Climbing
The San Juan Mountains provide a veritable all-seasons playground for climbers.
With its proximity to rich, diverse landscapes, climbers can easily access everything from bouldering to ice climbing, granite to sandstone.
The Sailing Hawks area provides some of the region’s best bouldering, located just minutes from downtown Durango, while the X-Rock Climbing Area is home to one of the locals’ favorite crags (as well as crack and sport climbs and bouldering).
Meanwhile, nearby Cascade Canyon (located north of Durango and accessed by the Cascade Creek Trail) offers unparalleled limestone in the summer and transforms into a ice park in the winter, with ice climbers scaling the frozen falls in an unforgettable setting.
See all trails with climbing access below, or visit durango.org to learn more about seven unbeatable climbing destinations near Durango.
Get Outside
trails with climbing access
Animas Mountain Trail System
A popular and iconic trail located in-town Durango, just minutes from downtown Durango.
Bouldering Trail
The Bouldering Trail is a popular trail in Durango for bouldering, hiking and biking within Dalla Mountain Park.
Cascade Creek Trail
Cascade Creek follows along the western base of the mountain and often sees less traffic than other popular high-country trails in the area.
Jacob’s Cliff Trail
Jacob’s Cliff Trail is a popular 0.95-mile trail in Dalla Mountain Park for climbers, hikers, and mountain bikers alike.
Junction Trail
Accessed from Jacob’s Cliff Trail, Junction Trail parallels Junction Creek Road and provides access to bouldering rocks and other trails in Dalla Mountain Park.
Ponderosa Trail
Ponderosa Trail is a 0.6-mile trail that connects between Animas Mountain and bouldering areas of Dalla Mountain Park.
Rico-Silverton Trail
Rico-Silverton Trail ascends two high mountain passes in 2.4 miles, thus affording excellent views and good opportunities for photography.
Sailing Hawks Trail
Accessed from Dalla Mountain Park’s Ponderosa or Bouldering Trails, Sailing Hawks spans 0.9 miles and provides access to bouldering areas and cliffs along the foot of Animas Mountain.
X-Rock Climbing Area
X-Rock is the most popular and iconic wall for beginner and intermediate climbing access in Durango.