Be a Rock Star

BE A ROCK STAR

You’ll find more than 50 boulder problems on the rocks in the Browns Valley Open Space on the north side of Vacaville.

Most of the climbing here is on the easy to moderate side, with the most difficult problems in the V7-V9 range. The boulders are easy to get to and on a clear day you can see the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance.

The Nut Tree Boulders are easily accessible from either Interstate 80 or the 505, and you’ll find more than 50 problems in the easy to moderate range. The rock here is basalt, which means the good holds are really good, but there can also be some loose stuff in there. It also means you can’t climb here after it rains or the holds could break. The Nut Tree Boulders are not as busy as other climbing areas, and are split into three sections: Boxcar Woody Boulders, Hillcrest Boulders, and Woodcrest Boulders.

The Boxcar Woody Boulders are a popular after-work climbing spot because there is no approach - the boulders are right next to the road. The Hillcrest Boulders are a little more spread out, but have the most problems, as well as the area classics. The hardest problem in Vacaville is found at Hillcrest (Scott’s Traverse, V9). The Woodcrest Boulders are more concentrated and is the most popular area in the Nut Boulders. It’s easy to run a circuit on the problems in this area and there’s also a short approach The area is still being developed, but most problems fall within V0-V5. The majority of the boulders are around 10-20 feet, but there’s the occasional 30-foot climb if you like exciting highballs. The best time to come is in the winter and on cooler spring or fall days.

DIRECTIONS, PARKING, & REGULATIONS

The trails in the Browns Valley Open Space are not marked, so you have to do a bit of exploring to find the boulders. There are several entrance spots for the open space area- look for cattle grates and signs posted.

Parking is available by the corner of Wrentham and Vaca Valley Parkway. Please be courteous about parking in the residential neighborhood.

There are also cattle in the area (vaca does mean “cow” after all), and you shouldn’t approach them. Because of the animals in the area, be extra diligent about packing out whatever you take in

There’s no camping in the area, but there are plenty of hotels and RV parks in town.

Basalt can be very fragile when wet and easily break, so you should not climb here within 24 hours of a rain.

tips

Difficulty- 2 stars

Most of the bouldering here is in the easy to moderate range.

Time to Complete- 2 days

There are definitely enough problems to come back again and again, but most people head out for a weekend.

Seasonality- Fall/Winter/Spring-the best time to climb here is in the winter when temperatures are cooler. You can climb on cooler days in the spring or fall, but June through September is usually too hot. You can’t climb here within 24 hours of rain or holds could break off.

Dog-Friendly- Yes, on-leash or at least under voice control due to the cows roaming around the area.