The Cotton Pony
Cotton Pony, The is a 5-route bouldering area in Washington with routes rated from moderate to difficult.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 5 routes
- V3 – V10
- Bouldering
Is Cotton Pony, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for Wenatchee River Ranger District.
Little Giant Fire Closure Order Reduced on the Wenatchee River and Entiat Ranger District
Agency alert covering Wenatchee River Ranger District · Order 06-17-07-2026-46 · USFS · Wenatchee River Ranger District
Cle Elum River Restoration Area Closure on the Cle Elum Ranger District
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Gold Creek Restoration Project Area Closure on Cle Elum Ranger District
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Grouse Creek Aquatic Project Road Closure on the Wenatchee River Ranger District
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Termination of Stage 1 Public Use Restrictions and Campfire Ban
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · Order 06-17-00-2026-16 · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Wenatchee River Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Cotton Pony
Best months: April–June 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
34° / 19°
14 wet
Feb
42° / 21°
10 wet
Mar
52° / 26°
9 wet
Apr
61° / 32°
7 wet
May
71° / 40°
7 wet
Jun
77° / 46°
5 wet
Jul
87° / 51°
3 wet
Aug
87° / 50°
3 wet
Sep
78° / 42°
4 wet
Oct
62° / 33°
9 wet
Nov
44° / 26°
13 wet
Dec
34° / 20°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Leavenworth 3 S, WA, 3.6 mi away at 1,128 ft. The station sits about 600 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.
The Cotton Pony is a bouldering area in the Wenatchee River Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Fish Wall about 0.1 mile away and Icicle Buttress and Duty Dome each about 0.2 mile off. The area is a compact, close-together set of boulders, and the routes here are all bouldering grades from V3 up to V10. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Leavenworth show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 78°F, with July and August peaking near 87°F. That station sits about 625 feet lower than the boulders, so temperatures on the rock run a little cooler. The routes at The Cotton Pony include Tampax Arete at V3 and The Pony Ride at V4, with The Cotton Pony Pointer and The Cotton Pony at V9 and V10. The Cotton Pony Pointer was first climbed by Johnny Goicoechea. Nearby, Eightmile Group Site offers camping about 0.8 mile away, and Bruce's Boulder Trail is about a mile off. Snow Lakes Trail and Bridge Creek Group Site are both within about 2 miles.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Fish Wall
~0 min drive
Fish Wall in Washington has 5 climbing routes spanning 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Duty Dome
~0 min drive
Duty Dome in Washington has 8 climbing routes across 5 grades, featuring mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Icicle Buttress Boulders
~0 min drive
Icicle Buttress Boulders has 9 bouldering routes in Washington.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Off Duty Area
~0 min drive
Off Duty Area in Washington has 8 climbing routes across 5 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Givler's Dome
~1 min drive
Givler's Dome in Washington has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Straightaway Boulders
~1 min drive
12 bouldering routes in Washington rated with 9 difficulty grades.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Roto Wall
~1 min drive
Roto Wall in Washington has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)The Millennium Boulder
~1 min drive
6 bouldering routes at The Millennium Boulder in Washington, ranging across 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: bgreenlee, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Busted Boulder
~1 min drive
Busted Boulder in Washington has 13 bouldering routes across 9 grades.
Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Icicle Creek
~1 min drive
Icicle Creek in Washington has 35 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades.
