North Rim Routes
North Rim Routes in Colorado has 9 traditional climbing routes across 6 grades.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 9 routes
- 5.9 – 5.11b/c
- Trad
Is North Rim Routes open right now?
Alert in the area
The National Park Service lists an alert for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
No Water Available in Park
Park alert covering Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park · NPS · Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit North Rim Routes
Best months: May–June and August–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° / 3°
7 wet
Feb
40° / 10°
7 wet
Mar
51° / 19°
7 wet
Apr
60° / 26°
7 wet
May
70° / 32°
6 wet
Jun
81° / 37°
4 wet
Jul
86° / 45°
6 wet
Aug
83° / 45°
8 wet
Sep
76° / 37°
7 wet
Oct
64° / 26°
6 wet
Nov
49° / 16°
6 wet
Dec
36° / 6°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cimarron, CO, 12.2 mi away at 6,890 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
North Rim Routes is a climbing area in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, within the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness in Colorado. The National Park Service manages the land, and the area sits on the north rim of the canyon. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Cimarron run from highs around 70°F in May to about 76°F in September, with July the warmest at about 86°F. Winters are cold, with January highs near 35°F and lows around 3°F. A fee is charged for entry. Two climbing areas, Prisoner of Your Hairdo Gully and Painted Wall, The, lie about 0.1 mile away. Rock Point Overlook and North Rim Campground are within a mile.
Routes (9)
Below Checkerboard Wall(2)
Grizzly Creek Gully(1)
Island Peaks Overlook(2)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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