Rifle Climbing Center
Rock Climbing business nearby (~49 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet
Colorado · Rock climbing · Basalt
Lightning Bug
Upper-middle difficulty among 20 routes at The Skillet.
- 5.12a
- grade
- Sport Bolted
- style
Is Lightning Bug open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in White River National Forest. It doesn't name Lightning Bug, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).
Green Mountain Reservoir and Ruedi boat ramps closed for the season
Agency closure covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Eagle-Thomasville (400), Burnt Mtn (506), plus NFSR 414 and 416 openings delayed to June 16
Agency closure covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
FSR 314, Crystal River Road, open but be prepared for delays
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
White River National Forest lifting fire restrictions on Friday Sept. 25
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026 · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Lightning Bug
Best months: June–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.
Jan
34° / 4°
Feb
36° / 6°
Mar
43° / 13°
Apr
51° / 21°
May
63° / 28°
Jun
75° / 34°
Jul
81° / 40°
Aug
80° / 39°
Sep
71° / 32°
Oct
61° / 23°
Nov
45° / 13°
Dec
34° / 5°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Meredith, CO, 8.3 mi away at 7,825 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
One of 20 routes catalogued at The Skillet, this climb sits in the upper-middle range of the crag's 5.9 to 5.13a span.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: David Leo Veksler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Southwest TR
~19 min drive
Southwest TR in Colorado has 10 routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering mixed and sport climbing.
Photo: David Leo Veksler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)West Side - Lower Buttress
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Photo: David Leo Veksler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)East Face
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Seven Castles
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Endless Wall
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Endless Wall is a sport climbing crag in Colorado with 9 routes on 7 difficulty grades.
The Magic Forest
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Strategery Wall
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The Grove
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The Prow
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The Punchbowl
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Local businesses nearby
Outfitters and businesses near Basalt. They haven’t set up their Roamze page yet.
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