One of the best activities known to mankind is obviously rock climbing, but where are you going to climb in Los Angeles? We’ve got you covered as there are a lot of climbing gyms that can be found within California but we’re sure you only want to go to the highest quality gyms out there. So today we’re going to delve into the best climbing gyms in Los Angeles as we separate them into categories such as our overall favorite, our top picks, our runner up, and at last our value pick – which is a gym that’s got really great prices and services for those looking to save a fair amount of cash.
Looking for a different major city’s climbing gym? Check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.
Our Favorite for Best Overall Indoor Climbing Gym in Los Angeles
Our Favorite for Best Overall Indoor Climbing Gym in Los AngelesCliffs of Id
Overview:
With a massive 26,000 square foot facility dedicated to climbing packed with 40 foot high walls, the Cliffs of Id gym aims to be the best rope climbing and bouldering gym in all of Los Angeles. Additionally, there are always events going on in this facility that ensure your experience is fresh and most importantly fun each entry you embark on. Their staff is always friendly no matter the time of day, and their top-rope climbing is simply such a fun time that you’d have to experience it yourself just to understand.
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What Makes Cliffs of Id Unique:
- When you turn to the review side of things, you’d be quite positively surprised to see the amount of care and admiration customers have for Cliffs of Id, “Absolutely phenomenal gym. Huge bouldering and roping areas with well-maintained, fantastic routes. Very friendly, helpful staff. Great day-pass price. I climbed here one day while on vacation, and cannot wait for my next trip to L.A. to hit up Cliffs of Id again!”
Why Choose Cliffs of Id:
- Cliffs of Id make sure each of their customers feels welcomed and they really make classes for each demographic imaginable. And don’t worry, they accommodate each skill level from the beginner to the most hardcore exercisers here – meaning you won’t be left out. On top of that, they offer several classes and camps for kid climbers packed with group events for climbing.
Additional Services:
With all of today’s gyms, there are a plethora of additional services that are sure to leave you satisfied with more than just the climbing aspects. Specifically for Cliffs of Id, fitness classes are offered to get you into peak condition for any outing or just to live a better healthier life.
Pricing:
Slightly on the pricer side, Cliffs of Id’s day pass comes in at a $25 price tag. Although they certainly make up for that with their gear package that is only a small $5 coming with shoes, a harness, and a belay device. Although if you’re seriously digging the vibe of Cliffs of Id and want to make it your gym home, their memberships clock in at $84 per member. While the annual membership comes with no initiation fee and is a whopping $924. Obviously, these prices aren’t on the cheaper side, but they are sure to come with services and a gym well worth the price of admission.
Our Top Picks for the Best Bouldering Gyms in Los Angeles
Our Top Picks for the Best Bouldering Gyms in Los AngelesSender One Climbing
Overview:
Slender One Climbing comes in as our first top pick due to the sheer design and effort that was put into every inch of this very gym. While this gym is focused around climbing, that’s certainly not it’s only forte. They dabble in fitness classes, yoga instruction, and offer a variety of services all kids alike should enjoy. With walls that go up to 60 feet and a gym that spans 35,000 square feet, it’ll take you a very long time to explore each corner to this very gym.
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What Makes Sender One Climbing Unique:
- Luckily enough, this very gym is almost never closed – even on most holidays they just have adjusted hours to ensure that any time of year their customers can get the best experience possible. In contrast, they are typically open 6 am – 11 pm on weekdays.
Why Choose Sender One Climbing:
- Taking a look at reviews can give us a better look at what people really think about the gym, unfiltered and open, “Top-notch staff! Friendly, efficient, knowledgeable. Took the kids for “kids climb” on a Saturday morning. Couldn’t have had a better experience. Wes was great with the kids, very easy going and highly proficient at instruction. We’ll certainly be back!” As you can likely tell, Slender One Climbing is quite loved by the large community here in LA.
Additional Services:
If you’re more reserved or just need some extra help or practice, climbing classes and private instruction can really be helpful. However, if you’ve been a frequent visitor to this gym and would like to schedule a party that’s also a very prevalent option. But uniquely enough there are many services targeted towards kids such as drop-in programs and their high rated climbing academy.
Pricing:
Coming in at a $27 day pass price for adults, they also kindly offer gear for an additional $7. Or if you aren’t a single day type of person, their monthly memberships hit the mark at just a fair enough price of $89, while you’ll get a slight discount with their yearly membership being $999. With these memberships, the perks run wild as you’ll be gifted a $50 annual pass for the gym & even receive a large number of discounts ranging from 20% off first retail to discounts on Slender One’s events.
Verdigo Boulders
Overview:
With a modest 17 high foot walls and an 11,500 square foot terrain, Verdigo Boulders is your everyday quiet yet event packed gym in Los Angeles. You’ll be sure to find a home here as they claim to support and be equipped with the knowledge to assist all skill levels from beginners to the most advanced pros.
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What Makes Verdigo Boulders Unique:
- Shockingly enough, Veridgo Boulders has won several awards over the years for the fantastic services they provide. The quality this gym processes is a guarantee and has been a selling factor for many customers they’ve had in the past.
Why Choose Verdigo Boulders:
- We’re just going to flat out say it… if you don’t at least choose to visit Verdigo Boulders once in your life you’re going to be missing out on the sheer amount of things to do in this gym. The reviews are great as well, “Verdigo boulders is a small rock bouldering gym. You won’t find a friendlier one in LA. The staff is amazing, and if you talk to fellow climbers you’ll find an open happy vibe. The route setting is fantastic, and they are always switching up the climbs. This place is my happy place.”
Additional Services:
Here at Verdigo Boulders, they have their own sports team they like to call ‘Team Touchstone’ with bases its members not on age but on their climbing abilities. While this is aimed at kids of all ages, it can be watched and enjoyed by anyone who fancies to. Furthermore, climbing classes are also a choice as well as fitness classes that target overall well being and health.
Pricing:
If you’re accompanied by a kid under the age of 12, day passes for them will ring in at $20 – while adults are $25 which allow you to get a good feel of the gym if that’s what you’re aiming for. As for shoes and chalk, that comes in at $4 and $1 respectively. And of course, the monthly memberships come in at $84 a month and $924 annually.
Our Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in Los Angeles
Our Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in Los AngelesThe Stronghold Climbing Gym
Overview:
Opening at 6 am and closing at 11 pm Monday through Friday, The Stronghold Climbing Gym is a building that was originally constructed over one hundred years ago in 1904. The creators strive to make this gym the most creative, friendly, and professionally gym in all of Los Angeles. You can expect to feel very welcomed upon entering this facility and free to ask any staff member any question you might have.
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What Makes The Stronghold Climbing Gym Unique:
- Their prices! Any dollar sign you see at The Stronghold Climbing Gym is sure to come with a very reasonable price that will definitely keep you coming back. Their members really are getting some of the best prices on the market. Speaking of members, the standard month to month membership is $84, while annually it can be raised down to $924. If you qualify for the youth category or share the gym with your family or partner you can also receive a sizable discount on top of these prices.
Why Choose The Stronghold Climbing Gym:
- Even if you love climbing and only plan on focusing on climbing in this gym, the history of the building is something that’s quite interesting to most. Here, take a look at one of the reviews if you’re not sold yet, “Climbing gym extraordinaire! They have a wonderful bouldering zone followed by a billowing top-rope and sport zone with a huge range of climbs. Ample parking. Not to mention an upstairs gym, yoga studio, and now sauna, showers, and towel service. Plus they have wifi and sitting areas to work between play. Many an incredible staff member and friendly climber here. Best place to climb in LA.”
Additional Services:
Following with the theme of most gyms located in the United States, The Stronghold Climbing Gym also contains personal training and group parties fit for a special occasion. But uniquely, their yoga classes are designed to calm your nerves and relieve stress when in need of a calorie-burning relaxation period. And as for the fitness classes, they aim to improve your cardio, core strength, and to improve your climbing skills.
Pricing:
Just as Verdigo Boulders before, the day pass prices are identical ($25 for adult, and $20 for children). If you decide to become a member they offer a special deal that only costs you $20 a month for use of gear such as shoes, harness, and chalk for every entry to the gym you have.
Our Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gym in Los Angeles
Our Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gym in Los AngelesHangar 18 Climbing Gym
Overview:
A little on the smaller side, Hangar 18 Climbing Gym comes in at 12,000 square feet that have been refined over the years to consistently give their consumer base the best gym they can put out. Even more so, this gym features top-roping sections designed for both beginners and advanced climbers. Their professional staff are sure to assist you in practically anything you can ask them for. After all, the Hangar 18 brand of gyms is Southern Calfornia’s largest chain of indoor climbing gyms according to their site – they have a reputation to keep.
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What Makes Hangar 18 Climbing Gym Unique:
- Remember that reputation we just brought up? Well, they sure seem to make their customers happy, take a read, “They change the routes fairly frequently and both the staff and fellow climbers are friendly. They usually only offer advice when you ask but that’s because they don’t want to to feel like they’re criticizing you. Everyone is really helpful regarding climbing technique for different body types.”
Why Choose Hangar 18 Climbing Gym:
- All of their services they offer come with NO initiation fee or even cancellation fee. Once you purchase a membership for one of the lowest prices in Los Angeles you will have unlimited access to the entire facility. There’s a reason why everyone who comes to Hangar 18 leaves happy and comes back wanting more.
Additional Services:
At Hangar 18, you can expect to see a variety of functions going on the daily. They range from lead climbing, yoga, fitness, group events, and even big parties. If you’re looking to expand your workout or just to have fun, this gym will definitely have you covered especially with the many low prices they offer for these additional services.
Pricing:
Considering most Los Angeles climbing gyms appear to have a steep pricing system, it’s quite refreshing to lay our eyes on today’s value gym – Hangar 18. Their prices aim to be unbeatable, and on today’s list they certainly live up to that criteria. Coming in at a small $18 for adults and $13 for children, you can get a wonderful day’s look at this gym. Gear rentals come in at $3 each for shoes and a harness. But most importantly… their monthly membership is a seriously low price of $46, that will almost never be beaten so jump on that.
Cliffs of Id straight-up knocked all the other gyms out of the park in our eyes which crowned it the best overall climbing gym in Los Angeles as soon as we discovered it. Any request or question you may have will surely be able to be answered by their well trained and professional staff.
As for our top picks, Slender One Climbing deserves this title due to the wide array of services and overall high quality this gym happens to maintain throughout its years. It’s truly a massive gym being 35,000 square feet and is one to look out for.
Moving on, when it comes to runner ups we needed to mention The Stronghold Climbing Gym for obvious reasons. Just the fact that this gym is a building that’s literally over 10 decades old is a remarkable fact and just adds to the complexity of this gym.
Last but not least, actually one of the most important gyms that can be found in LA being our value gym – Hangar 18. This gym is well suited for a variety of audiences, especially climbers under 25 who would like to go slightly on the cheaper side but don’t want the price to sacrifice the overall quality. The prices found at this location will NOT be beaten in Los Angeles no matter where you go.
Overall, we hope to have proved today that LA truly does have a vast collection of climbing gyms that suit whatever needs you happen to have. The best climbing gyms in Los Angeles may vary from person to person but that’s to be expected. In conclusion, we hope to have helped you narrow down the perfect fit for you.
Did you enjoy this guide? Check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.
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