Colorado Crags › Colorado climbing areas › Independence Pass
Independence Pass climbing
Independence Pass climbing, Colorado — 737 climbs across 8 named crags, with sport, trad, bouldering and top-rope breakdowns, a full grade spread, and a family-friendly score of 4/5 (est.). Top crags: Lincoln Creek, Upper Boulderfield Area, Monitor Rock.
737 Total climbs
8 Named crags
165 Routes ≤5.9
2 h 55 min Drive from Denver (est.)
3 h 5 min Drive from Parker (est.)
39.119, -106.671 Coordinates
Climbing styles
Sport 374 Trad 203 Bouldering 187 Top rope 27
Grade spread
≤ 5.9 165 5.10 149 5.11 129 5.12 88 5.13+ 19 V-grades 187
Routes can count in more than one style, so style counts add up to more than the total climbs. A few climbs are ungraded, so the grade bands may add up to slightly less.
Family-friendly — est. 4/5
4 / 5 Great with kids. Strong family potential on the numbers — lots of easy climbing, so the deciding factor is the individual crag's approach and base.
165 routes ≤5.9 (30% of graded routes) for kids & beginners 27 top-rope climbs — easier to manage with a small child underfoot 278 routes at 5.10–5.11 for parents
Estimate from OpenBeta grade & style counts only — approach, base, and shade are not in OpenBeta. Not a safety rating: check the specific wall's approach, base, and current access before bringing a small child.
Before you go — permits & chalk No climbing permit — the pass crags are in White River National Forest (Aspen-Sopris Ranger District), and the pass road (CO 82) closes for winter. Check the district page for current access.
Aspen-Sopris Ranger District — White River NF →
Always confirm on the official site — rules change.
Crags in Independence Pass Lincoln Creek 115 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style Hasta La Vista 5.10c Trad Unnecessary Buffness 5.10a/b Sport Trad The Avenger 5.13a Trad Total Recall 5.10a Trad Squeeze Please 5.12a Trad Wrong Side of the Tracks 5.13- Trad Crank Shaft 5.12a Trad Withholding Evidence 5.11b/c Trad I'll be Black 5.10c Sport Predator 5.11b Sport Sunset Crack 5.8 Trad Softail Meets Guardrail 5.9 Sport Trad Yes-O-Yes 5.10a Sport Trad Unknown 5.7 Trad
Upper Boulderfield Area 102 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style No Begging! 5.10c Sport Kung Pao Kitty 5.10a Sport Buckets of Love 5.8 Sport Cat Nip 5.8 Sport Fang 5.11c Sport Call the Cops 5.12 Sport Stay in the Yard! 5.10a Sport Shock Collar 5.11b Sport Heebie Jeebie 5.11c Sport Wok the Dog 5.10c Sport Hard When Wet 5.10 Sport Frogs in Space 5.11d Sport Jeepers Creepers 5.10c Sport Spayed in the Shade 5.10c Sport
Monitor Rock 87 climbs · ≈ 2 h 40 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style Temporary Change of Season 5.10d Sport Trad Pirate Mode 5.10c Sport Trad Trooper Traverse 5.8 Trad Meltdown 5.11b Sport Matchless 5.12a Sport Hemp Seeds Sowed 5.11- Sport Mother Lode 5.10 Sport Trad Otis 5.11a Sport A New Squid In Town 5.11- Trad Rad Lad 5.11b/c Sport Brother Toad 5.10d Sport The Other Road 5.11a Sport Trad Projectile Dysfunction 5.11 Sport Squid Kid 5.10a Sport
Grotto Walls Area 66 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style Espresso Love 5.11c Sport YQ 5.12b Trad Top rope Stage Fright 5.12a Sport Twin Cracks 5.8 Trad Under Pressure - Extension 5.12b Sport Girly Man 5.12a Sport Twins For The Road 5.10b Trad Top rope Headless Crankin' Chicken 5.12b/c Sport Before There Were Nine 5.13c Sport Tommy's 13b 5.13b Sport Tarzan 5.12c Sport Scene of the Crime 5.12d Sport K - fight 5.11a Sport Wire and Fire 5.11a Sport Trad
Outrageous Overhangs Area 47 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style False Start 5.11d Sport Ball Four 5.11b Sport I've Got Skills 5.12a Sport Len's World 5.12d Sport Standing Eight Count 5.11c Sport 50 Yard Dash 5.10a Sport Trad Cookie Puss 5.12c Sport Steroids or Bust 5.12b Sport Horny For You 5.11a Sport For Pete's Sake 5.11c Sport Fox Trot 5.8 Sport 9.925 5.9 Trad One Strike and You're Out 5.12a Sport My Favorite Martin 5.9- Sport
Grottos Day Use Area 47 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style Deset V10 Bouldering The Crucible V13 Bouldering The Vampire Low V8-9 Bouldering Destro V7-8 Bouldering Wild Hair V10-11 Bouldering Cobra Commander V10-11 Bouldering Fin Dependence V8 Bouldering Devet V7-8 Bouldering The Vampire (aka Sabbath Bloody Sabbath?) 5.13a Trad The Werewolf 5.10 Trad The Troll 5.10b Trad Escher's Staircase 5.10b Sport The Dragon's Hoard (tenative name) 5.11b Sport We Squeezes V11 Bouldering
Ptarmigan Creek Area 43 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style Twice Baked 5.11c Sport One Leg's Shorter 5.11c Sport A Broad's Side Of A Barn Door 5.11b/c Sport Bolts and a Pin 5.10 Sport Slippery Slope 5.11c Sport Baba Fats 5.11a Sport No Guts, No Glory 5.12c Sport This Way or That 5.10b/c Sport 5.9 Crack 5.10b Sport Truth Decay 5.10a Sport Grease Monkey 5.11b Sport Easy Street 5.8 Trad Tiger Milk 5.10c/d Sport Dark Horse 5.10a Sport
Wild Rock Area 30 climbs · ≈ 2 h 55 min drive from Denver (est.) · Directions · OpenBeta · Mountain Project
Route Grade Style Northway 5.7 Top rope Wild at Heart 5.13- Sport Problem Child 5.12b Sport Trademark 5.8 Sport Top rope Wild In The Streets 5.11b Sport Wild Thing 5.13a Sport Four Finger Discount 5.13+ Sport Red Headed Step Child 5.13b Sport Missed the Boat 5.13c Sport Delicatessen Ridge 5.8 Trad Top rope Funky Chicken V1 Bouldering Moss Master V0 Bouldering Moon Tide V1 Bouldering V1 V1 Bouldering
At the crag Route-level beta for Independence Pass lives on Mountain Project and OpenBeta — Colorado Crags helps you pick the spot; those sites have the route descriptions, photos and comments.
Links open in a new tab.
Nearby climbing areas
Gold Butte · 20 climbs Leadville · 83 climbs Crested Butte · 55 climbs
Route counts, grade spreads, coordinates and route samples come from the OpenBeta open climbing database, pulled November 6, 2026. Family scores are labelled estimates (see above), not OpenBeta data and not a safety rating. Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance — check a maps app for live routing, and check current access and closures before you go.
All 44 Colorado climbing areas A–Z · Permits & chalk rules · Common questions
Spot a mistake, a changed permit or chalk rule, or a family-score that doesn't match the crag? Tell us with the contact form — corrections are checked against the official source before they're published.