Eldorado Canyon Bouldering Climbing

Eldorado Canyon State Park is an iconic destination for domestic and international climbers alike who wish to test themselves on standard-setting multi-pitch routes established in the infancy of free climbing in America. Of course, ECSP has quietly developed a lesser-appreciated reputation as an immense bouldering resource too, with bulletproof polished sandstone and some quiet out-of-the-way spots to pull down on some of the nicest rock on the Front Range. ECSP has one of the highest concentrations of quality lines on the Front Range, as its sometimes-polished rock lends itself to purer and more obvious lines than the more abundant sandstone of the Flatirons, Flagstaff, Sanitas, Carter Lake, etc. If you're familiar with the Millenium Boulder in Matthew Winters Open Space Park near Morrison, it's the same stone. If you're familiar with Rotary Park on the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir, the rock is of similar quality, and some of it is better.

Essentially everyone who knows anything about bouldering is aware of some of ECSP's historic "king lines", e.g., John Sherman's Germ Free Adolescence, Steve Mammen's Never Say Never and many have heard stories of Dave Graham's confounding testpiece Suspension of Disbelief, just to name a few. ECSP is an incredible resource at all the Vermin grades and the wealth of bouldering opportunities that exist in and around the ECSP are far from tapped out ... even in 2010. If you have a willingness to hike far enough, new lines are waiting.

The general sentiment I've heard expressed by my fellow boulderers is that they want the bouldering experience in around ECSP to remain an exploratory one with some of the adventure feel that areas that have been fully covered by guidebooks lack. That said, a number of well-known and well-traveled boulders are already on the site. The administrators asked me to prepare this summary page and, now that it's done, they will attempt to move and organize the ECSP boulders already on the site under this area. For the well-established stuff in or essentially in ECSP proper, e.g., the East Draw, the inner canyon boulders, the roadside boulders, West World, the stuff located within a stone's throw of the Eldorado Canyon Trail, as well as the Musicals and the draws that arch to the northeast below the Musicals ... it is my hope that we can organize this stuff fairly quickly so it becomes a useful resource.

At this time and going forward, it will be deemed inappropriate to add problems and boulders to this area located on the front and back of Eldorado Mountain to THIS area. This includes Cloud Nine, anything else on the flanks of Eldorado Mountain and the Mickey Meadows, all of which should be more properly added to the section for Eldorado Mountain, if at all.

Have fun exploring this magical place with tons of fascinating history made by interesting characters. When exploring the outlying areas, you will inevitably come across obvious lines and you won't know who put it up, when they put it up, what it's called or graded. Nevermind all that crap, just enjoy yourself!