Climbing Near Loveland, Colorado

This is not usually busy on week days except in the summer. This subarea has boulder problems only. The sun hits most of the boulders for most of the day. There are no fees, and you can park at the golf course or in the neighborhood. Just don't get in the way of the people who live there. Go to the Mariana Butte Golf Course in Loveland. This is the giant hill right next to it. You can take the trail to get to some of the boulders, but there are also some small walls on the side of the butte to the east of the trail. There's also some small walls at the top of the butte facing the golf course.

US 34, the Big Thompson Canyon, is lined with miles of all sorts of beautiful igneous rocks. Granite & gneiss crags draw the eye as you drive west from Loveland to Estes Park. For the rockhounds, there's all sorts of interesting rock strewn about this canyon. Some rock is solid and some is suspect, so you have to use good judgment climbing here. Little published information exists on routes in this area. Let's start an online guide to this area.Note, the main part of this canyon is along US 34 connecting Loveland and Estes Park. There is a side canyon, where Devil's Gulch aka CR 43 goes with some additional climbing.Apparently, like many places in our beautiful state, property issues can come into play. Please check things out so as not to create conflicts with owners.FYI, the placement of this subarea in the hierarchy is based upon locating this area closest to a city/town and how folks may access it. From Estes Park, drive East on US 34. From Loveland, drive West on US Highway 34. Various crags line this beautiful stretch of canyon. Some crags like Combat, Monastery, & Seam Rock lie off US 34 a bit, up Cedar Park Rd. There is even a tiny bit of ice here. Link. Thanks for your patience.US 34The Narrows - multiple crags 0-1.3 mi W of BST = 17.1 mi E of MR-Steep Triangular Face - private property; do not climb here-60 Degree Slabs - private property; do not climb here-White Dike area - private property; do not climb here-The Borg-Building Block area-Ironing Board area-Beer Slabs-Sign Crack area-Hightower-Bridge Wall North (aka Practice Rock)-Bridge Wall South-Between Shark's Fin Wall & Bridge Wall North (Practice Rock)-Dorsal Crack area-Shark's Fin area-Friendship 7 Wall-Scoop Wall-Iron John/Little Tree area-The LedgesRound Mountain - 3.5 mi W of BST = 13.6 E of MR => 2.25 mi hikePalisade Mountain - N side - 5.1 mi W of BST = 12 mi E of MR- Nancy's Rock / Cyclops Slab- Ivy League- Becker Wall- Skull Rock- Horseshead- Jewel of the Nile Wall- Jungle Wall- Mikey's Island- Skull Valley- Subskull - The Temple of Tao- Unknown Crag at Palisade Mountain- Gully Block- Fairview Wall- Saddle TowerThe town of Drake ~5.1 mi W of BST = 12 mi E of MRLinger Longer Rock - N side - 6.1 mi W of BST = 11 mi E of MRErid Weatherin - N side - 6.5 mi W of BST = 10.6 mi E of MRFive Point to a Fist Crag - N side - 6.6 mi W of BST = 10.5 mi E of MRSalt Block Rock - 8.1 mi W of BST = 9 mi E of MRUnknown Ridge - 9 mi W of BST = 8.1 mi E of MR- Continuity Crag - S sideDaryle's Rock - 9.3 mi W of BST = 8.1 mi E of MRMary's Bust, Moonlight Rock - N side - 9.4 mi W of BST = 8 mi E of MR- The Sugar Cube - just below Mary's Bust - N side- Tick Rock - N side- Moonlight Rock - N sideStone Point - N side - 9.6 mi W of BST = 7.5 mi E of MR- Stone Rock - N side- Stone Slab - N sideJug Dome/Anne's Rock - N side - 9.7 mi W of BST = 7.4 mi E of MRHandicapped Fishing Access - ~10 mi W of BST = 7.1 mi E of MRThe Beach - N side - 11.1 mi W of BST = 5.2 mi E of MRCaddis Cliff - N side - 11.4 mi W of BST = 4.7 mi E of MRGlen Comfort Crag - ~13.6 mi W of BST = ~3.5 mi E of MRCatch and Release Crag aka Montreat Crag, 16 mi W of BST, 1.1 mi E of MRoff Devil's Gulch Road aka CR 43 (joins US 34 near Drake) - Forest Service Rd (0. Combat Rock - W side - 1 mi from CR 43Basic Training Wall - W side - 1 mi from CR 43Elmer Fudd's Wok - W side - 1 mi from CR 43Bobcat Ridge - E side - 1 mi from CR 43S and M Wall - W side - 1.25 mi from CR 43Cedar Park Slab - 2.5 mi from CR 43 -> L -> next major RThe Monastery - 2.5 mi from CR 43 -> L 5.1 mi up FS 128Glen Haven Picnic Area - S side - ~1 mi E of Glen HavenTown of Glen Havenabbreviations: BST = Beige Siphon Tube; MR = Mall Rd in Estes Park. You may find this webcam helpful to look at conditions: cotrip.org/roadConditions.htm. Click on the camera icon.

Continuity Crag is a small, uplifted slab on the south side of Big Thompson River, just downstream from Mary's Bust. It is the leftmost of three formations that are a short distance above the river, appearing as a fin of rock from the parking spot. The rock is of excellent quality, and nicely featured. I'm guessing it faces E-NE, though I had no compass. It may receive some morning light in winter, though a high ridge to the east might get in the way. In the summer, it definitely gets morning sun. Drive up US Hwy 34 from Loveland to Drake, and the intersection of US Hwy 34 and Devil's Gulch Road. Continue 2.5 miles on US Hwy 34 to a long pullout on the left (south) side of the highway, which appears just as a passing lane disappears. From Estes Park, drive down US Hwy 34 and go 0.3 mile from Mary's Bust to the long pullout (about 8.1 miles from Mall Road). Cross the river (probably a very bad idea in high water) and hike 5 minutes to the base. The best approach lies 50 yards downstream from the rock, where the slope is not so steep. Once at the elevation of the crag, traverse the hillside to the base.