Main Canyon
Main Canyon in Colorado has 18 climbing routes with bouldering, sport, and trad options.
Photo: s_mestdagh, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 18 routes
- 5.8 – 5.13b
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
Best time to visit Main Canyon
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.
Jan
35° / 7°
4 wet
Feb
40° / 13°
4 wet
Mar
51° / 21°
5 wet
Apr
59° / 27°
5 wet
May
68° / 36°
6 wet
Jun
78° / 44°
6 wet
Jul
80° / 50°
11 wet
Aug
78° / 48°
12 wet
Sep
73° / 40°
8 wet
Oct
63° / 30°
5 wet
Nov
49° / 18°
4 wet
Dec
36° / 9°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Del Norte 3ene, CO, 10.2 mi away at 7,845 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Main Canyon is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in Colorado, within the agency's San Luis Valley Field Office. Climbers here share the canyon country with several neighboring crags, and the closest, Canyon Road Cliffs, sits just 0.1 mile away. September is among the most comfortable months to visit. A nearby weather station at Del Norte records typical averages of a 73°F high and 40°F low that month, and October typically runs a little cooler, with highs around 63°F and lows near 30°F. Midsummer brings the warmest temperatures but also the most wet days, about 11 in July and 12 in August. Penitente - Entrance Area offers more climbing about half a mile away, and the SunshineKitty mountain bike trail lies a similar distance off. For an overnight base, Penitente Canyon Campground is about 0.8 mile from Main Canyon.
Routes (18)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Michael C. Rael, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Penitente - Entrance Area
~1 min drive
Penitente - Entrance Area in Colorado has 63 climbing routes.
Photo: Michael C. Rael, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Penitente - Inner Canyon
~1 min drive
Penitente - Inner Canyon has 79 climbing routes in Colorado.
Photo: Michael C. Rael, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Rock Garden
~1 min drive
Rock Garden in Colorado has 66 climbing routes across 30 difficulty grades, featuring bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
Photo: ikewinski, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Crestone
~59 min drive
Crestone is a sport climbing area in Colorado with 2 routes.
Sidewinder Canyon
~1 min drive
Sidewinder Canyon in Colorado has 6 sport climbing routes.
San Luis Valley
~20 min drive
San Luis Valley, Colorado has 14 climbing routes across 12 difficulty grades, featuring bouldering pads, mixed, sport, and trad styles.
The Stone Quarry
~23 min drive
Colorado quarry climbing with accessible routes for developing climbers.
The Pharcyde
~31 min drive
Pharcyde, The in Colorado has 16 climbing routes across 11 grades, featuring bouldering pads and sport climbing.
Frobidden Land
~31 min drive
Frobidden Land in Colorado has 7 sport climbing routes.
Main Wall
~31 min drive
Main Wall in Colorado has 42 climbing routes across 17 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Also worth it near here
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Capulin
~1 min drive
Photo: Michael C. Rael — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Penitente Canyon Campground
~1 min drive
Photo: s_mestdagh, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Wild Horse Loop
~2 min drive
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Carnero Creek
~4 min drive
