The Playground
46-route climbing area in New Mexico with bouldering pads, mixed, sport, and trad.
- 46 routes
- 5.8 – 5.14
- Mixed · Sport · Trad
Best time to visit The Playground
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
44° / 20°
4 wet
Feb
50° / 23°
4 wet
Mar
59° / 28°
5 wet
Apr
66° / 34°
4 wet
May
76° / 43°
4 wet
Jun
87° / 52°
5 wet
Jul
88° / 58°
10 wet
Aug
86° / 56°
10 wet
Sep
80° / 49°
7 wet
Oct
68° / 38°
5 wet
Nov
54° / 27°
4 wet
Dec
44° / 20°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santa Fe Co Muni Ap, NM, 14.9 mi away at 6,344 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Playground is a climbing area in New Mexico, about a mile from the town of White Rock. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots and trails, so it works well as a stop on a day spent exploring the surrounding area. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 68°F, while July and August average highs near 88°F with about 10 wet days a month. The closest neighbors are the Doughnut Shop climbing area and the White Rock Canyon Rim Trail, both about 0.1 mile away. Main Wall and Gallows Edge are each about 0.2 mile off.
Routes (46)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Doughnut Shop
~0 min drive
Doughnut Shop, The in New Mexico has 8 climbing routes with mixed styles.
Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Old New Place
~0 min drive
Old New Place in New Mexico offers 24 mixed and sport climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.
Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Below The Old New Place
~0 min drive
35-route climbing crag in New Mexico with sport and trad options.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lower Buttress
~2 min drive
Lower Buttress in New Mexico has 5 climbing routes with bouldering pads and sport styles.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)South/East side
~2 min drive
South/East side in New Mexico has 36 climbing routes across 20 grades.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Overlook
~2 min drive
4 sport routes in New Mexico at Overlook, The
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)North/West side
~2 min drive
29 routes, 17 grades, sport and trad climbing at North/West side in New Mexico.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Sewer Crag
~2 min drive
Sewer Crag in New Mexico has 9 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Chicken Little Area
~3 min drive
Chicken Little Area in New Mexico has 13 routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Mordor
~5 min drive
Mordor is a New Mexico climbing crag with 2 routes ranging across 2 difficulty grades.
