The Citadel
The Citadel in Colorado has 10 traditional climbing routes across 7 grades.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 10 routes
- 5.7 – 5.12d
- Trad
Is Citadel, The open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Rocky Mountain National Park.
As of · Source: NPS · Rocky Mountain National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Citadel
Best months: May–June and 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.
Jan
37° / 16°
7 wet
Feb
38° / 16°
8 wet
Mar
45° / 21°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 26°
10 wet
May
61° / 35°
12 wet
Jun
74° / 43°
10 wet
Jul
80° / 48°
13 wet
Aug
78° / 46°
13 wet
Sep
70° / 39°
9 wet
Oct
57° / 30°
7 wet
Nov
44° / 23°
6 wet
Dec
36° / 16°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Estes Park 3 Sse, CO, 3.7 mi away at 7,812 ft. The station sits about 700 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.
The Citadel is a climbing area inside Rocky Mountain National Park, within the park's designated Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and typical weather figures come from a station near Estes Park. Summer into early fall is the most comfortable stretch. Typical averages at the nearby Estes Park station run from highs around 80°F and lows near 48°F in July to about 70°F and 39°F in September, and the crag sits roughly 700 feet above that station, so expect it to run a bit cooler. The park charges a fee, so plan on paying entry or carrying a valid pass. Two more climbing areas, Out West Crag and Gollum's Arch Rock, lie about 0.1 mile away. The Lumpy Ridge Trail passes within half a mile, and Aspenglen Campground is about 3.9 miles off for an overnight base.
Routes (10)
Facts about this crag
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