San Diego climbing resource Poway Crags has been re-opened to climbing after a 7 year closure. This quiet crag offers quality rock climbing routes up to 200 feet in length not far from the urban center of San Diego, making this a major win for climbers in the area.

The work to regain access was championed by Allied Climbers of San Diego (ACSD). ACSD is an environmentally responsible membership-based climbers’ advocacy organization and an Access Fund Affiliate. Dedicated to promoting and maintaining access to climbing and outdoor recreation, ACSD is a California 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation which acts as a collective voice for balanced access rights of outdoor enthusiasts in and surrounding the San Diego region.

Poway Crags was originally closed due to a major wildfire in 2003. Signs were posted telling of habitat restoration. Climbers respected this and the area fell quiet. Years later, nature had healed itself and the rocks started calling once again. ACSD made contact with the City of Poway and received an unofficial go-ahead to climb. Because the goal of ACSD is to secure and maintain access, they pushed ahead to gain official documentation granting climbing access to the area. This process became complicated by a Golden Eagle nest located in one of the Poway Crags climbing areas. In the past this area had been avoided by climbers during the nesting season as an advisory was posted in the local guidebook.

A three year long process that tested ACSD’s perseverance resulted in an official letter from the City of Poway granting access to the climbing resource for the public. ACSD made regular calls, visits, and wrote letters to city personnel on this issue, and brought in third party experts to advocate for a more appropriate restriction. Keeping in line with its dedication to environmentally responsible recreation ACSD has worked with the City of Poway to develop appropriate buffer zones and a seasonal restriction at the location surrounding the nesting site.

ACSD’s good relationship with land managers of other local climbing resources was part of the key to enabling success at Poway Crags. ACSD still has work ahead to keep the public informed about responsible recreation in an area with important nesting resources. The real success will be in providing one more example of how responsible climbing is a compatible use in an open space habitat conservation area that is also home to an important species, such as the Golden Eagle.