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Golden Gate Canyon SP Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Golden Gate Canyon SP

[Redacted] 2

Corny-copia 4

Dude's Throne 36

Grendel, The 15

Little Dude 11

Mt. Thorodin 23

Promontory Ridge/The Bear? 12

Promontory Ridge/The Cub? 3

Quarantine Wall 8

Ralston Roost 2

Rifleman Phillips Bouldering 5

Tremont Mountain 3

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Elevation:	9,162 ft	2,793 m
GPS:	39.83694, -105.42453 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	310,622 total · 1,106/month
Shared By:	Leo Paik on Apr 4, 2002 · Updates
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: State Park - Fee Required. Details

Golden Gate Canyon is a State Park and a $10 (2021) fee is required for entrance. Cash/Check only accepted; Self serve kiosks exist throughout the park. Annual passes can be purchased for $60.

Description

There is a backwoodsy, subalpine, state park with multiple granite crags, some of which may never have been climbed, ranging from 50 to 450 feet in height. A park fee is required to park. The rock is mostly granite ranging from 8000-10000 foot altitude. Beautiful vistas soothe your eyes from belay perches. People have been climbing here since at least the 1950s. There are mostly traditional climbs; however, sport-ish climbs are appearing here more recently. Some approaches exceed an hour. Rocks here include: Mount Thorodin's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd buttresses; Ralston Roost; Son of Ralston; Raven Knob, Odin's Good Eye, Odin's Rib Cage, Tremont Mountain, The Bear, The Cub, The Rainbow Bridge, Odin's Throne, rocks near the campgrounds, a bizarre spire named [Redacted] Spire, Dude's Throne, Little Dude's Throne, and The Grendel. There are other intriguing looking crags visible from the road to Panorama Point. Some fixed gear is quite suspect (I pulled an angle out with only light finger pressure).

Getting There

From CO Hwy 93 just North of Golden, follow the Golden Gate Canyon road perhaps 18 miles to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. There are multiple crags in the area. The biggest are off Mt. Thorodin, accessed & visible from Panorama Point, up the windy road past Kriley Pond. [Redacted] Spire can be accessed from the [Redacted] Ranch near Panorama Point. Son of Ralston & Ralston Roost can be accessed from Golden Gate Canyon Road.

An alternative routes in which feel very nice include: via White Ranch Park & Golden on Crawford Gulch Rd; via CO 199 and Gilpin Rd/Gap Rd; and via CO 119 to Hwy 46; via Coal Creek Canyon (CO 72), Twin Spruce (near the Bus Sandwich Shop), then Gap Rd.

Camping

There is camping here both backcountry and at established campgrounds. The backcountry campsites include: Forgotten Valley, Deer Creek, Frazer Meadow, Rim Meadow, and Greenfield Meadow. These campgrounds include Rifleman Phillips Group Campground (reservations only), Reverend's Ridge Campground (limited winter facilities), and Aspen Meadows Campground (closed in winter). There are also accomodations at Harmsen Ranch Guest House by reservation.

Maximum camping stay in the park is 14 days within any 45-day period.

Website

Golden Gate Canyon SP website.

Hunting

Note, there is hunting permitted on the northeastern corner of the park after Labor Day to prior to Memorial Day.

There is also hunting in the Ralston Creek State Wildlife Area to the southeast of the park.

Pets

Pets must be kept under control and on a leash.

Bolting

Please note that there are regulations on bolting within the state park that require permits for any new bolts. Crystal Dreiling, senior ranger for GGCSP, will advise us on additional information.

Approaches

Please try to avoid erosional problems with approaches to climbs and social trails.

124 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Golden Gate Canyon SP

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 208 ● Jugs Out For The Lads Sport Dude's Throne
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 68 ● Mother Grendel Sport Grendel
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 156 ● In Harmsen's Way Sport Dude's Throne
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 197 ● Any Doodle Do Sport Dude's Throne
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 209 ● Mighty Aphrodite Sport Dude's Throne
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b 114 ● Dude's Jam Crack Trad Dude's Throne
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 288 ● Howdy Doody Time Sport Dude's Throne
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 42 ● Pierced Lip Lock Sport Grendel
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 163 ● Uplift Mofo Party Plan Sport Dude's Throne
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 115 ● Dude's Dihedral Sport Dude's Throne
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a 76 ● Golden Gate Sport Dude's Throne
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a 121 ● Impeachment Day Parade Sport Dude's Throne
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 195 ● Open Space Cowboy Sport Dude's Throne
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b 96 ● Double Dominatrix Sport Dude's Throne
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 173 ● Buster Brown Sport, TR Dude's Throne