Your Guide to the Best Las Vegas Climbing Gyms

Looking for the best Las Vegas climbing gyms? Here’s a guide from a local climber.

It’s no secret we moved back to Las Vegas for the climbing. It’s one of the best places to live if you climb outdoors. Red Rock is part of the city, and within a few hour’s drive, you’ll find many more climbing destinations.

During the heat of summer or when it rains at Red Rock, all the climbers migrate North, head to Charleston, or flock indoors. You’ll also see gyms get busier right after the rain. Whether you’re climbing for the first time, you only like climbing indoors, or you got rained out, here’s a comparison of all the climbing gyms in Las Vegas.

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Last Updated: October 15, 2024

Things to Keep in Mind

• Climbing at Red Rock? Check Wet Rock Police to see if it’s dry. The sign says to wait 48 hours since it has last rained, but we’ve seen it take longer. A good rule of thumb is to dig an inch into the dirt to see if it’s dry.
• Gyms will continue to change with staff turnover or updates, and it’s more noticeable at smaller, independent gyms than at large, corporate ones. All the gyms in Vegas except the Pad are independent, so anytime something changes, you notice a huge difference, whether for better or worse. Since 2019, we’ve changed gyms to the Refuge.
• The best gym will depend on what you’re looking for. Gym climbing has evolved and has become its own sport. I’ve noticed my outdoor friends like gyms with lots of ‘tensiony’ moves that train them for the outdoors, but many of our indoor-only climbing friends are looking for something entirely different.
• Bigger city, better gym scene? Our friends who van life and travel to climb outdoors year-round have told us that generally, climbing gyms have been worse at better outdoor climbing destinations, but that could also be because many are found in smaller communities.

The Best Rock Climbing Gyms in Las Vegas

1. The Refuge Climbing and Fitness – BEST BOULDERING GYM

6283 S Valley View Blvd Suite C, Las Vegas, NV 89118, map

Setting: 4/5
Facility: 3.5/5
Rates: $18 Day Passes | Memberships Starting at $54.17/month
Setting Routine: Resets one section each week
Types of Climbing: Bouldering
Busiest Times: Weekdays after work
Training Boards: Tension 2 Board, Moon Board, Tread Wall, Campus Board

If you visit and see us around, say hi! The Refuge is currently our home gym. Although the facilities are older, the setting is the best if you’re training for the outdoors, and it’s central to the city. Most of our climber friends in Vegas climb here now, and they’ve grown into a great community. We love the roof feature and the top-out section that no other gyms in Vegas have for bouldering.

Room to Improve: At 11,000 sq ft, the gym is smaller, so when it’s busy, it feels crowded, but there are plenty of times to climb to avoid crowds.

See More: 7 Best Things to Do in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

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2. Red Rock Climbing Center – BEST FOR TRAD/SPORT CLIMBERS

8201 W Charleston Blvd #150, Las Vegas, NV 89117, map

Setting: 3.5/5
Facility: 3/5
Rates: $17 Day Passes | Memberships Starting at $55/month
Setting Routine: Sets on Monday and Tuesday (Alternating from Boulders and Routes each week)
Types of Climbing: Top Rope, Lead, and Bouldering
Number of Problems Up: ~120 Boulder Problems and ~90 Routes
Busiest Times: Tuesday to Thursday from 5-8 PM, Saturday Morning
Training Boards: Moon Board, Campus Board

If you’re mainly a sport or trad climber, Red Rock Climbing Center (or R2C2 to locals) is your best option in the city. Some routes are up to 100ft long.

This is the old-school gym in Las Vegas and closest to Red Rock. It has the most options for sport climbers, with bouldering and training areas upstairs. We’ve also heard from friends who boulder here that it’s very meh, and the gym feels dingy. When we finally went to see for ourselves, we enjoyed it more than we expected. They have a lot of great wall features, and I can see why our friends who sport climb prefer this gym.

Room to Improve: Modern gyms have walkways that improve traffic flow. They could use a more extensive hold selection, as most of their holds are older.

See More: 101 Things to Do in Las Vegas Bucket List

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Map of the Best Climbing Gyms in Las Vegas

OTHER Rock Climbing Gyms in Las Vegas and Nearby

Here, we’re including fitness facilities that have climbing walls and areas to climb nearby.

• Whitney Recreation Center – 30ft climbing wall with four routes
• Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
• Mt Charleston (45 min drive) – where the locals climb in the summer
• Moe’s Valley in St George (2 hrs away)
• Joshua Tree (3.5 hrs away)

What to Pack – Climber’s Packing List

First Timer’s What to Bring

You can rent shoes, chalk, and a harness if it’s your first time. All you need to bring is the following:

• Comfortable Workout Clothes – You mainly want to wear something that doesn’t restrict movement (see our favorite climbing pants and apparel).
• Socks for Rental Shoes – I don’t typically wear socks with my climbing shoes, but I find it gross to go barefoot in rentals.
• Water Bottle – so you can refill it and stay hydrated.
• Snacks

Rock Climbing Essentials for Indoor Climbing

For those who already rock climb, don’t forget these items too! Check this post for our favorite of each.

• Climbing Shoes – we always say to buy the shoes that fit your feet best. I tried every pair I could get my hands on, and so far, these have fit me best, and I’ve worn them for the past five years. I’m happy about their performance.
• Comfortable Climbing Shoes – if you climb a lot and want to save your rubber for when you’re projecting, buy a second cheaper pair with thicker rubber. These are great for warming up, or our outdoor friends call them their gym shoes.
• Chalk Bag or Chalk Bucket (These are our favorites)
• Brush
• Chalk
• Tape
• Boulder Bag
• Harness (Sport + Top Rope)
• Rope (Sport)
• GriGri Belay Device (Sport + Top Rope)

Extras

Finally, here are some miscellaneous items you can bring for warming up, training, and more.

• Rhino Skin Care / Elizabeth Arden Miracle Balm – One of our friends swears by this.
• Crag Kit
• Belay Gloves
• FlexBar – resistance bar for tendinitis and improving grip strength. You can also get this set of 3 with a light, medium, and heavy.
• Hand Exerciser
• Knee Strap – The older we get, the more often we get injured.
• Wrist Widget – I use these to help stabilize my wrists. I don’t know if I have a TFCC tear, but I have wrist pain when climbing.
• Acupressure Rings
• Liquid Bandaid / Super Glue
• Rehab Bands – borrowed these from a friend for rehabbing my fingers.
• Nail Clipper

More About Our CLimbing Journey

• We typically climb in the intermediate V4-6 range indoors and outdoors. Most climbers we’ve seen at gyms have been either beginner or intermediate climbers. If you’re climbing in the advanced to pro range, we assume you don’t need to Google gyms and already have a network of climbing friends telling you where to climb (but who knows… we could be wrong).
• I used to route-set at our old gym in Vegas, so I have a basic understanding of what the setting should be. Different gyms and setters focus on different things when setting. Whether to train certain moves or for the aesthetic, the bottom line is that it should always be fun.
• We’ve climbed at over 25 gyms all over the US and have a good idea of what cities have decent climbing gyms. Most of these have been in major cities (ABQ, Atlanta, Austin, Bishop, Chattanooga, NY, Portland, San Diego, SF, Seattle, and Vegas).
• Since we’re not pro climbers, double-digit climbers, or TikTok famous, people don’t give us special treatment. As an Asian male, Jacob can get a good feel of whether the gym community is friendly.

Where to stay in Vegas

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