Lyons is a small town of approximately 1500 people located North of Boulder, but part of Boulder County. It lies at the downhill end of the canyon connecting with Estes Park.
While there may be no towering cliffs here, there is some interesting climbing for those with patience to search out the hidden gems. The area nearby includes a variety of rock types, from Dakota Sandstone, a variety of sandstone layers in the cliffs just NW of town, coarse granite of the S. St. Vrain Canyon, and the smoother granite in the Button Rock area. Some of the rock here overlaps the descriptions of the Estes Valley area.
Getting There
From Boulder follow US 36 north for approximately 10 miles. Watch out for cyclists!
Lyons is oddly a culinary hotspot which draws gourmands from a far.
Restaurants here include: Ophelia's Kitchen (burritos), Dairy Delight (for greasy burgers or soft serve), a great little Mexican restaurant (Cilantro Mary's), Soda Fountain (breakfast & sandwiches), the family restaurant (formerly the Outlaw, now Linda & Jeana's), Kokopelli's Italian, Oskar Blues Bar & Grill, Gateway Cafe (need reservations on popular evenings) ($$$), Andrea's ($$$), Black Bear Inn ($$$$)....
Grab a 50 meter rope and head up to the beautiful crack called Crooked Cross. Hike up to the right of the rock, then scramble left to its base. Pitch one is about 120 feet and will get you to the base of the crack itself. Pitch one begins, as you look up, about 30 feet to the right of the crack, at the low point of the wall. It's a very moderate pitch, perhaps 5.5 or 5.6, and begins in a 20 foot long right facing, bushy dihedral. Work up to ...[more]
Bernard Gillett's new ROCK CLIMBING ST. VRAIN CANYONS is now available. It's a 424 page comprehensive guide. You'll want to have this one if you're bored with the other canyons.
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