Colorado · Rock climbing · Red Cliff

The Aircraft Carrier

Aircraft Carrier is a climbing crag in Colorado with 21 routes.

21 routes
V0+ – V11
Bouldering · Sport

Is Aircraft Carrier, The open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in White River National Forest. It doesn't name Aircraft Carrier, The, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Aircraft Carrier

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

    29° / 7°

    12 wet

  2. Feb

    33° / 9°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    42° / 17°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    49° / 24°

    9 wet

  5. May

    60° / 31°

    9 wet

  6. Jun

    71° / 36°

    8 wet

  7. Jul

    77° / 42°

    10 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 41°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    67° / 34°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    54° / 25°

    7 wet

  11. Nov

    38° / 15°

    9 wet

  12. Dec

    28° / 7°

    11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Vail, CO, 11.2 mi away at 8,304 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Aircraft Carrier is a climbing area in the Holy Cross Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado. It sits within the forest's ranger district boundaries, and the nearest town is Vail, about 11 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Vail weather station show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s. Several other spots are close by. Homestake Designated Dispersed campground is about 0.3 miles away, and the Homestake Road Crag climbing area is about 0.5 miles off. Hornsilver Campground and the Eagle River, a canoeing route, are both within a mile.

Routes (21)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

HornsilverPhoto: KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hornsilver

~2 min drive

Hornsilver in Colorado has 4 routes with sport and trad options.

Roof RockPhoto: KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Roof Rock

~2 min drive

Roof Rock in Colorado has 7 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Tiger CliffPhoto: foto3116, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tiger Cliff

~23 min drive

Tiger Cliff in Colorado has 3 routes with alpine no fixed protection.

Main WallPhoto: foto3116, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Main Wall

~23 min drive

Main Wall in Colorado has 5 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.

Upper Tier RightPhoto: KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Tier Right

~2 min drive

Upper Tier Right in Colorado has 6 mixed and sport climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.

Booth Creek BouldersPhoto: toastal_OLD, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Booth Creek Boulders

~21 min drive

Booth Creek Boulders in Colorado has 2 bouldering routes.

Homestake Road Crag

~1 min drive

Homestake Road Crag in Colorado has 12 sport climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.

The Whatchamacallit Boulder

~3 min drive

Whatchamacallit Boulder, The is a bouldering crag in Colorado with 9 routes.

The Mint Boulder

~3 min drive

Mint Boulder in Colorado has 5 bouldering routes across 4 grades.

Boulder D aka Prominent Block

~3 min drive

Boulder D (Prominent Block) is a bouldering crag in Colorado with 5 routes.