The Dark Side
Dark Side, The in Colorado has 67 climbing routes across 24 grades.
- 67 routes
- 5.8 – 5.12d
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
Best time to visit The Dark Side
Best months: May–June and September–October. 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
49° / 18°
4 wet · 4 snow
Feb
50° / 20°
4 wet · 4 snow
Mar
58° / 26°
5 wet · 3 snow
Apr
64° / 33°
7 wet · 2 snow
May
73° / 43°
8 wet · 1 snow
Jun
85° / 52°
8 wet
Jul
89° / 59°
11 wet
Aug
87° / 57°
11 wet
Sep
80° / 48°
7 wet
Oct
69° / 36°
5 wet · 1 snow
Nov
57° / 26°
5 wet · 3 snow
Dec
49° / 19°
4 wet · 4 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Canon City, CO, 11.6 mi away at 5,378 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Dark Side is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in the Royal Gorge Field Office in Colorado, about 11 miles from Canon City. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots and campgrounds, so it works well as a base for a day or longer in the area. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Canon City show May highs around 73°F and October highs around 69°F, while July peaks near 89°F and winter brings frequent snow days. Banks Campground Group Site and The Bank Campground are both about 0.1 mile away, and the Bach Block and Cracked Egg Boulders (Tier Boulders) climbing areas are just as close. For a longer outing, BLM Trail 5825A is about 1.3 miles off.
Routes (67)
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