Big Cat Canyon (a.k.a. Spider Canyon)
Big Cat Canyon (Spider Canyon) in New Mexico has 36 bouldering routes.
- 36 routes
- V0-1 – V7
- Bouldering
Is Big Cat Canyon (a.k.a. Spider Canyon) open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Jemez Ranger District. It doesn't name Big Cat Canyon (a.k.a. Spider Canyon), so check the source for the area it covers.
NFSR 313 Closed Due to Washout Near NM Highway 12
Agency closure covering Jemez Ranger District · USFS · Jemez Ranger District
Gilman Tunnels closed due to rockslide
Agency alert covering Jemez Ranger District · USFS · Jemez Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Jemez Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Big Cat Canyon (a.k.a. Spider Canyon)
Best months: April–May 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
48° / 19°
4 wet
Feb
52° / 22°
4 wet
Mar
60° / 28°
4 wet
Apr
67° / 33°
3 wet
May
76° / 41°
3 wet
Jun
87° / 50°
4 wet
Jul
89° / 55°
9 wet
Aug
86° / 54°
9 wet
Sep
80° / 47°
6 wet
Oct
70° / 36°
4 wet
Nov
56° / 26°
4 wet
Dec
47° / 19°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jemez Springs, NM, 4.8 mi away at 6,262 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.
Big Cat Canyon, also known as Spider Canyon, is a bouldering area in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico. It is managed by the Forest Service. The climbing is all bouldering, with 36 routes spread across the area. The grades run from V0-1 to V7, with a median around V3. Among the routes are "Spiney" (V0-1), "Angle" (V3), "Don't Do It" (V4) and "Scuttlebutt low" (V7). The Lugo brothers, Kayden and Anthony, and Kinchen Packer are among the climbers who have made first ascents here. The most comfortable time to visit is late spring or early fall. Typical averages from the nearby Jemez Springs weather station, at 6,262 feet, show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 70°F. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet below the canyon, so temperatures up high run cooler. The Pinball Simulator Area and Parking and Valley Floor climbing areas are both about 0.7 miles away. Paliza Family (New) campground is about 2.3 miles off, and the Peralta Ridge hike is about 3.3 miles away.
Routes (36)
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