Boulder Area 3

Boulder Area 3 is a bouldering area in Blue Mounds State Park in southeastern Minnesota, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Boulder Area 2, Farmhouse Boulders and Main Boulder all about 0.1 mile away, and Bessie The Cow about 0.2 mile off. The area holds eight bouldering routes, all rated V1 through V4 on the V scale, with the hardest being Flamingo at V4. Other routes include Bucket seat and Juvenile offender at V1 and Arete problem at V2. The climb is on rock rather than on a trail, so the focus is on individual boulders rather than a linked path. Late spring and early fall tend to be the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Rock Rapids, Iowa, put September highs around 75°F and lows near 50°F, with June highs near 81°F. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the park, so temperatures at the boulders run slightly cooler. The Quarry Boulder and East Quarry Boulder are about half a mile away, and the Bur Oak Trail is about 0.2 mile off.