For a climber wanting to climb on private property, it is important to have a good understanding of the laws of the state in which the climbing is located. Most states require all recreational users to have permission from the landowner, or its lessee or agent before climbing on private property regardless of whether the land is posted or not. By definition, trespassing includes traveling to an area where you intend to climb. It is every climber's responsibility to know who owns the land on which he or she wants to climb, what access may be available to the crag, and whether there are any land use restrictions that may apply there.

Rock climbing is a legitimate and longstanding use of our nation's public lands. Rock climbing, ice climbing, bouldering and mountaineering are practiced in many places on our nation's diverse public lands. Throughout our National Park System, as administered by the National Park Service, climbing is considered a "welcomed and historical use." In national parks like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Rocky Mountain climbing has been a popular pursuit for more than half a century. Climbing is also a welcomed and historical use on other agency lands including hundreds of sites managed by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and Army Corp of Engineers. At the state and regional level, climbing is equally popular. State parks in New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and California, to name but a few, offer a variety of rock climbing opportunities. County and city parks also provide climbing opportunities.