The Boxtop
9 climbing routes in Idaho spanning 5 difficulty grades, mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 9 routes
- 5.6 – 5.11b
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Is Boxtop, The open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for City of Rocks National Reserve.
As of · Source: NPS · City of Rocks National Reserve. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Boxtop
Best months: April–June and August–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
35° / 16°
8 wet
Feb
39° / 19°
7 wet
Mar
48° / 27°
6 wet
Apr
55° / 33°
7 wet
May
65° / 41°
9 wet
Jun
75° / 50°
6 wet
Jul
86° / 59°
5 wet
Aug
85° / 57°
6 wet
Sep
74° / 48°
5 wet
Oct
60° / 35°
5 wet
Nov
45° / 24°
6 wet
Dec
35° / 17°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Rosette, UT, 23.6 mi away at 5,685 ft. The station sits about 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 Boxtop is a climbing area in Idaho's City of Rocks National Reserve, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots and trails, with the Box Top Trail and the Odyssey climbing area just steps away. The climbing here is a mix of trad, mixed and sport routes, with grades ranging from 5.6 to 5.11b. The most common style is trad, and the hardest route is Routine Expedition at 5.11b. Among the named routes are Boxtop Crack at 5.6, Boxtop Traverse at 5.9 and Land of the Lost at 5.10a. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Rosette, Utah, show May highs around 65°F and September highs around 74°F, with July peaking near 86°F. Nearby, the Hummingbird Corridor and Mushroom Rock climbing areas are within a third of a mile, and the Box Top Trail is about 0.3 miles away. Independence Lakes Campground is roughly 9.6 miles off.
Routes (9)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Odyssey
~0 min drive
Odyssey in Idaho has 5 routes spanning 5 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Hummingbird Corridor
~0 min drive
Hummingbird Corridor in Idaho has 5 sport climbing routes across 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mushroom Rock
~1 min drive
Mushroom Rock is a climbing area in Idaho with 5 sport routes.
Photo: Bold Frontiers, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Bumblie Rock
~1 min drive
Bumblie Rock in Idaho has 9 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.
Photo: Bold Frontiers, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Transformer Corridor
~1 min drive
Transformer Corridor in Idaho offers 8 mixed climbing routes ranging from 5.8 to 5.12a.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Cannibal Corridor
~1 min drive
Cannibal Corridor in Idaho has 6 climbing routes across 4 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lady J
~1 min drive
Idaho climbing area with accessible routes for developing climbers.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lost Arrow Spire
~1 min drive
Lost Arrow Spire in Idaho has 5 climbing routes with 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Flaming Rock
~1 min drive
Flaming Rock in Idaho has 12 climbing routes across 8 grades.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)City of Rocks
~1 min drive
City of Rocks in Idaho has 81 climbing routes across 28 difficulty grades.
