Colorado · Rock climbing · Livermore

Northwest Slabs

11 routes at Northwest Slabs in Colorado span 8 difficulty grades with mixed, sport, and trad options.

Northwest SlabsPhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
11 routes
5.6 – 5.11c
Trad · Mixed · Sport

Is Northwest Slabs open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Canyon Lakes Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Canyon Lakes Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Northwest Slabs

Best months: May–October. 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

    40° / 21°

    5 wet

  2. Feb

    40° / 20°

    6 wet

  3. Mar

    47° / 26°

    8 wet

  4. Apr

    51° / 30°

    10 wet

  5. May

    60° / 39°

    12 wet

  6. Jun

    72° / 49°

    11 wet

  7. Jul

    79° / 56°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    78° / 55°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    70° / 47°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    57° / 36°

    7 wet

  11. Nov

    47° / 28°

    6 wet

  12. Dec

    40° / 20°

    6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Buckhorn Mtn 1 E, CO, 6.9 mi away at 7,400 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Northwest Slabs is a climbing area in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing spots, with South Slabs, Breakers and Southeast Face all about 0.1 mile away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at about 7,400 feet show July highs around 79°F with lows near 56°F, while winter highs stay around 40°F. The Wintersteen Trail is about half a mile away, and Greyrock Meadows is about 1.4 miles off. For an overnight stay, Ansel Watrous Campground is about 3.2 miles away, and the Cache la Poudre River offers fishing about 7 miles from the area.

Routes (11)