The Rim of the World
26-route climbing area in New Mexico with sport and trad options.
- 26 routes
- 5.9 – 5.12a/b
- Sport · Trad
Is Rim of the World, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District.
Campground and Equestrian Area Closure for Field Tract and Jacks Creek
Agency alert covering Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District · Order 03-10-05-26-12 · USFS · Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District
Temporary area, road, and trail closures for Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon post-fire impacts
Agency alert covering Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District · Order 03-10-05-26-05 · USFS · Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Rim of the World
Best months: May–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° / 18°
5 wet · 5 snow
Feb
45° / 20°
5 wet · 5 snow
Mar
51° / 24°
6 wet · 5 snow
Apr
57° / 29°
6 wet · 3 snow
May
65° / 36°
6 wet · 1 snow
Jun
75° / 43°
7 wet
Jul
76° / 47°
12 wet
Aug
74° / 46°
12 wet
Sep
69° / 41°
7 wet
Oct
61° / 32°
5 wet · 1 snow
Nov
52° / 24°
4 wet · 3 snow
Dec
44° / 18°
4 wet · 4 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gascon, NM, 18.7 mi away at 8,250 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Rim of the World is a climbing area in the Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District of New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land. The name suggests its location on the edge of the high desert, and the climbing here is mostly sport, with two trad routes making up the rest of the 26 routes listed. The most comfortable months for climbing are typically June and September. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Gascon, at about 8,250 feet, show highs around 75°F in June and 69°F in September, with July and August bringing the most wet days of the year. Several other climbing areas sit right beside it. The Bleachers and Cathedral Rock are both about 0.1 mile away. Field Tract Campground is 1.1 miles off, and Links Tract Campground is 4.1 miles away.
Routes (26)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Middle Earth Sector
~46 min drive
Middle Earth Sector in New Mexico has 8 routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Mordor
~46 min drive
Mordor is a New Mexico climbing crag with 2 routes ranging across 2 difficulty grades.
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Chicken Little Area
~48 min drive
Chicken Little Area in New Mexico has 13 routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lower Buttress
~50 min drive
Lower Buttress in New Mexico has 5 climbing routes with bouldering pads and sport styles.
The Grandstand
~0 min drive
Grandstand, The in New Mexico has 10 climbing routes with 9 difficulty grades.
The Cheap Seats
~0 min drive
Cheap Seats, The in New Mexico has 5 routes with sport and trad climbing.
Cathedral Rock
~0 min drive
Cathedral Rock in New Mexico has 17 climbing routes across 12 grades.
Pecos River Canyon
~0 min drive
Pecos River Canyon in New Mexico has 6 climbing routes featuring bouldering and trad.
Windy Bridge - Brautigan Boulder
~1 min drive
5 bouldering routes at Windy Bridge - Brautigan Boulder in New Mexico.
Apache Canyon (a.k.a. Grasshopper Canyon) Bouldering
~20 min drive
Apache Canyon (a.k.a. Grasshopper Canyon) Bouldering in New Mexico has 13 routes on 10 distinct difficulty grades.
