Easy Trad Climbs near Denver

I originally learned how to trad climb from a few years ago in a "Technical Anchor and Gear Placement Class" in college and further cemented those skills/lessons a few months later on a 30 day road-trip through Canada.

I remember really grasping size, drag, etc. on a couple of 5.4-5.6 climbs in Squamish. Not only was this rock face covered in cracks (millions of gear placement opportunities) but there were huge trees and large anchors at the top.

Are there any of these in Colorado that aren't as crowded as the flatirons???

I am looking for some easy trad climbs I can take one of my partners on that are super easy/contain bomber placements every couple feet??? Solid anchors at the top are a plus as well... I am looking for something within a couple hours of Denver (if possible) as well

If there was a previous post similar to this, I apologize...

Colorado Springs has some good opportunities:
New Era
or
The Army Route
These were some of my first trad leads, and I still repeat them whenever I am in town.

As far as easy trad climbs go I really like the Wind Ridge in Eldo. Easy climb with great gear. Pretty crowded but it's a fun climb.

There are some good easy short climbs at Happy Hour Crag in Boulder Canyon too..

+1 for New Era and the Army Route. New Era is way more fun in my opinion but also considerably harder.

mountainproject.com/v/licor…

In addition to the obvious choices in Eldo (go mid-week), Elevenmile Canyon (1 hours west of CO Springs) is another great place for easy trad climbs. It is a bit farther from Denver, but would make a great weekend trip. Good camping in the area. A new guidebook recently came out. There are many good, easy trad routes on high quality granite. Many are less than vertical and follow crack/corner systems; good terrain for learning to lead. 1-3 pitches is the norm. Everything is pretty roadside, too, so you could do routes on several formations in the same afternoon.

The Staircase mountainproject.com/v/the-s… is one of the classic easy routes in Elevenmile. It is on Arch Rock 2 pitches, crack-n-corner, less than vertical, 5.5.

Turret Dome has a few other good routes in that range; 5.5 and 2-3 pitches long. "Jaws" and "Schooldaze" come to mind. mountainproject.com/v/schoo…

Plenty of more difficult routes there as well.

+1 for Arch Rock and Elevenmile Canyon. GREAT place for easy climbing on great rock!
Although sometimes tricky for new leaders, Lumpy Ridge in Estes Park has some great easy multipitch trad climbs in a beautiful setting. Check out the Pin Route or Sky Route on Twin Owls (5.5), Rock One Route (5.5, I think), Batman and Robin (5.6), etc.

Scout Rock in S. St. Vrain Canyon. Couple single pitch 5.6's.

Couple good ones on the Dome, Boulder Canyon, and a couple good easy single pitch trad climbs on North Table Mountain aka Golden Cliffs (Killians Dead, 5.6) here in Golden. Also in Golden, check out Lookout Mt.Crag (fun 5.7 corner)

Be safe.

mountainproject.com/v/looko…

There are a few cracks on that crag that take gear and there are bolted anchors.

Andy Novak wrote:+1 for Arch Rock and Elevenmile Canyon. GREAT place for easy climbing on great rock! Although sometimes tricky for new leaders, Lumpy Ridge in Estes Park has some great easy multipitch trad climbs in a beautiful setting. Check out the Pin Route or Sky Route on Twin Owls (5.5), Rock One Route (5.5, I think), Batman and Robin (5.6), etc. Scout Rock in S. St. Vrain Canyon. Couple single pitch 5.6's. Couple good ones on the Dome, Boulder Canyon, and a couple good easy single pitch trad climbs on North Table Mountain aka Golden Cliffs (Killians Dead, 5.6) here in Golden. Also in Golden, check out Lookout Mt.Crag (fun 5.7 corner) Be safe.

Don't forget about the left book at Lumpy. Some mild runouts, but where else can you get 6-7 climbs form 5.5-5.7 w/ walkoffs!! Only thing that sucks is the crowds, but that mile hike keeps alot of folks away. Just be walking early.
mountainproject.com/v/left-…

And +1 on Scout and St. Vrain canyon. They have alot of new routes of there as well.

The dome I'm always reluctant to send people to as IMO they are kinda old school 5.6. I wouldn't have wanted to get my feet wet on those climbs!

And then of course the "schoolyard" at the Boulderado. Just get their early before some climbing school sets up top ropes and monopolizes the entire crag.

Gregory Canyon is awesome for simple leads, but it won't open till later this summer due to the birdies.

+1 the Whales Tail too.

Whale's Tail in Eldo has some great "starter routes"

West Crack - 5.3 Great for plugging gear

West Dihedral - 5.4 Be mindful of the traverse left at the top to the anchor

And if you want a flatironesque climb to get there, you can do the East Slabs - 5.2 . They are a little more runout but easy. If you want to split it into 2 short pitches, there is a tree half way up. Then you top out at the cable-slung boulder and can rap down and do West Crack and West Dihedral.