Colorado · Rock climbing · Glenwood Springs

Glenwood Canyon

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

Glenwood CanyonPhoto: Don Graham from Redlands, CA, USA - God bless it!, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
18 routes
5.7 – 5.13a
Sport · Trad · Bouldering

Is Glenwood Canyon open right now?

Closure in the area

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

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, 0.4 mi away at 5,992 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.

Glenwood Canyon is a climbing area in Colorado's White River National Forest, within the Eagle Ranger District, on Forest Service land. Early fall is the most comfortable time to climb here. Typical averages from the nearby Shoshone weather station show September highs near 79°F and lows around 50°F, though the station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower, so temperatures at the area run cooler. Other climbing sits within half a mile at Downstream Cluster and Quartzite Wasteland. Grizzly Creek offers mountain biking about a mile away, and Glenwood Canyon Resort, roughly 3.5 miles off, provides camping.

Routes (18)

Cruiser Gully/Buttress(1)

Canyon Cruiser5.8

Hanging Lake Slab(1)

Mike's Day Off5.8

Hanging Lake Trail Boulder(1)

Northeast AreteV0

International Buttress(1)

The International5.10+

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

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

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Hole Wall

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Roadside Fin

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The Airy Block

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Surgery Buttress

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East Canyon

~1 min drive

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Fountain Buttress

~1 min drive

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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

~1 min drive

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

Grizzly Creek Wall (aka Mudwall)

~2 min drive

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