New Mexico · Rock climbing · Jemez Springs

Pinball Simulator Area

Pinball Simulator Area is a bouldering crag in New Mexico with 9 routes.

9 routes
V4-5 – V9
Bouldering

Is Pinball Simulator Area open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Jemez Ranger District. It doesn't name Pinball Simulator Area, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Jemez Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Pinball Simulator Area

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.

  1. Jan

    48° / 19°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    52° / 22°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    60° / 28°

    4 wet

  4. Apr

    67° / 33°

    3 wet

  5. May

    76° / 41°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    87° / 50°

    4 wet

  7. Jul

    89° / 55°

    9 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 54°

    9 wet

  9. Sep

    80° / 47°

    6 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 36°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    56° / 26°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    47° / 19°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jemez Springs, NM, 5 mi away at 6,262 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.

Pinball Simulator Area is a bouldering area on Forest Service land in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico. The area sits among several other climbing spots, including Parking and Valley Floor and The Satellite, both about 0.1 mile away. The area is a bouldering destination with nine routes, all of them boulders, and the climbing runs from V4-5 up to V9. The hardest route is Timeline at V9, and Pinball Simulator/ First Arete is V6. The routes are clustered close together, so the whole area can be covered in a short visit. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Jemez Springs weather station show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 70°F, while July and August average highs near 89°F with the most wet days of the year. For overnight stays, Paliza Family (New) and Paliza Campground are both within about 2 miles. Peralta Ridge is a hike about 3.7 miles away, and the Jemez River, about 8.4 miles off, offers canoeing.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive