Stewart Pocket
Rock Climbing

Welcome to Stewart Pocket

Located in the Granite Dells of Payson, AZ, the Stewart Pocket area may very well rival Sedona for it scenic beauty. Flanked by Stewart Ridge on the South and the Mogollon Rim on the north it not only contains the amazing boulder formations of Granite Dells, but numerous peaks or knolls, many topped by pink rocks, and many perfect cones and plenty steep (most noteworthy is Monument Peak). Add a year round stream (Stewart) weeping springs, an active riparian habitat and this area is a magnet for wildlife.

If you like hiking, this OFF TRAIL loop shows off the best of the area. It goes by a car-size balancing rock and a truck size boulder where the wash goes underneath. This loop uses parts of the PATS Cypress, Boulders, and Monument Peak trails and connects them all so trail length can be increased substantially if so desired. 

The area is not only known for awesome mountain biking and hiking but also it is an amazing place for rock climbing.  Stewart Pocket is a nice area with good climbing on mostly solid granite in a scenic location near Payson, AZ. It is fairly undeveloped, so there are a lot of potential FA’s waiting to be done.

Learn More

Learn more about Stewart Pocket before you head out!

Access Points

From the Beeline Highway & 260 intersection in Payson, take 260 east for about 1/2 mile and turn right onto Granite Dells Rd. Follow it roughly south for 1.2 miles paved, then continue on a dirt road for another 2.4 miles” until the road ends at a just before a large wash. Proceed south to the dozens of rock formations across the wash.  See trail info below.

Rock Climbing at Stewart Pocket

Stewart Pocket is an undeveloped recreation and climbing area, located a couple miles southeast of Payson (Arizona) along East Granite Dells Road.  As the name implies, it is a scenic basin (pocket) surrounded by granite towers, boulders, domes and ridges. Average elevation within the pocket is 5,000 feet (1524 meters) above sea level.

It’s also substantially forested, and lies within the Tonto National Forest on an elevational belt or biotic community called a life zone. Stewart Pocket is nestled in what is called the Pinyon pine/Juniper Woodland, a life zone existing between 4,000′-7,300′ in
the state of Arizona. Below are several unofficial TRAD Routes in the Stewart Pocket.

Click here to see videos of the area (Courtesy Arizona From Air).

More About
Stewart Pocket

Find the most important information to create a memorable trip to Stewart Pocket.