Quartz Mountain

History

Baldy Point, or “Quartz” as it referred to by the local climbing community, has been attracting dedicated climbers to southwest Oklahoma for more than thirty years to hone their skills and test their nerves on its fabulous granite and legendary routes. Located twenty miles north of Altus at Quartz Mountain Nature Park, Baldy Point rises three hundred feet from the prairie at the far western end of the Wichita Mountain range. The nearly half-mile long south face hosts what is undoubtedly the greatest collection of one and two pitch, technical friction climbs in this region of the country. Routes like Bourbon Street (5.8), S-Wall (5.9), Last of the Good Guys (5.10), Amazon Woman (5.10) and Chicago Bound (5.11) are just a few of the celebrated classics. The quality of the rock and style of climbing are so fine that Doug Robinson once referred to Quartz as the “Tuolumne of the Midwest”, an honorable comparison to the climbing found in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.

The earliest ascents at Quartz took place in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, and were limited to the easier crack lines, such as Hobbit (5.7) and South Pacific (5.8). Free climbing was just coming of age then, and the techniques and tools for ascending Quartz’s steep, featureless walls had not yet made it to Oklahoma. But all of that changed in the late 1970’s, when a young group of talented climbers from around the state descended on Quartz for what was to become the “Golden Age” of Oklahoma climbing. During the five-year period from 1978 to 1982, the majority of Quartz’s most difficult and classic lines were established in a purist style that involved only the highest standards of free climbing, ground-up first ascents, and a bare minimum of fixed anchors. The results were some of the finest and boldest face climbs in the Midwest. Today, those lines remain in their original style, as the local climbing community has chosen to preserve Quartz’s historic values and honored traditions.

Since technical climbing began at Quartz in the early 1970’s, the property was privately owned by Ted and Margaret Johnson, who graciously allowed the climbing community access to the mountain. Over the years, Ted’s initial curiosity with the sport grew to become a serious armchair interest. In later years, it wasn’t uncommon for Ted to show up at the parking area at the end of the day to hear about a new route or an epic ascent. When Ted passed away in 1993, many in the climbing community began to worry about what might become of Quartz when Margaret was no longer around. Those concerns became a reality in 2000 when it was learned that the Johnson’s property was to be sold in order to provide for Margaret’s health care needs.

Following the discovery that a local developer had purchased part of the Johnson property just east of Quartz, the Wichita Mountains Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund began an immediate effort to save Baldy Point. Thankfully, Ted and Margaret’s daughter understood how much the Baldy Point property and climbing had meant to her parents, and quickly committed to work with the two organizations to find a way to preserve the area. At the same time, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department began to express their interest in acquiring Quartz, to protect both its climbing resources and natural environment.

On March 30, 2001, following more than a year of negotiations and fundraising, the Access Fund and Wichita Mountains Climbers Coalition finalized the purchase of the Baldy Point. The property was immediately donated to the State of Oklaoma, and one month later on May 5, 2001, Baldy Point was officially dedicated as part of Quartz Mountain State Park.

On January 1, 2002, Quartz Mountain State Park, including Baldy Point, became Quartz Mountain Nature Park. At that time, management of the park was transferred from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

PARK OFFICE and VISITOR CENTER:

Location: 1/2 mile east of the main Park entrance
Hours: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday
Available: general information, tent sites, group camps, shelters
Telephone: 580-563-2238

Parking:

A 2019 analysis of state park facilities and infrastructure found that, for years, funding levels have been well below the amount needed to adequately maintain our state parks at a level that would ensure the safe and enjoyable use of our parklands. In response, the agency developed a multi-pronged strategy to streamline processes, reduce operational costs and increase revenue in order to adequately fund capital reinvestment in our parks. Funding generated by the Parking Pass Program will provide much-needed resources to return park facilities and infrastructure to an acceptable standard and maintain them at that standard.

Parking pass fees from each state park are reinvested into the park where they were generated.

Day Parking Passes are $10.00 ($8.00).  Annual Parking Passes are $75.00 ($60.00). The Discount rate is 20%, including Oklahoma and tribal license plates. 

CAMPING:

Quartz Mountain State Park Campground
Available: tent sites, RV sites, picnic tables, grills, firepits, bathrooms, showers, drinking water, swimming, fishing
Fees: $16.00 per tent per night (up to 4 people per tent); $25.00 -$31.00 for RV sites with hookups

Note: Camping may be reserved online at the TravelOK website. Camping includes a parking pass. Camping is available after hours. If you arrive after the park office closes, you may occupy any available tent site and register the next morning during the week. On weekends, a Park Ranger will collect the fee each morning.

Note: Currently, the Baldy Point area is designated as Day Use Only. No overnight camping is permitted at this time. However, in the future primitive camping permits may be available for the area. The WMCC requests that all climbers abide by the Day Use Only requirements until a permit system is in place for primitive camping at Baldy Point

LODGE and CABINS:

Lodging is available through the new Quartz Mountain Lodge, through rental of a Lakeshore Cabin, or in Altus, Oklahoma.
For more information, contact:
Quartz Mountain Lodge
Telephone: 580-563-9174
Website: www.travelok.com/state-parks/quartz-mountain-state-park

GROCERIES and SUPPLIES:

***The old bait shop and mini-mart at the park no longer exists. The lodge has limited supplies as of now.

Note: Groceries and supplies are available in the town of Blair (8 miles south of the Park), Mangum (10 miles west of Baldy Point), or Altus (20 miles south of the Park)

RESTAURANTS & FAST FOOD:

Where: Quartz Mountain Lodge
What: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Where: Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Blair, Oklahoma (8 miles south of the Park)
What: Lunch, Dinner

Where: Pizza Hut and Sonic in Mangum, Oklahoma (10 miles west of Baldy Point)

Where: Numerous to choose from in Altus, Oklahoma (20 miles south of the Park)

Quartz Regulations

General: The Baldy Point area is open to the public year round,  during daylight hours (dawn to dusk).

Parking: Visitors are required to park their vehicles in the parking lot located on the southwest side of Baldy Point. The parking lot is accessed from the west via a county dirt road. New parking fees were implemented in 2020.

Allowed Uses: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Nature Observation and Photography, and Environmental Education and Interpretation.

Prohibited Uses: Camping, Mountain Biking, Hunting, Firearms (including Paintball Guns), and Fires.

Rock Climbing: Technical Climbing, including Bouldering and Rappelling, are available to visitors at their own risk.

Fixed Anchors: The addition of any new fixed anchor or removal of any existing anchor at QMSP is subject to the explicit recommendation of the WMCC Advisory Bolting Committee (abc.wmcc@gmail.com). Application for installation or removal must be made using the QMSP FA Application process.

Quartz Cautions

WARNING – CLIMB AT BALDY POINT AT YOUR OWN RISK

Obtain proper training and guidance before climbing.

YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY.

Rock Climbing and associated activities (such as Rappelling) are inherently dangerous.

SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF INJURY AND DEATH EXIST!

Permission to climb at Baldy Point is premised upon your assumption of all risk of injury to person and property. Climbing risks include, but are not limited to: falling; collisions with both manmade and natural objects; falling rocks and other debris; failure of equipment or anchors; adverse weather; human error; slippery surfaces; and the negligence of other users.