Colorado · Rock climbing · Twin Lakes

Summit Dome

Summit Dome in Colorado has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, featuring mixed and trad styles.

6 routes
5.8 – 5.12a/b
Mixed · Trad

Is Summit Dome open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Leadville Ranger District. It doesn't name Summit Dome, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Leadville Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Summit Dome

Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    34° / 5°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    35° / 5°

    5 wet

  3. Mar

    41° / 13°

    6 wet

  4. Apr

    46° / 21°

    6 wet

  5. May

    58° / 30°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    70° / 37°

    8 wet

  7. Jul

    74° / 43°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    71° / 42°

    12 wet

  9. Sep

    65° / 35°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    53° / 26°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    42° / 17°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    34° / 8°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Twin Lakes Rsvr, CO, 5.6 mi away at 9,236 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Summit Dome is a climbing area in the Leadville Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits alongside Boulder Wall and Trailhead Wall, both climbing areas about 0.1 mile away, which makes it easy to pair with other routes in the same cluster. The climbing here leans toward mixed styles, with six routes covering grades from 5.8 up to 5.12a/b. The trad route Cherry on Top is the outlier at 5.8, while the hardest is Utterly Thin at 5.12a/b. Among the mixed routes, Perfect Weather and Waves of Thunder sit at 5.10a and 5.10b, and several of the routes were first climbed by Drew Spaulding. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. A nearby weather station at Twin Lakes records typical July highs around 74°F and lows near 43°F, though the station sits about 876 feet lower than the dome, so temperatures up top run cooler. September is a milder option, with typical highs around 65°F.

Routes (6)