Leaning Tower
12-route climbing area in New Mexico with mixed, sport, and trad options.
- 12 routes
- 5.9 – 5.14a
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
Is Leaning Tower open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Jemez Ranger District. It doesn't name Leaning Tower, 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 Leaning Tower
Best months: May–June and September. 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
36° / 9°
9 wet
Feb
38° / 12°
9 wet
Mar
44° / 20°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 25°
8 wet
May
62° / 32°
8 wet
Jun
72° / 39°
8 wet
Jul
74° / 45°
15 wet
Aug
71° / 43°
15 wet
Sep
66° / 35°
11 wet
Oct
57° / 26°
7 wet
Nov
45° / 17°
6 wet
Dec
36° / 9°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Los Alamos 13 W, NM, 2.7 mi away at 8,716 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Leaning Tower is a climbing area in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing spots, with Easy Bake Alcove, Hidden Tower and Retirement Wall all about 0.1 mile away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Los Alamos show July highs around 74°F with lows near 45°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s. The East Fork Trail (137) is about 0.4 mile away, and Jemez Falls Campground is about 3.7 miles off. Redondo campground lies roughly 5.5 miles away.
Routes (12)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) - CLOSED
~15 min drive
Jemez Cave (a.k.a. Crystal Cave) in New Mexico has 10 sport climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.
Easy Bake Alcove
~0 min drive
Easy Bake Alcove in New Mexico has 8 sport climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades.
Hidden Tower
~0 min drive
Hidden Tower is a sport climbing crag in New Mexico with 19 routes.
Retirement Wall
~0 min drive
Retirement Wall in New Mexico has 16 sport climbing routes across 11 grades.
Los Huevos
~0 min drive
Los Huevos has 5 sport climbing routes in New Mexico.
The Sponge
~0 min drive
The Sponge in New Mexico has 9 climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades, offering bouldering and sport climbing.
Love Shack Area
~1 min drive
Love Shack Area in New Mexico offers 12 sport climbing routes across 11 difficulty grades.
Cattle Call Wall Area
~1 min drive
Cattle Call Wall Area in New Mexico has 25 routes across 16 grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad climbing.
The Amphitheater
~3 min drive
13 sport climbing routes in New Mexico spanning 11 difficulty grades.
Cragacito
~3 min drive
Cragacito in New Mexico has 11 sport climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.
