Colorado · Rock climbing · Estes Park

Crosswinds

Crosswinds in Colorado has 8 routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

8 routes
5.8+ – 5.12d
Sport · Mixed · Trad

Is Crosswinds open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Canyon Lakes Ranger District.

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

Best time to visit Crosswinds

Best months: May–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

    32° / 14°

  2. Feb

    35° / 15°

  3. Mar

    42° / 20°

  4. Apr

    46° / 23°

  5. May

    56° / 32°

  6. Jun

    69° / 38°

  7. Jul

    74° / 44°

  8. Aug

    73° / 43°

  9. Sep

    66° / 36°

  10. Oct

    52° / 29°

  11. Nov

    41° / 20°

  12. Dec

    33° / 14°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Allenspark 3nw, CO, 5.3 mi away at 8,500 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.

Crosswinds is a climbing area in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing spots, with Woodstone and Sharksfin both about 0.1 mile away. The area has eight routes, six of which are sport climbs, with one mixed and one trad. The YDS grades run from 5.8+ up to 5.12d, with Serpant's Rising at 5.11d and The Bends at 5.12d among the more challenging options. Power Structure, a 5.10a/b sport route, was first climbed by S. & Y. Kimball in 1999. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Allenspark, which sits about 1,500 feet lower, show July highs around 74°F and lows near 44°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 32°F and lows near 14°F. Twin Sisters Peaks and the Wind River Pass Trail are both about 0.7 mile away. Rocky Mountain National Park Glacier Basin Campground is about 4 miles off, and Glacier Creek, a paddling spot, is about 5 miles away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive