Dona Ana Mountains
Dona Ana Mountains in New Mexico has 17 climbing routes with 12 difficulty grades.
- 17 routes
- 5.6 – 5.11
- Trad · Sport · Bouldering
Best time to visit Dona Ana Mountains
Best months: March–May and 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
56° / 23°
3 wet
Feb
62° / 26°
2 wet
Mar
69° / 32°
1 wet
Apr
77° / 39°
1 wet
May
85° / 47°
3 wet
Jun
95° / 59°
3 wet
Jul
94° / 66°
9 wet
Aug
91° / 64°
9 wet
Sep
86° / 56°
5 wet
Oct
77° / 42°
3 wet
Nov
66° / 31°
3 wet
Dec
55° / 23°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Las Cruces 20 N, NM, 10.2 mi away at 4,327 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Dona Ana Mountains climbing area sits on Bureau of Land Management land within the Las Cruces District Office in southern New Mexico, about 10 miles from Las Cruces. It is a compact cluster of boulders and rock faces, with several named climbing areas within a mile of one another, making it easy to string together a day of climbing. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 77°F and October highs around 77°F, while June and July average in the mid-90s and bring the most wet days of the year. The area has 17 routes, with 12 in trad and 3 in sport, and the grades run from 5.6 to 5.11. Bouldering is also an option, with the V2 to V3 range. Among the routes are Windy Woman right at 5.8, Joker at 5.9+, and Searching For A Rainbow at 5.11. Sugar Bowl is the closest climbing area, about 0.7 miles away, and Pizza Boulders and the Butt Cheek Area are each about 0.9 miles off. Mountain bikers can head to Three Arroyos, roughly 2 miles away.
Routes (17)
Batman Rock(2)
Bear Boulders(2)
Columns South, The(2)
Full Tilt Area(3)
OB Cliff(1)
Sand Castles(1)
Short Crack Wall, The(2)
Windy Woman(2)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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