Little Black Cliff
Little Black Cliff in Colorado has 15 climbing routes with 10 difficulty grades.
- 15 routes
- 5.4 – 5.11a
- Sport · Trad
Is Little Black Cliff open right now?
Road closed
US 160: road closure is listed as closed by CDOT 511.
US 160: road closure
Closed · ~0.4 km from Little Black Cliff · CDOT 511
As of · Source: CDOT 511. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Little Black Cliff
Best months: June–July and 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° / -2°
4 wet
Feb
38° / 1°
4 wet
Mar
45° / 11°
5 wet
Apr
53° / 20°
4 wet
May
62° / 28°
4 wet
Jun
74° / 34°
6 wet
Jul
79° / 41°
12 wet
Aug
76° / 40°
14 wet
Sep
70° / 33°
9 wet
Oct
59° / 23°
5 wet
Nov
47° / 11°
4 wet
Dec
35° / 0°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hermit 8 Se, CO, 22 mi away at 8,949 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Little Black Cliff is a climbing area in Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest, within the Divide Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits right beside Big Meadows, another climbing area about 0.1 mile away, and Long Cliff, roughly 0.7 mile off. It works well as a base for exploring the surrounding rock, water and trails. The climbing here is varied, with 15 routes in total. Most are sport routes, and a few are trad. Grades run from 5.4 up to 5.11+, with the median around 5.7+. Among the named routes are "Loose and Dubious" at 5.6, "Right 10" at 5.10a and "Reanimation" at 5.11+. Summer is the most comfortable season to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 41°F, though July and August bring the most wet days of the year, about 12 to 14. Winter is cold, with January highs around 34°F and lows near -2°F. Big Meadows Campground and the Big Meadows Reservoir Boating Site are both about 1.3 miles away, and the Lake Fork hike starts roughly 0.9 mile off.
Routes (15)
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