Colorado · Rock climbing · New Castle

The Sanctuary

Sanctuary, The is a 6-route sport climbing area in Colorado with routes on 5 distinct difficulty grades.

6 routes
5.11a – 5.13a
Sport

Best time to visit The Sanctuary

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.

  1. Jan

    37° / 10°

    8 wet

  2. Feb

    42° / 15°

    7 wet

  3. Mar

    55° / 22°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    62° / 28°

    9 wet

  5. May

    72° / 37°

    9 wet

  6. Jun

    83° / 45°

    6 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 52°

    9 wet

  8. Aug

    85° / 49°

    9 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 41°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    64° / 30°

    8 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 20°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    37° / 11°

    8 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Rifle 3ene, CO, 10.5 mi away at 5,469 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Sanctuary is a climbing area in Rifle Mountain Park, a city-managed park in Colorado. It sits on city land within the park, and two other climbing areas, Nappy Dugout and Wasteland, lie just 0.1 mile away, making it easy to pair with them on a single visit. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 72°F and September highs near 79°F, while July peaks around 88°F and winter highs hover in the upper 30s. Rifle Mountain Park campground is about 1.6 miles away, and the Bobcat Trail is about 1.4 miles off. Farther out, Lakeview Campground is roughly 5.7 miles away, and Main Elk Creek offers canoeing about 7.9 miles from the park.

Routes (6)