New Mexico · Rock climbing · Mills

The Keep

Keep, The is a New Mexico climbing crag with 9 routes.

9 routes
V0 – V8
Bouldering

Is Keep, 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 Keep

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.

  1. Jan

    48° / 21°

    2 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    52° / 22°

    2 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    59° / 28°

    2 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    66° / 35°

    3 wet

  5. May

    76° / 45°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    85° / 54°

    5 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 58°

    7 wet

  8. Aug

    85° / 57°

    7 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 51°

    4 wet

  10. Oct

    69° / 38°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    57° / 28°

    2 wet · 1 snow

  12. Dec

    47° / 21°

    2 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Roy, NM, 12.7 mi away at 5,743 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Keep is a bouldering area in the Kiowa/Rita Blanca National Grasslands, within the Cibola National Forest of New Mexico. The Forest Service manages the surrounding land, and the area sits among several other climbing spots, including Mega Roof and Upper Mesteño, each about 0.1 mile away. It makes an easy anchor for a day of bouldering in this corner of the grasslands. The climbing here is all bouldering, with nine routes spread across the V0 to V8 range. Wet Socks is the easiest at V0, and For Keeps is the hardest at V8. Crenellation and Overexposed both sit at V4. The routes are close together, so it's easy to move from one to another in a single visit. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the Roy weather station, about 13 miles away, show highs around 76°F in May and 69°F in October, with July peaking near 88°F and winter lows around 21°F. Mills Canyon Rim Campground, about 2.7 miles away, is the closest place to camp.

Routes (9)