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Red Rocks (Boulder)
Colorado
> Boulder
> Mt Sanitas
Description
No, this is not the concert venue down in Denver nor the climbing mecca out in Nevada. This more modest Red Rocks is a group of very handsome sandstone fins perched above downtown Boulder near the mouth of Boulder Canyon. It's a short hike from a couple of parking areas and offers good views of down town. The strata is tilted at 90 degrees and the rock is somewhat fragile in places.
I have no idea what routes exist here or their relative difficulty. There are some obvious lines up the larger (30-50'?) faces and chalk marks under some overhangs suggest some interesting boulder problems. The rock is fairly soft, crumbly sandstone so trad leads may not be the best idea; top ropes from gear are probably your best bet. The large, eastern-most face looks quite attractive and the top is easily accessible by scrambling up from the north.
Getting There
Red Rocks is easily accessible from either the Mount Sanitas or Settler's Park Trailheads on Mapleton Ave and Canyon Blvd, respectively, just west of downtown Boulder. The rocks themselves are easily visible on the right as you approach Boulder Canyon. Follow any of the trails up the hill and to the base of the rock.
[Hide Comment] Nope. Last year's Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks map (see the link above) lists it very definitely as part of the the Open Space. There are official trails, an official memorial bench, and assorted signage. There is a shmancy-looking community directly to the east which may be the private property you're thinking of.
Sep 17, 2003
[Hide Comment] I scramble around up there a lot. There is a wall of more solid stone with some fun bouldering just a little south east of the main rocks. You can see it from the trail, no secret or anything. As far as climbing on the fins themselves, I suppose you could try to top rope some of the bigger faces, but they are pretty featureless and the holds that you will find will rip right off. The way to do it up there is mess around in the slots and chimneys. There are some fun 5.5ish gullies to work your way up, and a few spots of maybe 5.6 face climbing higher up. There are also a couple gnarly squeeze chimneys and a 25 ft semi-offwidth crack I have been tempted to solo many times, but I always chicken out, the landing would be extra bad. Definitely some fun to be had on a lazy day, just beware of the super crumbly and abrasive rock.
Jan 19, 2009
[Hide Comment] Beautiful area. Most the routes and problems have some friable rock, but if you tread carefully, it's not bad. The main bouldering wall has several classics, IMO. Just a heads up, there were birds' nests in a few of the pockets for "Black Line hb" and "Getcher' Feet Up", as well as yellow jackets in some of the pockets up high as of Sept. 16th, 2021. Special place, one of my favorite spots in Boulder now.
Sep 17, 2021
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