Colorado · Rock climbing · Estes Park

Pulpit Rock

Pulpit Rock in Colorado has 16 routes with 9 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.

16 routes
5.5 – 5.11b
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Pulpit Rock 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 Pulpit Rock

Best months: May–June 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.

  1. Jan

    37° / 16°

    7 wet

  2. Feb

    38° / 16°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    45° / 21°

    9 wet

  4. Apr

    52° / 26°

    10 wet

  5. May

    61° / 35°

    12 wet

  6. Jun

    74° / 43°

    10 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 48°

    13 wet

  8. Aug

    78° / 46°

    13 wet

  9. Sep

    70° / 39°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    57° / 30°

    7 wet

  11. Nov

    44° / 23°

    6 wet

  12. Dec

    36° / 16°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Estes Park 3 Sse, CO, 6 mi away at 7,812 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Pulpit Rock is a climbing area in the Comanche Peak Wilderness, part of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Estes Park show July highs around 80°F with lows near 48°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s. The Pulpit Rock Massif and the First Pew and Second Pew climbing areas all sit about 0.1 mile away. The North Boundary hike is about 0.2 mile off.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive