Colorado · Rock climbing · Lyons

Ironsides

Ironsides in Colorado has 11 climbing routes across 9 difficulty grades, featuring mixed, sport, and trad styles.

11 routes
5.6 – 5.11d
Sport · Mixed · Trad

Is Ironsides open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Ironsides

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, 4.8 mi away at 8,500 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Ironsides is a climbing area in the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station at Allenspark run to highs around 74°F and lows near 44°F, while winter highs there stay around freezing. The Ironclads and Punk Rock aka Poacher's Rock are both climbing areas within a mile. Middle Saint Vrain Creek, about a mile away, offers paddling, and Peaceful Valley Campground, about 2.3 miles off, is the closest place to camp.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive