Lightner Creek
Lightner Creek is a 9-route climbing crag in Colorado with 7 difficulty grades.
- 9 routes
- V2 – V9
- Bouldering
Best time to visit Lightner Creek
Best months: May–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
39° / 13°
7 wet
Feb
45° / 19°
7 wet
Mar
54° / 25°
7 wet
Apr
63° / 30°
7 wet
May
71° / 37°
6 wet
Jun
81° / 46°
5 wet
Jul
85° / 53°
11 wet
Aug
82° / 51°
12 wet
Sep
76° / 44°
9 wet
Oct
64° / 33°
7 wet
Nov
50° / 23°
7 wet
Dec
40° / 13°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Durango, CO, 5 mi away at 6,761 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Lightner Creek is a climbing area in Perins Peak State Wildlife Area in Colorado, managed by State Fish and Wildlife. It sits within the state wildlife area, and the nearest town is Durango, about 5 miles away. For comfortable weather, late spring and early fall are the sweet spots. Typical averages from the nearby Durango weather station show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 76°F, with July and August the warmest and wettest months. HTR Durango Campground is about a mile away, and the Dry Fork hike is about 1.5 miles off. Climbers can also look to Scrappy Cliffs, about 2 miles away, and the Upper Bc&F Trail, just beyond it.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Scrappy Cliffs
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Ciao Bella!
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Central Portion
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Cougar Land
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Cougar Land in Colorado has 12 bouldering routes across 8 difficulty grades.
Chipette Rock
~5 min drive
Chipette Rock in Colorado has 8 routes from 5.7 to 5.11a, offering bouldering, mixed, and trad climbing.
Chipmunk Rock
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Chipmunk Rock in Colorado has 7 routes ranging from moderate to hard, offering sport and trad climbing.
Junction Creek
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Junction Creek in Colorado has 2 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Astro Boulder
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Astro Boulder is a 7-route bouldering crag in Colorado with 5 difficulty grades.
Ellen's Area
~5 min drive
Ellen's Area in Colorado has 5 bouldering routes on pads.
Boulderfield
~5 min drive
Boulderfield is a bouldering area in Colorado with 8 routes.
