Second Tier
Colorado climbing crag offering accessible routes for developing climbers.
- 8 routes
- 5.7 – 5.9+
- Trad
Is Second Tier open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Caribou Road Closure Order
Agency alert covering Boulder Ranger District · Order 02-10-01-26-04 · USFS · Boulder Ranger District
Raptor Nesting Area Closure - Boulder Ranger District
Agency alert covering Boulder Ranger District · Order 02-10-01-26-06 · USFS · Boulder Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Second Tier
Best months: April–June and September–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.
Jan
47° / 21°
6 wet
Feb
48° / 22°
7 wet
Mar
57° / 29°
8 wet
Apr
63° / 34°
10 wet
May
71° / 43°
12 wet
Jun
83° / 51°
10 wet
Jul
88° / 57°
11 wet
Aug
86° / 55°
10 wet
Sep
79° / 48°
8 wet
Oct
66° / 37°
7 wet
Nov
54° / 28°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 21°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Boulder, CO, 13.5 mi away at 5,484 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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.
Second Tier is a climbing area in Colorado's Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, within the Boulder Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits close to Boulder, the nearest town. The climbing here is all traditional, with eight routes graded from 5.7 to 5.9+. The easiest of them, Chem Trail and Stand By, were both first climbed in 2001 by climbers including A. Pon and E. VanDoren. Ejector Seat, the hardest route listed, is a 5.9+. Lower Tier, another climbing area, lies about 0.1 mile away, and Rodent Ravine is about 0.4 mile off. For a walk, Coffintop is roughly 1.6 miles away, and the Professors' Ranch Trail is about 2.7 miles away.
Routes (8)
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