PRINT: Climbing in North, Flatirons

North

Colorado > Boulder > Flatirons

Access Issue: 2024 Crag Closures & Temporary Trail and Raptor Closures Details

The usual crags are closed for climbing for raptor nesting:

See: bouldercolorado.gov/service….

Click here for the trail closures. Some are M-F, some are 24/7. These impact the Bear Canyon/Fern Canyon regions primarily:

flatironsclimbing.org/tempo…

Click here bouldercolorado.gov/service… for the latest in raptor closures.

Access Issue: Subject to Seasonal Closures: Details

The following crags are typically closed February 1 to July 31:

Third Flatiron
Queen Anne's Head
WC Fields Pinnacle
The Ghetto
East Ironing Board
West Ironing Board
The Fin
Green Thumb
Jaws

Details:
bouldercolorado.gov/index.p….

Per George Bracksieck: First Pinnacle, Second Pinnacle, Third Pinnacle (Gregory Canyon) are not closed in February 2018.

Description

This area includes popular and classic rocks such as the First and Third Flatirons, the Amphitheatre in Gregory Canyon, all the way south to and including the Skunk Canyon. Climbs here range from short newer-age sport climbs to long, trad, slab routes, including some of the longer trad routes in the Flatirons: the whole face of the 3rd, which is about 1300 feet and the Direct East Face of the First Flatiron which is about 1400 feet. Hard conglomerate Fountain Formation sandstone is the medium for your rock craft.

Getting There

The usual approach to most routes in the North Flatirons area is from Chatauqua Park (which can be crowded) or Gregory Canyon Trailhead (which charges parking fees for non-Boulder County registered vehicles). Take Baseline Rd. West until you see a sign for the park on the left (you can't miss it, since it's right below the Flatirons). For the Amphitheatre, continue on Baseline Rd. past the park entrance until Baseline curves sharply right up Flagstaff Mt. Park on the road near here, or on the turnoff to the trailhead on the left. You MUST pay for parking at the Gregory Canyon lot if you do not have Boulder County registration or you'll be ticketed by the Man.

Access

Various of the Flatirons are closed for falcon nesting from Feb 1 up to July 31 and for bat nesting Apr 1 to Aug 31. Historically, some of these in this area have included Sacred Cliffs, East & West Ironing Boards, The Third Flatiron, Queen Anne's Head, occasionally Gregory Amphitheatre, and possibly others.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Valentine's Day, 2010.

Snowstorm of 21 Dec 2006.<br>
Find the leaping lion.

Snowstorm of 21 Dec 2006. Find the leaping lion.

Looking down on Boulder from the 3rd.

Flatiron sunset.

Not the Underdog Boulder, corrected b/c I was wrong.

First and 2nd from a glider.

1st 2nd and 3rd

2/7/2003 from near Foothills Parkway and Arapahoe (Eisenhower School)

The 2nd & 3rd Flatirons from the middle of the 1st. Can you spy the climbers on both?

First Flatiron.

Heading up the First Flatiron.

The Ironing Boards and the Third as seen from the south.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Julian Smith
Colorado Springs, CO

Great climbing area, but probably not the best place to go when CU has a home game. Trying to get out of there along with all of the football fans is way epic. Oct 12, 2003