Ask any rock climber who’s visited Central Texas if the climbing is good and watch their eyes light up. Although rock climbing or bouldering out in nature is a niche sport, any seasoned climber would agree that Central Texas has a variety of climbing opportunities. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran of the rock, consider checking out these spots if you want to do a little climbing in the Texas Hill Country.
Barton Greenbelt: A favorite of Austinites, this park is less than 10 minutes from downtown Austin and just a half hour’s drive from Dripping Springs. Climbers have been coming to the area for decades and there are more than 30 different climbing routes of varying difficulty for climbers to choose from. Local climbing school Rock About regularly teaches classes here, making it a great spot for beginners who are just getting started in the sport. Not only is it a beautiful location, but once your climb is over you can cool off in one of the swimming holes!
Enchanted Rock: The massive pink granite dome welcoming visitors to Enchanted Rock State Park looks like something out of The Lion King. The park is a popular draw for a range of activities from hiking and camping to stargazing, but it’s particularly a favorite with rock climbers. A climbing access map is available and there are well over 100 established climbing routes to explore. Most of the routes are one pitch or less (though there are some two-pitch routes), making it great for both beginner and intermediate climbers.
Reimers Ranch Park: With what seems like endless routes to explore, this local park has been a popular spot with climbers even before it became a park. Back in the day, climbers use to pay the land owner and pay namesake Milton Reimer a couple of bucks to scale its towering and near-vertical limestone cliffs. Today though, the park is open to the public and is a popular destination for not just climbers, but hikers, birding hobbyists, and stargazers.
Monster Rock: Unlike the other climbing spots on our list, this spot isn’t a city or state park. That said, it’s still definitely worth checking out and not that difficult to access. The Texas Climbers Coalition owns the climbing spot, and it’s free to climb any day of the week unless a notice is posted. This spot is especially ideal in the summer as it’s in a shaded canyon, allowing climbers to avoid the hot summer sun while conquering climbing routes like Creeping Doom, Goblin Mutant, and Lord of the Pit.
Austin Bouldering Project: When mother nature doesn’t play nice and stormy weather hits, what’s a climber to do? Hit up a climbing gym of course! With two Austin locations, this climbing gym is the ideal spot when you want to hone your skills, but are unable to do so on some actual outdoor rock. The gym offers a range of classes and membership packages for all skill levels, as well as private instruction for those climbers who want to take their technique to the next level.
The variety of outdoor recreation is just one of the many things that draw people to this part of Texas. If you’re looking for a new home community that has easy access to these locations and a variety of other outdoor activities, contact a member of the Caliterra team to learn more.
