The Bench
5 bouldering routes at The Bench in New Mexico.
- 5 routes
- V2 – V4
- Bouldering
Is Bench, The open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Cibola National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Cibola National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Bench
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
48° / 21°
2 wet · 1 snow
Feb
52° / 22°
2 wet · 1 snow
Mar
59° / 28°
2 wet · 1 snow
Apr
66° / 35°
3 wet
May
76° / 45°
4 wet
Jun
85° / 54°
5 wet
Jul
88° / 58°
7 wet
Aug
85° / 57°
7 wet
Sep
79° / 51°
4 wet
Oct
69° / 38°
3 wet
Nov
57° / 28°
2 wet · 1 snow
Dec
47° / 21°
2 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Roy, NM, 15.8 mi away at 5,743 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Bench is a bouldering area in the Kiowa/Rita Blanca National Grasslands ranger district of Cibola National Forest in New Mexico, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing areas, with Mills Canyon just 0.4 miles away and South Face, West Face and Roadside Attraction Boulder all within about 0.7 miles. The climbing here is all bouldering, with five routes ranging from V2 to V4. The easiest are Shipwrecked and Star Wars at V2, and the hardest is Stage Right at V4. The area is best suited to a day of short, crag-side problems rather than a long approach. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Roy, NM, show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 69°F, while July averages climb to about 88°F. Mills Canyon Rim Campground is about a mile away for an overnight stay, and Upper Mesteño is roughly 3 miles off for more climbing.
Routes (5)
Mexican Blanco Boulder(2)
Milagro Beanfield Boulder(2)
Shipwrecked Boulders(1)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Mushroom Boulder
~1 min drive
Mushroom Boulder in New Mexico has 3 bouldering routes at 3 distinct grades.
Photo: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Roadside Attraction
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Roadside Attraction in New Mexico has 7 bouldering routes with 7 distinct difficulty grades.
Photo: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)West Face
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South Face
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Upper Mesteño
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The Keep
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Keep, The is a New Mexico climbing crag with 9 routes.
Fun Bags Area
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Fun Bags Area in New Mexico has 10 bouldering routes across 8 grades.
The Jumbles
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Try Angular Area
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Try Angular Area is a bouldering crag in New Mexico with 5 routes.
Ezekiel Wall Area
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