Morrison is well known as a classic Font Range bouldering area. A outdoor climbing gym with two distinctive atmospheres. On the Northern side of the road, it's rare to boulder by yourself, whereas the southern side I've yet to met anyone there.
The town of Morrison is a small but thriving town whose major industries are tourism and margaritas - especially in the summer. Visitors come for our restaurants, rocks, and/or rock concerts at Red Rocks. The population is about 500 people.
Evergreen is further up Bear Valley at 7200 feet, approximately 20 minutes from Morrison. It's considerably larger than Morrison with about 30,000 residents, although many of them are very spread out.
Getting There
From Boulder, take CO Hwy 93 to Golden, US 6 to C-470 heading South, and get off 5-10 minutes later at Morrison. Take a right after exiting. One can also take a right just past Golden on Heritage Rd, which becomes a highway that goes by Red Rocks and spits you out into Morrison on the west side. Continue up CO Hwy 74 (Bear Creek Road) to Evergreen. Watch out for cyclists!
From Denver, take US 285 to C-470, then head north the the Morrison exit, and take a left into town. To get to Evergreen, continue up CO Hwy 74.
This town is famous for its Margaritas and its Mexican food, and the one place to get them is the Morrison Inn. There is also a great Italian restaurant in town.
Missile is one of the classic independent lines at Morrison. It is an old problem that is reminescent of Helicopter and is another of my favorite problems at Morrison. The way to find it is to start in the Black Hole, and head uphill under the large boulder that leans on the left side of the Hole. This is the Wisdom area. Walk half way up the sloping rock to a small corner that has some great jugs at the sit down start.(the start of upper wis...[more]
An alternative to the regular Morrison Bouldering/Climbing Drive about a mile (west) out of Morrison up Bear Creek Canyon. On the south side of the canyon (across the river) there is a severely overhanging face with two bolted routes on it. The Bearicade, 5.12?, F.A. me and a bunch of my friends. Kodiak Arrest, 5.13? F.A. Rufus Miller, Dave Twinum is on the right. The climbs are about 100' above the river and can be spotted easier by driving past and turning around. There is a large spot to pull off the road right under them. These climbs are accessed by crossing the river any way you can(wading works). There is a dry way, but you have to cross a gated pipe. We generally hike around to the top of the route and rap in. I haven't been there in a while, maybe some stuff to back things up. I do remember that the rap sling should hang over the lip and makes the last clip for a lead ascent. (you'll see). The bolts on the routes are good, the exposure is breath taking, the angle is steep!, the rock quality is very solid, and it is way pumpy! This is a great summer afternoon outing.
Hi Alex, If you're into bouldering, there is some really good stuff, though hard to find, up at Alderfer-Three Sisters Park in Evergreen. By the way, I see that you climbed for 25 years at The Lake. Are you an ex-DLFA clubber? I am a branch affiliate DLFA'er from Taylors Falls circa early seventies to 1982, when I moved to CO for multi-pitch. Now living in Castle Rock as a founding foreskin of the DCCC Rich Bechler bestowed upon me the unofficial title of Megalomaniacal Potentate of Fukness, so I am now unofficially "core" even if I am an over-the-hill-has-been.
Morrison/Evergeen
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