If you didn’t know yet, I’m a huge fan of bouldering and love to do some highball climbing from time to time. Something about being high off the deck without being attached to anything is quite liberating. Of course, I’m not crazy enough to free solo just yet. However, highball climbing does come with risks involved and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Highball climbing blurs the line between bouldering and rope climbing, as a fall could potentially result in serious injury. But, for those who love highballs, we know exactly what we’re getting ourselves into. Sometimes, you’ve just got to big or go home (or the hospital). And to me, what makes or breaks a highball is a combination of height, landing, and boldness required. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the 50 best highball climbs in the USA with videos as well.
Of course, this list isn’t definitive in any way, it’s just my opinion on some captivating pebbles. If you have any highball suggestions, please let me know!
The 50 Best Highball Climbs in the USA
| California |
| Colorado |
| Nevada |
| New Hampshire |
| New York |
| South Dakota |
| Tennessee |
| Texas |
| Utah |
| Vermont |
| Washington |
| Wisconsin |
| Wyoming |
California
Bishop
Nestled in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, Bishop is the holy mecca of highball bouldering in the US. When arriving to the main area of the Buttermilks, you can’t help but be awed by the gargantuan boulders looming over you at every turn, like gentle giants sheltering you from the elements. In fact, there are so many highballs in Bishop that I’ve included one of every grade up until Evilution, one of the most famous and best highball climbs in the world. Even then, these top picks were culled from a list of more than 50 highballs (that’s how insane it is). If you’re looking for the perfect highball for you, Bishop is sure to have one calling your name.
Best Time to Go: Winter, early spring, late fall
Advanced Rockcraft Arete – v0
Area: Buttermilks Main
Heavenly Path – v1
Area: Happy Boulders
The Hunk – v2
Area: Buttermilks Main
East Side Story – v3
Area: Buttermilks Main
Jedi Mind Tricks – v4
Area: Pollen Grains
Strength in Numbers – v5
Area: Sad Boulders
Saigon – v6
Area: Buttermilks Main
High Plains Drifter – v7
Area: Buttermilks Main
Checkerboard – v8
Area: Checkerboard area
Luminance – v9
Area: Beehive area
Too Big to Fail – v10
Area: Beehive area
Evilution – v11
Area: Buttermilks Main
Black Mountain
Black Mountain is sort of a gem in the SoCal bouldering scene, situated in the lovely San Jacinto mountains near Idyllwild. At an elevation of roughly 7500ft, it stays cooler than at base by a significant margin. Parking is limited and the road up after getting off highway 243 is a bit rough. So do check road conditions beforehand and come up in a high clearance vehicle if you do plan to visit.
Best Time to Go: Fall, late spring, early summer
Once Upon a Time – v1
Area: The Summit
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree boasts a number of excellent highballs in a surreal and expansive desert environment. Comprised of quartz monzonite, the grit on Joshua Tree climbs is unmatched (but be prepared to lose lots of skin). This list of best highball climbs wouldn’t be complete without some of these classics.
Best Time to Go: Late fall to early spring
White Rasta – v2
Area: Hidden Valley
Slashface – v3
Area: Geology Tour Road
Planet X – v6
Area: Planet X Area
Aiguille de Joshua Tree – v0
Area: Lost Horse area
So High – v5
Area: Real Hidden Valley
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a huge climbing spot although not many know it. Two of the best highball climbs in California actually reside in Lake Tahoe, although they are on the high-end difficulty wise.
Best Time to Go: Late spring to late fall
Drawing of the Three – v11
Area: Donner Pass
Crown Jewel – v10
Area: Phantom Spires
Tramway
Also in the San Jacinto mountains (basically the Northeast side as opposed to Black Mountain which is on the Northwest side), Tramway is a nice getaway from the desert heat during summer. Just be prepared to hike as there’s a notorious switchback you must go down first and come back up last. But, the climbing here is great and a lot of it is clustered close to each other.
Best Time to Go: Late spring, summer, fall
Emerald City – v0
Area: Shangri-la Valley
Yosemite
Yosemite might be world famous for its big wall and rope climbing, but there’s also a lot of excellent bouldering. In fact, the latest bouldering guidebook released in 2020 is extra THICC, and I absolutely love it. With the most famous big walls in the world here, of course there had to be some top notch highballs as well.
Best Time to Go: Fall, late spring
King Cobra – v8
Area: Camp 4 area
King Air – v10
Area: Housekeeping area
Colorado
Independence Pass
Situated in the central range of the Rocky Mountains, Independence Pass sits at an elevation of roughly 12000ft. What’s great is the mix of climbing here and also that there are a bunch of other crags nearby. Coupled with the fact that it’s incredibly scenic, the amount of climbing here is nearly limitless.
Best Time to Go: Late May to late-October (road closed in Winter)
Jaws – v3
Area: Jaws area
Rocky Mountain National Park
Part of the most famous mountain range in the USA, RMNP has seen rock climbers since the 1800s. Now, it’s widely regarded as a mecca for bouldering, especially in the Emerald Lake and Chaos Canyon areas.
Best Time to Go: Late May to mid/late-October
Autobot – v5
Area: Lower Chaos Canyon
Skyscraper – v5
Area: Lower Chaos Canyon
Nevada
Red Rock Canyon
A prime bouldering destination and one of the most striking places to visit because of, you know, the red rocks. Red Rock Canyon is home to some of the best highball climbs in the country, and some of the most aesthetic climbs as well. Just keep an eye on the weather, as climbing on wet sandstone is a huge no-no.
Best Time to Go: Mid-fall to mid-spring
Perfect Poser – v1
Area: Kraft Boulders
Natasha’s Highball – v2
Area: Black Velvet Canyon
Plumber’s Crack – v0
Area: Kraft Boulders
Fear of the Black Hat – v9
Area: Kraft Boulders
New Hampshire
Pawtuckaway
One of the best bouldering destinations on the East Coast, and even in the country, Pawtuckaway boasts exceptional climbs. Comprised of granite, there are a multitude of climbs to be explored, with some top notch highballs to boot.
Best Time to Go: Spring to fall
The Whip – v2
Area: Round Pond
The Dream of Life – v7
Area: Boulder Natural
Rumney
A major spot for sport climbing although there is a ton of great bouldering to be had as well. The major area is the Black Jack Area, with other smaller areas scattered throughout.
Best Time to Go: Mid-spring to fall
Black Jack Crack – v2
Area: Black Jack Area
New York
Gunks
One of the most famous climbing areas on the East Coast, the Gunks offers a lot for boulderers. The Trapps cliff is the major area and also happens to have one of the most stunning highballs ever.
Best Time to Go: Spring to Fall
New Pair of Glasses – v7
Area: Trapps Bouldering
South Dakota
Custer State Park
Located in the Blacks Hills of S.D., Custer State Park is one of the best climbing spots in the Mid-West. It’s also home to one of the most famous boulders in American history, the “Thimble”. If you have a chance, go watch “Reel Rock 10: High and Mighty” which features this climb. If that doesn’t get you psyched on highball climbing, I don’t know what will.
Best Time to Go: Late spring to mid-fall
The Thimble – v5
Area: Needles Eye Area
Tennessee
Stone Fort
Stone Fort has some of the best bouldering you’ll find in the Southeast (along with Hound Ears and HP40). The climbing here is also incredibly diverse, which will really test your versatility.
Best Time to Go: Mid-fall to mid-spring
Storming the Castle – v1
Area: Stone Fort
Texas
Hueco Tanks
Regarded as the place with the best bouldering in the world, it’s hard to argue with that statement. The climbs featured here are some of the most striking ones on our list of best highball climbs too. Just know that Hueco Tanks requires a reservation and guide, which helps to preserve the park.
Best Time to Go: Late fall to early spring
See Spot Run – v6
Area: North Mountain
Melon Patch – v0
Area: North Mountain
The Maiden – v0
Area: East Mountain
Hershey’s Symphony – v1
Area: North Mountain
Utah
Indian Creek
Indian Creek might be famous for its crack and trad climbing, but the bouldering has seen lots of development lately. One of the most striking climbs (and highballs at that) is Airwolf first climbed by Tom Moulin.
Best Time to Go: Fall, spring
Airwolf – v6
Area: Sparks Wall
Joe’s Valley
Probably the hottest bouldering destination right now, Joe’s Valley has some of the nicest sandstone in the country. Paired with short approaches, incredible climbs, and more boulders being established constantly, what more can you ask for? In our opinion, here are the best highball climbs in the area.
Best Time to Go: Fall, spring
The Wind Below – v7
Area: Left Fork
Michelangelo – v3
Area: Right Fork
The Kraken – v4
Area: Left Fork
Thriller – v0
Area: Right Fork
Vermont
Smuggler’s Notch
Smuggler’s Notch is Vermont’s hidden gem, a narrow pass winding through the Green Mountains. Rife with an interesting history, now the locale is popular for bouldering, ice climbing, cave exploring, and biking.
Best Time to Go: Late spring to October (road closed in Winter)
The Fin – v1
Area: Top of the Notch Boulders
Washington
Index
Index is quite a small bouldering area, but there are numerous other crags right by it. However, what it’s lacking in quantity of climbs more than makes up for it in terms of quality. Also to note, Index is one of the most picturesque crags I’ve ever been to. The lush vegetation is truly on another level, and it feels like you’re climbing in a fairy tale setting. If you happen to be in the PNW, don’t skip out on this crag.
Best Time to Go: Late spring to early fall
The Engineer – v7
Area: Zelda Boulders
Leavenworth
The pinnacle of climbing in Washington, Leavenworth is a bouldering paradise. Of course, there is tons of rope climbing there as well, mostly slab and crack. After a hard day’s worth of climbing, head to München Haus for some excellent sausages and beer.
Best Time to Go: Spring to fall
The Sword / aka You Dog You – v3
Area: Icicle Creek
Wisconsin
Devil’s Lake
Another premier climbing destination in the Mid-West, Devil’s Lake features quartzite rock and mostly trad climbing and bouldering. The scenic crag is still seeing tons of development on top of an already extensive list of boulder problems, meaning you’ll have an endless array of climbs to explore to your heart’s content.
Best Time to Go: Spring to fall
Big Bud Arete – v2
Area: East Bluff
Wyoming
Vedauwoo
At an elevation of 8000ft, Vedauwoo is the “land of the Earthborn spirit”, a fitting statement. Mostly consisting of trad climbing and bouldering, there are over 1,000 problems logged here on Mountain Project. Surrounded by extraordinary rock formations, pine trees, aspen groves, and mesmerizing valleys, get ready for an adventure of a lifetime out here.
Best Time to Go: Mid-April to Mid-October
Cupcake – v1
Area: Nautilus