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Avalon Rock Climbing
| Elevation: | 7,326 ft | 2,233 m |
| GPS: |
39.99869, -105.41239 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Page Views: | 356,167 total · 1,193/month | |
| Shared By: | Steve Bartlett on Nov 30, 2001 · Updates | |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Access Issue: Seasonal raptor closures for 2026 - Bitty Buttress, Blob, East Blob, Security Risk - open. Eagle Rock, Vampire, Black Widow Slab - closed.
Details
The USFS closed Blob, E Blob, Security, Bitty, Vampire, and Black Widow through 7/31/26.
5/19/25 Eagle Rock opened. 3/14/25: Bitty Buttress, Blob, & SR reopened.
2/3/25. Bitty Buttress, Blob, Eagle Rock &, Security Risk closed for raptors.
FS (3/27/24): Eagle Rock & Security Risk are now open!
2/1/24: W. McCurry: USFS annual closures in Boulder Canyon as of 2/1/24 - Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, Eagle Rock, Security Risk.
W. McCurry: 2/10/23 Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security Risk opened. Eagle Rock is closed - info: fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/news….
W. McCurry, NFS, Arap./Roo. NF: USFS began annual closures in BC 2/1/23. The closures: Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security.
Through 7/31/23, the closures protect golden eagle nesting territory. Happy Hour, Bihedral & Riviera will remain open as long as visitors stay out of the closed areas.
The Boulder Ranger District with BCC monitors nesting progress & informs climbers re: giving eagles space to raise young.
Fed. & state laws prohibit disturbing any nesting bird of prey. Visitors help protect wildlife by respecting closures. Signs are posted at key access pts into the closed areas. Closure info: fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/eagles.
K. Armstrong, Public Affairs Specialist, Nat'l Forest Service: as of 6/8/21: BC areas reopen after unsuccessful nesting.
K. Armstrong, NF Ranger 7/29/20: following a 5 mo. closure to protect nesting eagles, the Roosevelt NF reopened Eagle Rock.
“The BC eagles successfully raised 1 strong & healthy eaglet this year,” wildlife biologist Aurelia DeNasha, USDA FS. “2 chicks hatched initially, only 1 survived to fledge, which isn’t uncommon in birds of prey.”
Visits to the nest did not reveal the exact cause of death of the 2nd chick, but climber cooperation with closures are crucial to the eagles.
“Golden eagle pairs are most susceptible to disturbance when choosing a nest. These closures allow the birds to pick the best site for survival without impact of other factors, such as human presence. Once chosen, nest sites stays closed until the eagles fledge in late July,” said DeNasha.
After the eagles’ site selection was made, unused areas opened in Apr.
The annual nesting closures include popular rock climbing spots at Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security.
Through 7/31/20, the closures protect a long-established golden eagle nesting territory. Happy Hour, Bihedral & Riviera remain open as long as visitors stay out of the closed areas.
It is against federal & state law to disturb any nesting bird of prey. Only employees, volunteers, & wildlife professionals under an agreement with the FS enter nesting areas for monitoring purposes. This is for the integrity of nest & the safety of the eagles, those conducting surveys, & the public. Visitors help protect wildlife by respecting all closures & leaving immediately if you should accidentally enter one.
For the most current closure information, check signs in the areas, call the Boulder Ranger District office @ 303-541-2500, or visit local climbing websites or fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/rec….
4/21/20, Blob Rock, East Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, & Security Risk are open. Eagle Rock stays closed until 7/31/2020 confirmed with Matt Henry, Rec Prog Mgr, FS.
K. Armstrong, FS Pub Aff, katherine.armstrong@usda.gov, 970-222-7607: 3/20/19, Blob, East Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security are open. Eagle stays closed to climbing & other activities through 7/31/19.
See - fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/rec….
Perennial notice:
Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security will close 2/1 - 7/31 for nesting. Depending on updated information, the closure time can be shortened/lengthened.
Each year, BC raptor nesting area closures are in effect starting 2/1 through 7/31 at Eagle, Security, Blob, & Bitty Buttress. The area is monitored & closures are periodically lifted early (due to no active nest, nest site failure, or early fledging). This monitoring program is a partnership with the FS Boulder Ranger District, BCC, & Audubon Society. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates. More info at fs.usda.gov/recarea/arp/rec….
Description
Avalon is one of the best and most popular of the crags in the narrows of Boulder Canyon. The rock is excellent, typical of the higher quality Boulder Canyon stuff, cleaner than Vampire Rock (maybe because of the sunnier aspect), and the crag, nestled in a steep west-facing gully, has less of the road noise/roadside-feel than many others. It is shady in the mornings, but expect some afternoon sun.
Avalon is home to many moderate (5.8 to 5.10) sport routes. It can get busy on summer weekends.
Most of the routes are fully bolted, but several require a few pieces of trad gear. Be sure to check the route description before you head up with just a rack of quickdraws. Bring a rack of nuts and cams to 2" if you're going to do any of the "mixed" routes; otherwise, 12 quickdraws are enough for the longest route. A few routes could use one or two longer runners to keep down rope drag. Bring a 60m rope; some of the routes require it to lower or rappel.
Richard Rossiter's website, Boulder Climbs, has descriptions of most Avalon routes, as does Mark Rolofson's new guidebook "Boulder Canyon Sport & Adventure Climber's Guide Volume II: The Upper Canyon". Rossiter's current Boulder Canyon guidebook lists very few of the Avalon routes.
The routes on Avalon lie on three tiers. The First Tier, closest to the creek, has a number of good routes: Mists of Avalon (10a), Iron Maiden (9+), Slayer (10b), and Marquis de Sade (10d) are popular.
The Second Tier is home to most of the routes on Avalon. It is a complex area, and is split into several sub-areas: Tarot Wall has Lust (10c), The Tower (10a), and Wheel of Fortune (10a). The Three Dihedrals area has the ever-popular Dominator (10b). The Clipboard Area has The Clipboard (11b) and Stigmata (10a). The Middle Wall has Strange Science (11c), Free Fall (12a), and Incline Club (8). The Wall of the Dead has the fun Dead Can Dance (9).
The Third Tier is the most remote and is visited by few climbers. Many routes up here have some moss and lichen, since the rock faces more to the north than down below, and the routes have seen little traffic. Come here to get away from the crowds. Visit the Wall of the Goddess for some trad crack-climbing practice. Climb on the remote Crack Land or Wall of the Dragon to experience "adventure sport climbing". Climb Ancient Light (10a) to Ancient Fright (10c) to Resurrection (9) to visit the true summit of Avalon, a magical place! The Art Of War (10c) is an excellent new sport route in Crack Land.
In 2006, Richard Rossiter and Pebby Johns added a number of new crack climbs in Crack Land; bring your trad rack and have some fun!
Per Jonah S: from 2021 through 2023, the Boulder Climbing Community (BCC)'s Trail Crew built and improved the climber access trails to Avalon, and in 2022 BCC's Anchor Replacement Program upgraded the old bolts on many of the crag's older routes. You can help fund this work here, contribute specifically to the Bolt Replacement Fund here, or volunteer with the BCC here.
Getting There
There are two places to park:
* In a small paved pullout on the right side of the road, 8.2 miles up the canyon, just across from the crag. This is 0.1 miles past Practice Rock, just past a right-hand bend in the road. Cross the road and spot the talus field below Avalon.
Warning: As of 6/20/07, this area has been posted as a no-parking zone. Evidently people are being ticketed for parking here. It's possible to park a bit downstream, just before the start of the no-parking zone. The no-parking sign is NOT visible at the usual parking pullout.
* In a pullout on the left side of the road, 8.4 miles up the canyon, across from The Boulderado and Animal World. This is just past a concrete guard rail on the left. From here, walk 0.2 miles downstream, past Black Widow, Vampire Rock, and the Watermark, to the talus field below Avalon.
Crossing the creek:
* There is a tyrolean traverse (currently 2 ropes, one rope is frayed) below the talus field; use this if the water level is too high to wade.
* If the water level is low enough, you can wade downstream of the talus field.
* If the water level is really low, you can hop rocks to get across.
Specific access directions for each tier will be listed in those sections.
Classic Climbing Routes at Avalon
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