Colorado · Rock climbing · Loveland

Iron John/Little Tree area

Iron John/Little Tree area in Colorado has 5 climbing routes ranging across 5 difficulty grades.

Iron John/Little Tree areaPhoto: Kimaz2412, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
5 routes
5.5 – 5.10d
Sport · Trad

Is Iron John/Little Tree area 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 Iron John/Little Tree area

Best months: May–June and August–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

    44° / 15°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    45° / 17°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    53° / 25°

    5 wet

  4. Apr

    60° / 31°

    8 wet

  5. May

    68° / 41°

    10 wet

  6. Jun

    80° / 49°

    8 wet

  7. Jul

    87° / 55°

    8 wet

  8. Aug

    84° / 53°

    8 wet

  9. Sep

    76° / 45°

    7 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 34°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 24°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 16°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Waterdale, CO, 1.7 mi away at 5,230 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Iron John/Little Tree climbing area sits within the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It is part of a cluster of climbing areas, with the Beige Tube Area / The Narrows and the Ledges about 0.2 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Waterdale weather station run from highs around 80°F in June to about 87°F in July, with September still near 76°F. The O'Keepa Trail and Grouse Hollow Trail are both within about a mile and a half, and the Big Thompson River is roughly 4 miles away for paddling.

Routes (5)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Beige Tube Area / The NarrowsPhoto: Kimaz2412, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Beige Tube Area / The Narrows

~0 min drive

Beige Tube Area / The Narrows in Colorado has 23 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades.

The LedgesPhoto: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Ledges

~0 min drive

Ledges, The is a climbing area in Colorado with 17 routes.

White Dike AreaPhoto: Wusel007, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

White Dike Area

~0 min drive

White Dike Area is a Colorado climbing crag with 5 trad routes.

Between Shark's Fin Wall & Bridge Wall North (Practice Rock)Photo: Kimaz2412, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Between Shark's Fin Wall & Bridge Wall North (Practice Rock)

~0 min drive

6-route climbing area in Colorado with bouldering pads, sport, and trad.

Ironing Board Slabs (Upper & Lower Slabs)Photo: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ironing Board Slabs (Upper & Lower Slabs)

~1 min drive

Ironing Board Slabs (Upper & Lower Slabs) in Colorado has 16 routes across 10 difficulty grades, offering bouldering pads, mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Salt Block RockPhoto: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Salt Block Rock

~10 min drive

Salt Block Rock in Colorado has 8 climbing routes across 7 grades, featuring sport and trad options.

Shark's Fin WallPhoto: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Shark's Fin Wall

~0 min drive

Shark's Fin Wall in Colorado has 5 mixed and trad climbing routes.

Sign Crack AreaPhoto: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sign Crack Area

~0 min drive

Sign Crack Area is a climbing crag in Colorado with 5 routes.

Beer SlabsPhoto: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Beer Slabs

~0 min drive

Beer Slabs in Colorado has 5 climbing routes spanning 5 difficulty grades.

HorsesheadPhoto: jamieotterbein, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Horseshead

~7 min drive

Horseshead in Colorado has 21 climbing routes across 16 grades, offering mixed and traditional climbing.