South Platte
South Platte in Colorado has 31 climbing routes across 24 difficulty grades.
- 31 routes
- 5.6 – 5.11a
- Trad · Bouldering · Sport
Is South Platte open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 8 alerts for Pike and San Isabel National Forests.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Interlaken Hotel Tree Hazards
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Sharpe Fire Update
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Turquoise Lake Road (County Road 4) Closure
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Downed and weakened trees on South Platte Ranger District
Agency alert covering South Platte Ranger District · USFS · South Platte Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit South Platte
Best months: May–July 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
45° / 14°
4 wet
Feb
46° / 16°
5 wet
Mar
53° / 23°
6 wet
Apr
58° / 29°
8 wet
May
67° / 38°
9 wet
Jun
79° / 47°
9 wet
Jul
84° / 53°
12 wet
Aug
82° / 51°
13 wet
Sep
76° / 43°
7 wet
Oct
64° / 32°
5 wet
Nov
53° / 23°
4 wet
Dec
44° / 15°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cheesman, CO, 3.5 mi away at 6,880 ft. The station sits about 700 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.
South Platte is a climbing area in Colorado's Pike and San Isabel National Forests, within the South Platte Ranger District, managed by the Forest Service. The area is home to a mix of bouldering, trad and sport routes, with about 32 routes in total. Bouldering dominates, with 13 boulder problems, and the grade range runs from V0 to V11. For trad climbers, the typical YDS grades fall between 5.6 and 5.11, with routes like Walk of Payne at 5.9 and Private Malone at 5.10b/c. Sport climbers will find Finn at 5.9. The area also includes a few mixed routes. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Cheesman, CO weather station put May highs around 67°F and September highs around 76°F, while July and August average in the low to mid 80s with the most wet days of the year. Several other climbing areas sit right next door, including Land that Time Forgot and Goose Creek/Molly Gulch Campground, both about 0.3 miles away. Goose Creek offers paddling about a mile off, and the Hankins Pass Trail is roughly 2.9 miles away for a hike.
Routes (31)
Bachleor Party Crag(1)
Daniels Park(4)
Goose Creek(1)
Happy Meadows Campground Crag(3)
Overlook Boulders(2)
Quarantine Boulder(1)
Rainbow Falls Bouldering (The Brushoffs)(3)
Shark Wall(2)
Slug Wall(1)
Spruce It Up(3)
Turret, The(3)
Vegetable, The(3)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Goose Creek/Molly Gulch Campground
~0 min drive
Goose Creek/Molly Gulch Campground in Colorado has 21 climbing routes with 13 difficulty grades.
Land that Time Forgot
~1 min drive
21-route climbing area in Colorado with mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Rainy Day Rock
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Rainy Day Rock in Colorado has 7 routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Helen's Dome
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Helen's Dome in Colorado has 26 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Acid Rock
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Acid Rock in Colorado has 6 routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Couch Potatoes
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Couch Potatoes in Colorado has 5 trad routes across 4 difficulty grades.
Lower Smoking Section
~1 min drive
Lower Smoking Section in Colorado has 10 routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Upper Smoking Section
~1 min drive
Upper Smoking Section in Colorado has 7 routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
The Hollows
~1 min drive
Hollows, The in Colorado has 8 routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
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Big Cat Sanctuary, The in Colorado has 6 mixed climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.
