Colorado · Rock climbing · Glenwood Springs

Fountain Buttress

Fountain Buttress in Colorado has 8 climbing routes on 7 difficulty grades.

Fountain ButtressPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
8 routes
5.8 – 5.11b
Trad

Is Fountain Buttress open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in White River National Forest. It doesn't name Fountain Buttress, 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 Fountain Buttress

Best months: April–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.

  1. Jan

    36° / 15°

    10 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 20°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    53° / 28°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    61° / 35°

    11 wet

  5. May

    71° / 44°

    10 wet

  6. Jun

    83° / 51°

    7 wet

  7. Jul

    89° / 59°

    7 wet

  8. Aug

    87° / 58°

    9 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 50°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    65° / 38°

    8 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 27°

    8 wet

  12. Dec

    36° / 16°

    9 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Shoshone, CO, 0.6 mi away at 5,992 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

Fountain Buttress is a climbing area in the Eagle Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing spots in the district, making it a natural anchor for a day of bouldering or traditional rock climbing. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Shoshone show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 79°F, while July highs reach about 89°F and winter lows drop to around 15°F. Roadside Fin and Airy Block, The are both about 0.2 miles away, and Upstream Cluster is about 0.3 miles away. For a hike, Defiance is about 0.9 miles off.

Routes (8)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Roadside FinPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Roadside Fin

~0 min drive

Roadside Fin in Colorado has 7 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.

The Airy BlockPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Airy Block

~0 min drive

Airy Block, The is a sport climbing crag in Colorado with 1 route.

Hole WallPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hole Wall

~1 min drive

Hole Wall is a 6-route sport climbing crag in Colorado with routes spanning 5 difficulty grades.

Downstream ClusterPhoto: Loco Steve, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Downstream Cluster

~1 min drive

9 bouldering routes in Colorado spanning 6 grades.

Glenwood CanyonPhoto: Don Graham from Redlands, CA, USA - God bless it!, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Glenwood Canyon

~1 min drive

Glenwood Canyon in Colorado has 18 climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.

Surgery ButtressPhoto: kahunapulej, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Surgery Buttress

~9 min drive

Surgery Buttress in Colorado has 3 sport climbing routes ranging over 3 difficulty grades.

East CanyonPhoto: Loco Steve, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Canyon

~1 min drive

East Canyon in Colorado has 5 sport climbing routes.

Shoshone Power Plant AreaPhoto: Loco Steve, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Shoshone Power Plant Area

~1 min drive

Shoshone Power Plant Area in Colorado has 1 sport climbing route rated 5.11a-5.11b.

Upstream Cluster

~0 min drive

Upstream Cluster is a bouldering area in Colorado with 9 routes.

Grizzly Creek Wall (aka Mudwall)

~4 min drive

7 mixed and trad climbing routes at Grizzly Creek Wall in Colorado.