Rock group, to less than ideal on some of the upper spires. In other instances, some route pitches can be of poor quality rock, while the remainder of the climbing route may be reasonable. If you plan to rock climb here your destination will probably be Rooster Rock via the main trail starting at the highway parking spot. Its a long uphill hike from the road to [approx. 1800' of vertical hiking elevation] the Rooster Rock group of spires.
There are ultimately three common sources for directions and beta to The Menagerie climbing area:
1. Northwest Oregon Rock
2. Rock Climbing Western Oregon, by Greg Orton
3. Rock Climbing Oregon, by Adam Bolf and Ben Ruef
One very old guidebook details a minor bit about this site (primarily historical reference): A Climbing Guide to Oregon, by Nick Dodge (print date 1973)
Services: The nearest gas station is located in Sweet Home, Oregon.
Amenities: The nearest grocery stores are in Sweet Home, also. This town has a minor selection of fast-food eateries, restaurants, and taverns.
Camping: Plenty of free roadside car camping exists along U.S. Hwy 20 (or along the NF gravel roads) in the region near the climbing site. Nearby fee campgrounds are Cascadia CG, Trout Creek CG, House Rock CG, and Fernview CG (to name just a few).
Administrative Agency: This area is managed by Sweet Home Ranger District, Sweet Home, OR 97386. Peregrine falcon closure effects the entire upper Menagerie until usually August 1st (check online at the local Forest Service office for schedule).
Seasonal Factors: The Rooster Rock Group of pinnacles is usually free of snow and available from mid-May through October (3500' elevation).
Climbing Precautions: Wear a helmet.
Road access conditions: Primary paved road (U.S. Hwy 20) travels past this site, but the road is closed in winter at Upper Soda (because of snowpack). The upper entrance to the upper Menagerie (for Turkey Monster) is gated until the peregrine falcon closure is lifted (usually August 1st).
