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Co-written by Noah Walker, a New York City-based writer, former digital editor of Gripped Magazine, and dedicated climber.
New York City is home to over 8 million people, and thousands of them are rock climbers. As America’s most diverse population, the city’s five boroughs accommodate every niche interest imaginable, including climbing, which as we all know by now is steadily becoming more mainstream by the day. While the region's climbing history is deeply rooted in trad climbing, bouldering in Central Park has been popular for decades and now, 13 rock climbing gyms exist in NYC for urban climbers.
In this guide we’ll dive deep into all you need to know about NYC climbing culture, gyms, history, where to go and what to expect. Whether you’re looking to get outside or simply climb indoors, this is your complete guide to rock climbing in NYC.
[Ed Note: Check out our guides to surfing in NYC and fly fishing in Central Park, too]
The Gunks
To discuss rock climbing in New York City one must start 85 miles up the Hudson River at “The Gunks.” Here, at the southern edge of the Catskill Mountains, a wall of quartz undulates and recedes behind the Shawangunk State Forest creating one of the earliest Meccas of trad climbing in North America and what is still today widely considered a top destination for one-to-three pitch trad climbing worldwide.
In the centuries that followed colonization, western climbing developed in the region named for a Dutch transliteration of the Munsee Lenape word for the area—“Schawan” is reported to mean “it is smoky air.” Fritz Wiessner would give birth to the area’s current reputation in the 1930s. And nearly a century later, young guns like Will Moss would establish climbs like The Best Things in Life Are Free, a 5.14d angling to be amongst the country’s hardest trad climbs. (*What's trad climbing you ask? Brush up on your climbing lingo here.)
Today, over 1,200 routes lace the Shawangunk Ridge. In accordance with its history, bolting is not allowed in the Gunks, making it largely a destination for multi-pitch trad climbing (though a new via ferrata at the Mohonk Mountain House also offers an opportunity for less experienced climbers to traverse a number of the region's beautiful vertical walls). Though bouldering flourishes on the ground, too. Most of the Gunks is part of the Mohonk Preserve, New York’s largest nonprofit nature preserve that looks after 8,000 acres on the northern Shawangunk Ridge, which charges an entry fee of $20 per day to access climbing zones (an annual membership is also available for $115 for year-round access).
As such, most climbers will begin their day on The Carriage Road near the Trapps, the largest and most popular cliff at the Gunks. Only after tasting the accessible approach might a boulderer look deeper into the forest, into Lost City and Waterworks, to the other secrets left by climbers decades ago, or by today’s up-and-comers.
Although the Gunks is great, it’s far and it’s expensive (that harness and rack don’t come cheap!). While a day pass (or $100 year pass) is more than worth it for dedicated climbers, access to a car is required. And since most New Yorkers don’t own cars—though having a friend with a car is highly recommended—we’ll wrap up this section and move onto climbing in actual New York City itself.
Rock Climbing in Central Park
For many urban climbers, Central Park will be their first outdoor proving ground. (Case in point: Central Park is where Ashima Shiraishi learned to climb as a youth.) Though the sheer amount of concrete, steel, and glass surrounding Central Park makes the area the warmest in the state, the ancient Manhattan Schist rock and the climbs are better than they seem. Plus, the climbing is legal and free, and the climate is temperate enough to access nearly year round (though summer months definitely get sweaty, and most winters anything but).
As with any crag, knowing where to climb is key. Sure you can show up to Rat Rock (known to Google Maps as Umpire Rock, located near the park’s SW entrance) and follow the chalky holds, but for those looking for more direction New York City Bouldering is a classic guide book. For a free, digital alternative check out Beta Boys’ OG online bouldering guide, or check out the Gunks App, filled with accurate coordinates for a range of climbing areas around New York City.
Rat Rock, Cat Rock, and Worthless boulder each boast numerous three- and four-star lines. Locate a crash pad or two, pack a towel to clean your climbing shoes and a brush to clean holds, and catch the uptown BDFM. Below is a quick rundown of the most popular boulders in Central Park.
Rat Rock
Rat Rock’s Polish Traverse (V5) is likely the most famous climb in New York City. Want something a little easier? Just over to the left of the same boulder is a four-star V1 called Flake Route. Fair warning: if you plan to climb past dusk expect to meet many namesake residents of Rat Rock.
Cat Rock
Nearby Rat Rock. The Arête is sick. This four-star V2 climbs a proud arete and is one of the most obvious features in the park. Want something harder? Private Angel is a lovely four-star V7 just lover from The Arête.
Worthless Boulder
While Rat Rock gets the most attention, Worthless Boulder is a close second, though located much farther uptown near 110th street. Worthless Boulder represents one of the highest densities for three- and four-star climbs in the city, with Sweat (V10), Family Values (V6), Mean Green (V4), and A.D.D. (V6) being standouts.
Hepatitis Boulder
Considered by some to be the best boulder in New York City. YoYo Jiminy (V11), Invisible Cities (V13), and Heart of Gold (V2) each offer four-star lines that make it the perfect place to project. Though as the name implies, be sure to check the ground of stray pokey things.
City Climbing Outside Central Park
Elsewhere around the city you’ll find more natural crags worth the effort to find. Though the following spots are less “centrally located” they are all accessible by the subway. This is New York City, after all.
Morningside Park, Saint Nicholas Park, Highbridge Park, Loony Bin, Harlem River Park, Fort Tryon Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and several other areas each have climbs as well. Though increasingly popular in these locations, bouldering is technically not allowed at some of these locations. That said, any “no climbing” signs are easily ignored (or discarded… plastic zip ties aren’t that sturdy after all). And so long as you’re not blocking walkways or causing a ruckus, you should be OK. Just remember to be kind, be aware of your presence and your surroundings, clean up after yourself.
Harlem River Park
If you’re living uptown, or maybe looking to get out of Central Park, Harlem River Park provides. The river-side aesthetic in conjunction with numerous low-end boulder problems make it the perfect place for a Saturday on the rocks. Greenland Shark is a four-star V5 that climbs a steeper section of wall with a bit of a dynamic punch.
Fort Tryon Park
Up in Washington Heights sits Fort Tryon Park and French Connection, which might just be the best V6 in the city. With 16 climbs in the V0 to V2 range, Fort Tryon Park is a also great place to begin outdoor climbing and well worth the train ride to 190th street.
Highbridge Park
As one of the easier crags in the city, Edgecombe Park provides climbers with over 30 boulder problems, all below V3. All of the lines are near one another making it a great place to introduce someone to sport.
Indoor Rock Climbing Gyms in NYC
For pulling plastic, the local scene in New York City is surprisingly solid. It’s based around a bunch of super nice folks that have climbed here forever and all work in the local scene—though the number of venture-backed climbing gyms is rapidly growing. The core community of route setters tend to operate across several different gyms, and often friends may end up climbing at different gyms on different days of the week. So the scene really isn’t too centralized. With that said, finding community in any of these gyms can feel a little challenging because of the sheer number of people climb in New York City.
The following is a breakdown of all indoor rock climbing gyms in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Though efforts are underway to increase access to a broader range of New Yorkers, currently no climbing gyms exist in The Bronx or on Staten Island.
GP-81 | Bushwick, Brooklyn
Known for putting up some of the hardest boulders in Brooklyn and building the most tight-knit, core community in the city, beloved barebones bouldering gym GP81 is once again open for business after an 11 month hiatus. Though the original 81 Quay Street location in Greenpoint has been torn town to make way for a new luxury condo development, owners Cliff Simanski and Julian Acevedo have built out a new location for GP community in Bushwick—and rest assured it's just as challenging, chalky, and sendy as ever. Still no word on the seltzer tap, though.
Monthly Membership: $128 ($118 for returning GP members)
Day Pass Price: Coming May 2024
Space: TBD square feet
Amenities: Slab, 45, 30, and 15 degree bouldering walls, Moon board, fitness zone, no seltzer tap
Address: 379 Jefferson St, Brooklyn, NY 11237
Bouldering Project Brooklyn | Gowanus, Brooklyn
Once the first gym in the city, Brooklyn Boulders’ (aka BKB) original Gowanus location was recently acquired and completely gut renovated by national climbing gym chain The Bouldering Project. Officially open as of 1 January 2024, the 16,000+ sq ft facility now includes a heated yoga studio, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, coworking spaces, and youth programs. With famed climber Kevin Jorgeson heading up "product" at the company, their new location is sure to attract many new climbers.
Monthly Membership: $110 (or $1,100 annual)
Day Pass Prices: $32 for adults, $22 for youth
Amenities: Bouldering, yoga, fitness, coworking
Address: 575 Degraw St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge | Queens
The Long Island City Queensbridge location is the sole remaining BKB location and offers rope climbing and bouldering in a massive, modern facility where many of the city’s best climb.
Monthly Membership: $119
Day Pass Price: $25
Space: 25,000 square feet
Amenities: Rope climbing, bouldering, weight and fitness area, yoga classes, 45-degree spray wall, office/coworking space
Address: 23-10 41st Ave, Queens, NY 11101
VITAL Williamsburg | Brooklyn
VITAL Brooklyn is what many would consider the nicest gym in the city. The brand-new, boulder-only gym has amenities galore, a bustling Youth Team, new holds, standard training boards, and an active dating scene. It’s also the most expensive gym in NYC. Though the monthly membership does come with 24 hour access to all three VITAL climbing gyms (VITAL acquired the following two locations from Steep Rock Bouldering (SRB) in a 2021 merger).
Monthly Membership: $145
Day Pass Price: $35
Space: 45,000 Square Feet
Amenities: Open air rooftop bouldering wall with top-out, fully adjustable 12x12 foot kilter board, tension board, weight and fitness area, silks, cycling classes, yoga, sauna, access to other VITAL locations
Address: 221 N 14th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
VITAL Upper East Side | Manhattan
This former Steep Rock gym may be small and well aged, but the beautiful walls and excellent routesetting make it a must-try for the Manhattan local. While a majority of the problems at this boulder-only gym are either low-angle or slab, it has a steep section in the back.
Monthly Membership: $115
Day Pass Price: $25
Amenities: Bouldering, fitness area, 24-hour access
Address: 1506 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10029
VITAL West Harlem | Manhattan
Also blessed with some of the best setting in the city, the 126th Street gym features a bigger and better training area than its UES counterpart. It also has massive glass windows, a steep arch, and a second floor filled with even more bouldering.
Monthly Membership: $115
Day Pass Price: $25
Amenities: Bouldering, fitness area
Address: 3225 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
The Cliffs Gowanus | Brooklyn
The Cliffs is another chain of gyms born out of a small gym just outside Westchester. Now, it is the biggest fish in the city. The Cliffs has facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and in Long Island City, Queens—though the famed Brooklyn Bridge Park location is now closed. If you want to rope climb or board climb, you will almost certainly climb here.
The LIC and Gowanus locations each have extensive rope climbing available, while the Harlem location is bouldering exclusive. The Cliffs offers the most old-school bouldering gym vibe in the city, after GP81.
Monthly Membership: $135
Day Pass Price: $34
Space: 60,000 square feet
Amenities: Bouldering, rope climbing, weight and fitness area, 2019 MoonBoard, 12x12 fully adjustable Kilter Board, 8x12 fully adjustable Tension Board, and access to other Cliffs locations
Address: 242 Butler St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
The Cliffs at LIC | Queens
Arguably the best rope climbing gym in the city, The Cliffs LIC caters more toward the lead climber. The bouldering area is good, and it is less busy than the Gowanus location.
Monthly Membership: $135
Day Pass Price: $34
Space: 30,000 square feet
Amenities: Bouldering, rope climbing, weight and fitness area, 2019 MoonBoard, and access to other Cliffs locations
Address: 11-11 44th Dr, Queens, NY 11101
The Cliffs Harlem | Manhattan
The Cliffs Harlem is directed toward the boulderer. The exciting walls are filled with a 2017 Moonboard, a Tension Board, a spray wall and some of the most unique angles in the city. The setting at The Cliffs locations is of a nice mid-range difficulty.
Monthly Membership: $135
Day Pass Price: $34
Space: 15,000 square feet
Amenities: Bouldering-only, 2017 MoonBoard, tension board, spray wall, weight and fitness area and access to other Cliffs locations
Address: 256 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
MetroRock Bushwick | Brooklyn
If The Cliffs and VITAL represent the new direction climbing is going, MetroRock Bushwick exemplifies all of the qualities that make climbing gyms great. Composed of a tight knit community of climbers, MetroRock Bushwick provides for a strong Queer community while simultaneously catering toward youth teams. The training area upstairs is more than enough to keep the psyched boulderer psyched, while the ropes section—with auto belays throughout—provides exciting angles for sport and lead climbing.
Monthly Membership: $125
Day Pass Price: $30
Space: 23,000 square feet
Amenities: Rope climbing, bouldering, spray wall, kilter board, access to other MetroRock locations
Address: 321 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11237
Central Rock Gym Chelsea | Manhattan
CRG is where you will likely climb if you live in Manhattan. With two locations, a beautiful new gym in Chelsea and another on 60th street near Columbus Circle (and Rat Rock), CRG is a clean, classic gym. It has everything you need in a climbing gym and the Manhattan location even has ropes. With 24 gym locations across the New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and now, Florida, a CRG membership is great for those who travel throughout New England often.
Monthly Membership: $129
Day Pass Price: $33
Space: 10,000 square feet
Amenities: Bouldering, tension board 2, kilter board, weight and fitness area, access to all CRG locations nationally
Address: 537 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001
Central Rock Gym Upper West Side | Manhattan
Perhaps one of the city’s more underrated gyms, CRG Manhattan provides climbers with big walls and a clean atmosphere. The centralized training location provides an open concept bouldering experience with long sight lines that make the facility feel even larger than it already looks. It has a Tension Board and Campus Board.
Monthly Membership: $129
Day Pass Price: $33
Space: 10,000 square feet
Amenities: Small rope climbing area, bouldering, tension board, access to all CRG locations nationally
Address: 21 West End Ave, New York, NY 10069
Chelsea Piers Fitness | Manhattan
A funky old school rock climbing wall nestled among other sports like golf, swimming, gymnastics, and “Ninja + Parkour”, among many others, Chelsea Piers Fitness is a massive club facility along the West Side Highway of Manhattan. With lots of high-end sport amenities, youth programs, and plenty of birthday party options, it’s not the most core gym in the city. But worth mentioning for those looking to learn the ropes nonetheless.
Monthly Membership: Inquire within
Day Pass Price: Non-members may book a day pass by calling 212.336.6083 or by emailing cpfrockwall@chelseapiers.com
Space: 11,000 square feet
Amenities: Hella sports!
Address: 60 Chelsea Piers, New York, NY 10011
DEI Organizations in New York City
There is a lot of room for growing DEI initiatives in the city, especially due to the high costs of climbing in New York. Fortunately, there are a number of organizations already doing the work to make climbing more accessible, like The Bronx Wall at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, which aims to introduce climbing to one of the borough lacking a proper climbing gym.
Community-focused nonprofit Brown Girls Climb, co-founded and run by climber Brittany Leavitt, offers indoor and outdoor climbing meetups, mentorship, and guidance for those learning to climb, set, get belay certified, and much more. Adaptive Climbing Group is another valuable organization in the city helping to improve access to climbing. Under the guidance of pro climber and native New Yorker Kareemah Batts, the organization supports professional, amateur, and first time climbers with disabilities.
Whether you are a climber looking to volunteer, an athlete hoping to train toward a goal, or a first time climber who wants a little guidance in a welcoming, safe space, these BIPOC outdoor community groups are well worth looking into.
Climbing Outside of the City (And Beyond the Gunks)
There are many wonderful little climbing areas around New York state, but with access being a constant battle, sticking to the more popular areas is best. Many climbers and access groups are working hard to protect access, so do your part by making sure you climb in areas approved for the sport. The following three are all open for climbing.
Powerlinez
Powerlinez offers bouldering and traditional climbing just 50 minutes from the city. Take the Jersey Transit NEC train from Penn Station and ride out of the city to the Secaucus Junction station. Transfer to the MNBNP train and ride non-stop to Suffern Station in Suffern, New York. The commute should cost between $9 and $14.
From there, you will walk to the trailhead that accesses The Powerlinez. This locally famous, smaller area is best suited for the low-to-mid-range boulderer, though several harder lines also exist within its midsts. Paul Bunyan is an excellent V5 local to the area.
Ice Pond
Ice Pond is somewhat low-ball, but the rock quality is exceptional. Diesel (V10) and Twister (V10) are good climbs at the upper end, but The Crystal Problem (V5) is one of the best. The area is most easily accessed by car. Moby’s Eye is another V4/5 that detracts from The Crystal’s slabby style and embraces steep, physical compression. Don’t park in random driveaways near the trailhead.
Rock Canopy
For the more experienced boulderer, Rock Canopy provides an excellent solution to the bouldering problem. With climbs ranging from V5 to V13, Rock Canopy and its steep features exemplify classic north-eastern edge pulling. The rock is a little crumbly in places, but the climbing is exceptional. Daily Decrease (V10) is the most popular climb in the area.
Sport Climbing Near New York City
For those begging to belay, there are some solid sport climbing spots within reach of NYC. John Thatcher Boyd State Park near Albany is one newer destination with some cool top rope and lead climbing options. Though for the real deal you’re probably going to drive to Rumney, New Hampshire. It’s a five hour drive north of the city and holds over 1,000 unique routes accessing sport, boulder, and traditional styles of rock climbing. Check out the Field Mag guide to climbing near Boston for more on Rumney.
Published 07-06-2023
Updated 04-23-2024
