New Mexico · Rock climbing · Alto

Half Moon Boulder

Half Moon Boulder in New Mexico has 5 bouldering routes.

5 routes

V0 – V5

Bouldering

Is Half Moon Boulder open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Lincoln National Forest.

Order# 03-08-26-002: Temporary Road Closure
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · Order 03-08-26-002 · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
Order# 03-08-01-26-002: Area and Trails Closure
Agency alert covering Smokey Bear Ranger District · Order 03-08-01-26-002 · USFS · Smokey Bear Ranger District
Current Fire Restrictions and Related Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
InciWeb - for current incidents
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
Snow Play Closure
Agency alert covering Smokey Bear Ranger District · Order 03-08-01-24-007 · USFS · Smokey Bear Ranger District

As of Oct 25, 11:40 am MDT · Source: USFS · Lincoln National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Half Moon Boulder

Best months: May–June 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
42° / 19°
6 wet
Feb
45° / 22°
6 wet
Mar
51° / 26°
6 wet
Apr
58° / 31°
4 wet
May
66° / 38°
5 wet
Jun
74° / 45°
9 wet
Jul
72° / 48°
16 wet
Aug
71° / 47°
16 wet
Sep
67° / 42°
10 wet
Oct
60° / 34°
6 wet
Nov
51° / 26°
5 wet
Dec
43° / 19°
6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cloudcroft, NM, 32.8 mi away at 8,679 ft. The station sits about 900 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.

Half Moon Boulder is a bouldering area in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Monjeau Peak and The Fin Boulder each about 0.1 mile away and The West Faces about 0.2 mile off. The area has five bouldering routes, all rated from V0 to V5 on the V scale. The easiest is Turd Bowl Arete at V0, and the hardest is Spilt Milk at V5. The routes are all boulders, and the grade range gives climbers a range of options from straightforward to more challenging. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Cloudcroft weather station show May highs around 66°F and October highs around 60°F, while July and August bring the most wet days, about 16 each month. That station sits roughly 900 feet lower than the boulders, so temperatures at the climbing area run cooler. For a change from bouldering, the Peacock Trail (18) and Telephone Canyon hikes are each about 1.5 miles away.