Colorado · Rock climbing · Aspen

Lightning Bolt Boulder

Lightning Bolt Boulder is a bouldering area in Colorado with 5 routes.

5 routes
V0 – V5
Bouldering

Is Lightning Bolt Boulder open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in White River National Forest. It doesn't name Lightning Bolt Boulder, 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 Lightning Bolt Boulder

Best months: June–August. 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

    31° / 3°

    8 wet

  2. Feb

    33° / 3°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    39° / 9°

    8 wet

  4. Apr

    44° / 18°

    8 wet

  5. May

    55° / 27°

    9 wet

  6. Jun

    68° / 34°

    9 wet

  7. Jul

    73° / 39°

    12 wet

  8. Aug

    70° / 38°

    12 wet

  9. Sep

    62° / 31°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    51° / 23°

    6 wet

  11. Nov

    39° / 14°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    31° / 6°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sugarloaf Rsvr, CO, 18.1 mi away at 9,738 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Lightning Bolt Boulder is a bouldering area in the Aspen Ranger District of Colorado's White River National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with the Upper Boulderfield (also known as the Bulldog Boulders) and The Warm-Up Boulder each about 0.1 mile away. The area has five bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V0 to V5. Lightning Bolt Crack is the easiest at V0, and The Blobulith is the hardest at V5. The routes are all boulders, so there is no climbing on rock faces here. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 73°F with lows near 39°F, while winter highs stay around 31°F. The station sits about 370 feet lower than the boulders, so temperatures on the rock run a little cooler. For an overnight stay, Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground is about 1.6 miles away, and Lost Man Campground is about 2.4 miles off. The Roaring Fork River, about 2.6 miles away, offers paddling.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive