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Prospect Mountain Climbing
| Elevation: | 8,426 ft | 2,568 m |
| GPS: |
40.3571, -105.51672 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Page Views: | 90,295 total · 401/month | |
| Shared By: | Leo Paik on Sep 15, 2006 | |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Access Issue: Temporary trail closure & Thumb and Needle Closures - resolved with The Thumb Open Space creation
Details
Beginning Jan. 19, 2024, and lasting no later than Feb. 9, 2024, the Town of Estes Park will be temporarily closing the trailhead access at the Thumb Open Space due to required construction activity. This area will be blocked off and not accessible during the closure period. There will no parking or public access from the trailhead.
Brian Berg
Park Supervisor
Town of Estes Park
The Thumb and Needle are prominent crags (previously on private property) that are now on The Thumb Open Space, established in 2022 by the Town of Ester Park. Access to the crags is gained from a signed trailhead and small parking lot on Peak View Drive just west of Curry Drive. Do not park on Curry Drive or access the crags from anywhere along Curry Drive. From the Peak View Drive trailhead, the trail is well marked and approximately 0.75 miles long with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. Expect about 20 to 30 minutes for the approach to reach the Thumb and the Needle.
The Town of Estes Park worked on purchasing the property with the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal is to keep this area public with climbing access, so please respect private property rights of adjacent landowners.
For any questions about The Thumb Open Space, please contact Brian Berg, Park Supervisor, Town of Estes Park, bberg@estes.org, (970) 577-3783.
During 2022, major efforts were expended by members of the Boulder Climbing Community and Estes Park volunteers to replace over 100 old protection bolts and anchors on many of the sport climbs on the Thumb and the Needle. Many of the routes now have clip and lower anchors, and there are also new rappel stations on top of both crags and also the Thimble.
Formerly: The Thumb and Needle were on private property and the gravel road part of Curry Dr. is a private road. There was no public access to the Thumb or Needle until the Thumb Open Space was created. The Town of Estes Park purchased the property with our partners the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal was to make this area public with climbing access...success.
Any questions? Please contact me directly.
Brian Berg
Town of Estes Park
Park Supervisor
bberg@estes.org
(970) 577-3783
Description
On its slopes, you can find a bunch of small crags, some of which have published routes on them, like the southern crags of Dihedral Rock, Shield Rock, The Fin, The Thimble, The Needle, and The Thumb. Apparently, some of these crags may be on private property. There are other crags on this mountain which have probably have been climbed by wandering souls. While this area can hardly be considered a destination for climbers, inclement weather, limited time, kids, when your kids are competing at the Hunter Jumper competitions, and short approaches might coax a wander in the area.
There are routes here which vary from 1-2 pitches, 0 to 2 stars, 5.0 to 5.13, gear to bolts, all on gneiss and granite outcrops. The north, west, & east faces do see a bit of moisture, so you may find healthy stretches of lichen on these faces.
You may find some guided groups in the area due to the ease of access, low-end routes, and general lack of competition for routes here. Close-in parking is quite limited (probably 8 cars maximum).
Consider bringing a trash bag to help pick up debris left by partiers in the area.
Getting There
Access to the crags is gained from a signed trailhead and small parking lot on Peak View Drive just west of Curry Drive. Do not park on Curry Drive or access the crags from anywhere along Curry Drive. From the Peak View Drive trailhead, the trail is well marked and approximately 0.75 miles long with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. Expect about 20 to 30 minutes for the approach to reach the Thumb and the Needle.
The Town of Estes Park worked on purchasing the property with the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal is to keep this area public with climbing access, so please respect private property rights of adjacent landowners.
Formerly: The Thumb and Needle were on private property and the gravel road part of Curry Dr. is a private road. There was no public access to the Thumb or Needle until the Thumb Open Space was created. The Town of Estes Park purchased the property with our partners the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal was to make this area public with climbing access...success.
Any questions? Please contact me directly.
Brian Berg
Town of Estes Park
Park Supervisor
bberg@estes.org
(970) 577-3783
Formerly: The Thumb, Needle, and all of Prospect Mt. are on private property and the gravel road part of Curry Dr. is a private road. Currently, there is no public access to the Thumb, Needle, other crags/boulders on Prospect Mt. The Town of Estes Park is working on purchasing the property with our partners the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal is to make this area public with climbing access, but until then please respect private property rights.
Any questions? Please contact me directly.
Brian Berg
Town of Estes Park
Park Supervisor
bberg@estes.org
(970) 577-3783
Apparently, Shield Rock and Dihedral Rock are closed to the public, because they lie on the hillside directly above all the new homes on Curry Drive, and there is risk of rockfall from those cliffs onto the homes below.
More 2020 Access Information
Classic Climbing Routes at Prospect Mountain
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