Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) - CLOSED
Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) in New Mexico has 10 sport climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.
Photo: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 10 routes
- 5.11c – 5.13c
- Sport
Is Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) - CLOSED open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Jemez Ranger District. It doesn't name Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) - CLOSED, 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 Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) - CLOSED
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, 0.9 mi away at 6,262 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Jemez Cave, also known as Crystal Cave, is a climbing area in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico, managed by the Forest Service. The cave is closed, so it is not a place to visit for climbing at this time. The area is a sport climbing destination with 10 routes, all rated between 5.11c and 5.13c on the YDS scale. The hardest of them is Rosebudd at 5.13c, and the easiest is Botox at 5.11c. The routes were first ascended by climbers including Marc Beverly, Lance Hadfield and Timmy. For a visit to the surrounding area, the Monastery Trail is less than a mile away, and the East Fork hike is about 3.5 miles off. The Jemez Falls Overlook Trail and Jemez Falls Campground are both about 4.8 miles away.
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