If you’re rock climbing in San Antonio, chances are you’re most likely hanging out an inside a gym. With the help of the Mountain Project, we’ve rounded up 15 spots in Texas for you to get outside, explore and do what you love most — climb.
Franklin Mountains State Park 1331 McKellingon Canyon Road, El Paso Travel time from San Antonio: 8 hours There’s designated areas at the park in the McKelligon Canyon and Sneed’s Cory in the Tom Mays Unit for rock climbing. The drive is a bit on the longer side, so stick around and camp for a night or two. Photo via Instagram/downtown_kb
Tonkawa Falls Crawford Travel time from San Antonio: 3.5 hours Near Waco, Tonkawa Falls has several routes to choose from with varying difficulties. Photo via Instagram/austinclimbing
Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway 100 Park Road 71, Mineral Wells Travel time from San Antonio: 4.5 hours Close to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Lake Mineral Wells State Park offers walls ranging from 20 to 40 ft. Routes are in the 5.6-5.9 range with a few offering more difficult paths. Photo via Instagram/brandonmosleydesign
Eisenhower State Park 50 Park Road, Denison Travel time from San Antonio: 5.5 hours Eisenhower is more popular as a bouldering area with a number of spots to explore. A large pad is suggested when climbing at Eisenhower, as landings can be a bit rocky. Photo via Instagram/climbonsister
McKelligon Canyon El Paso Travel time from San Antonio: 8 hours McKelligon Canyon is known to have numerous spots for climbers to explore with varying difficulties. Be prepared to camp for the night — McKelligon Canyon is about an 8 drive from SA. Photo via Instagram/cgandresen
Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway Quitaque Travel time from San Antonio: 6 hours 45 minutes Caprock Canyons offers a few choices of climbing routes with beautiful views that overlook the Texas Panhandle. The sight is almost 7 hours away, so it might not be a bad idea to plan on camping for the night. Photo via Instagram/brabertx
McKinney Falls State Park 5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin Travel time from San Antonio: 1.5 hours McKinney Falls is the place to go if you’re looking for a day trip. There’s a range of difficulty levels — be prepared to be steep areas. Photo via Instagram/cosmic_greens
Pedernales Falls State Park 2585 Park Road, Johnson City Travel time from San Antonio: 2 hours Another day-trip worthy spot, Pedernales State Falls Park has several areas to climb and boulder. If a day trip is not enough for you, climbers can camp and continue climbing the next day. Photo via Instagram/ falconfresh
Reimer’s Ranch Dripping Springs Travel time to San Antonio: 2 hours Reimer’s Ranch is a rock climber’s dream. There’s several paths with varying difficulties that overlook the Pedernales River. Photo via Instagram/zac_heiliger
Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park A few climbing spots can be found at Big Bend, though the environment has been known to be harsh. Best for experienced climbers and those looking for a challenge. Photo via Instagram/ dub_yuh
Guadalupe Mountains National Park 400 Pine Canyon Drive, Salt Flat Travel time from San Antonio: 6.5 hours Though it’s a more common area for bouldering, hiking and mountaineering, the Guadalupe Mountains have been known have some solid climbing paths. Photo via Instagram/ztnipnivek
Hueco Tanks Sate Park 6900 Hueco Tanks Road, El Paso Travel time from San Antonio: 8 hours Hueco Tanks is said to be the best rock climbing spot in Texas, but don’t take other folks’ word for it — check it out yourself. Photo via Instagram/lanshansen
Davis Mountains State Park TX-118, Fort Davis Travel time from San Antonio: 5.5 hours A great place for both bouldering and climbing, the Davis Mountains are a little over five hours away, so be prepared to camp or stay the night in Fort Davis. Photo via Instagram/jefflynchphoto
Monster Rock 2208 Pace Bend Road S, Spicewood Travel time to San Antonio: 2 hours Climb all day and then take a dip in the lake to cool off — what could be better than that? Photo via Facebook/Monster Rock