All Locations > Colorado > Estes Park Valley > CO Hwy 7 & Trib… > Prospect Mountain > Bouldering Zones > Zone 3

Equalizer Boulder Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Equalizer Boulder

L › R R › L A › Z

	Anti-liminate V7-8 7B
	Antithesis V8 7B
	Equalizer V7+ 7A+
	Prow, The V3 6A
	Slabhappy V0 4
	Triple E V5 6C

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Elevation:	8,348 ft	2,544 m
GPS:	40.35637, -105.52131 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	5,670 total · 41/month
Shared By:	Nathan Welton on Jul 1, 2013
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Temporary trail closure & Thumb and Needle Closures - resolved with The Thumb Open Space creation Details

Temporary trail closure at The Thumb Trailhead:

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

Equalizer Boulder is a big egg-shaped boulder about 12 feet tall right off the trail on the right side. You can't miss it.

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

Head out of town on CO Highway 7, and turn right on Peak View Drive at a big church. Head past Curry Drive (the road that leads to the Thumb/Needle parking area), and park at a teal water treatment plant.

Locate a trail just behind the building that leads uphill. Follow it for about 2 minutes from the parking area and wander off to your right for the Maoi and Flatanger Boulders. Gangletron is above you (see overview photo). If you follow this trail all the way, you will wind up on the very top of Prospect Mountain.

Head up the trail until it flattens out. The Equalizer Boulder is an egg-shaped boulder in a clearing on the right side of the trail with a flat landing all around.