While the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Portland clearly isn’t climbing gyms, they truly are located all over the place. However, with so many options on the table, it can be a hassle for your average climber to be able to pinpoint which is going to best suit them. Depending on your skill level, certain gyms can work at a higher level than others, and more importantly, specific gyms may be more of a learning and fun experience than the rest. With all that considered, we are going to split today’s gyms up into simplified categories. We will have an overall favorite, our two top picks, then the runner up, and lastly – our value pick gym. We ensure there is going to be a perfect gym for you, the best climbing gyms in Portland are up for you to decide.
After you’re done here, if you’re still looking for another city, check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.
Our Favorite for the Best Overall Climbing Gym in Portland
Our Favorite for the Best Overall Climbing Gym in Portland Stoneworks Climbing Gym
Overview:
Having opened in 1993, Stoneworks Climbing Gym offers a simple, cheap, and of course fun time for those young and old. Don’t fret, if you happen to be on the more advanced side of things – this facility has more complex routes and events for the best of the best climbers. Their 34 foot high falls hit the perfect median for old climbers and adult climbers alike. In truth, we selected Stoneworks for the simple fact of the variety, complexity, and sheer quality that this gym emits in every inch of the location.
View this post on Instagram
What Makes Stoneworks Climbing Gym Unique:
- They actually have really great prices, which is quite odd when you consider how high quality and professional every aspect of Stoneworks is. We at first would’ve assumed the prices would’ve been higher but we were wrong. And oh boy, with their base monthly membership being only $46 you really can’t get a much cheaper membership option out there. You can even add monthly gear rentals to that for an additional $22.
Why Choose Stoneworks Climbing Gym:
- By taking a look at the reviews for this particular gym, it shows us that it truly is loved and populated by an ever-growing crowd, “I always have a great time climbing at Stoneworks Rock Climbing Gym. It is not far from my place, close to anything in Beaverton or Portland, OR area. They have very fair prices. They are not the biggest gym but keep me coming back for many reasons including the Awesome staff. Upstairs is AntiGravity Equipment which has the best deals on chalk bags, shoes, harnesses, etc. Keep it Local!”
Additional Services:
Events are the forte here at Stoneworks, with team building and one-on-one guidance for an example. These are designed to build and preserve a community that will flourish in Portland for climbers of all kinds to come together. Additionally, they have lessons if you are interested in learning how to rock climb all while learning safety, tips, and the inner works of climbing. As for the kids, birthday parties and climbing camps are always an option and are especially popular in the summer months.
Pricing:
Stoneworks is your go-to place for some of the best indoor climbing you can experience packed with very affordable prices when all things are considered. Their day passes simply come in at just $11 while being a dollar cheaper for college students. As for their gear, the great prices continue being $5 for shoes and then only $2 for a harness rental. But most important of all, memberships are the core service a gym has to offer.
Our Top Picks for the Best Bouldering Gyms in Portland
Our Top Picks for the Best Bouldering Gyms in PortlandPlanet Granite
Overview:
With a massive 30,000 square foot location packed with over 200 routes, Planet Granite cements itself at a solid number 2. Their walls go up to 55 feet high & are accessible from 6 am to 11 pm Monday through Friday. Planet Granite in Portland opened just 5 years ago back in 2014, and ever since then, community values have been one of their most important core elements.
View this post on Instagram
What Makes Planet Granite Unique:
- “I go to this gym about three times a week. It’s amazing. I started as a new, totally beginning rock climber, V0s only, and now, I’m working on V4s and it’s only been a year. The climbing team is Great for kids ages 4 to 19 and then adults. The bouldering area is massive, filled with climbs for beginners, experts, and in the middle. The rope section is fantastic too. I feel very safe on the walls and the ropes are secure and safe. This gym is awesome!”
Why Choose Planet Granite:
- Positivity emits with every step people take in Planet Granite. Once you’ve stepped inside the gym yourself, just turn around a take a look at each staff member you come in contact with. You’ll notice a happy look on each and every one of their young faces. Which in turn, will hopefully put one upon yours.
Additional Services:
Competitions occur quite often and leave the strongest most efficient climber as the triumphant winner. Kids even get exclusive courses and programs to build a climber in all of them. They also specialize in fitness classes that build up damaged muscles and even double as a recovery type class, which is great for all of us in truth.
Pricing:
Planet Granite’s day passes over a good look into what you can expect if you do in fact decide to become a member at this facility – being $21 for a singular day pass. They even have a cheaper $17 day pass if you only want a morning pass which is valid before 1 pm. On the other hand, their full gear package is only $9 but they have individual rates, ($7 for shoes & harness, $1 chalk, and a $1 yoga mat). However, on a bigger note, their memberships clock in at $83 a month – being $880 annually. Luckily, Planet Granite offers a plethora of discounts for college students, youth, and the elderly. This means you’ll likely be able to find a discount in one way or another here.
Portland Rock Gym
Overview:
The Portland Rock Gym isn’t only a gym, it’s so much more than that. This location has been around for over 30 years yet still remains new, upbeat, and continues to offer so much to its customers. Here is an excerpt from their site to give you a better understanding of our second top pick, “Our 20,000 Ft2 gym features bouldering up to 17 feet tall, 40 foot tall top-roping & lead climbing, auto belays, weight room, cardio equipment, yoga & fitness studio, slackline, LED Moonboard, hangboards, campus rungs, locker rooms, showers w/ towel service, lounge space, climbing shop, WiFi, covered bicycle parking, and Prasad East Cafe.”
View this post on Instagram
What Makes Portland Rock Gym Unique:
- Quite uniquely, they also have frequent sales going on, for example, they have summer seasonal specials for discounted monthly rates. Lastly, their monthly memberships come in at individually $97 for one month, or on the flip side, $814 annually.
Why Choose Portland Rock Gym:
- In reality, they have a great average rating that’s above average when compared to most locations. Take a look at one man’s opinion on the location, with many reviews stating things very similar, “I would say it’s the greatest gym in all of Portland, but I haven’t climbed at all the gyms. The rope routes are shorter in height than planet granite, but are much more difficult: 5.9 at Portland Rock Gym is about a 5.7+ at Granite. The circuit is fun but it doesn’t seem the same. The community is just so much more inviting and friendly. You can walk in not knowing how to climb and not feel ashamed or out of place. If you’re wanting to climb this is the place to go.”
Additional Services:
They’ve got the usual fitness and yoga, which is clearly a standard at most gyms at this point in time. But what most gyms don’t have is actually an event called ‘Night Heights’ that takes place on Friday and Saturday between 6 and 9 pm. The name is pretty self-explanatory, although on those 2 nights of the week the community all comes together for 3 hours of top-rope. They’ve also got classes tailored to kids and even an intro to climbing course that’s for newcomers.
Pricing:
With a mixture of prices that range in between the previous gyms, Portland Rock Gym’s day passes come in at $19. Additionally, you can also get a 10-punch pass for a cheaper rate than the day pass, for $171 for 10 days. Shoes are also only $5 while a harness or belay device is $3 per one.
Our Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in Portland
Our Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in PortlandThe Circuit
Overview:
Open from 9 – 11 on weekdays, The Circuit features over 225 routes with 25 new ones being added to the location every week on Tuesday. Keep in mind that The Circuit isn’t singularly suited for adults, they’ve also got a dedicated kids section that’s sure to keep the youth occupied and satisfied. On the other hand, their training area is good for those young, old, beginner, and advanced. Safety is a staple here and will continue to be a priority of the guys and gals who operate this gym.
View this post on Instagram
What Makes The Circuit Unique:
- A good amount of their services have a long list of perks that you get bundled in for free here. Some of those perks include special pricing on the clinic and the classes offered, as well as 2 free day passes per month which is a great value in our eyes. Their annual price comes in at $725, which is practically nothing when you factor in all of the benefits included with that.
Why Choose The Circuit:
- Don’t take the words from us, take a look at this short and sweet review. We value the opinions of the people by the people, “A big space for bouldering that ranges from beginner level to (really) high level—with patrons that spectrum. The staff are always extremely friendly and welcoming. This location isn’t usually as busy as the other two.”
Additional Services:
While The Circuit doesn’t have a large variety of services, they do make up for that in the instruction category with an array of differing levels. They begin these classes with their ‘Intro to Bouldering’ which is meant to teach the basics of climbing techniques and overall safety protocol. Oh, and did we mention… it’s FREE. Moving on to the next level, ‘Beyond the Basics’ which simply put, will be able to amplify your strength and get you up to task with everything you’ll be enduring in any climbing environment. On a much lesser note, fitness, yoga, and private instruction classes are all available as well – hopefully, they shouldn’t need explaining.
Pricing:
Starting off, The Circuit’s day passes are quite affordable as are all their prices – being $17. Shoes come in at $4 which is quite cheap when compared to the previous locations, while their chalk buckets are only $2. If you’re also looking for a fair amount of membership benefits you may have just struck gold.
Our Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gym in Portland
Our Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gym in PortlandSource Climbing Center
Overview:
Being open for 12 hours or more each day of the week (excluding Sunday), Source Climbing Center is only closed a very few and far between couple days of the year. They have such a high amount of additional services and courses its insane, from over 25 individual classes for youth, adults, yoga, camps, you name it. Events pop up throughout the months which are some of the most professional and well-attended ones in all of Portland. There’s really something here for you, no matter what you happen to be looking for.
View this post on Instagram
What Makes Source Climbing Center Unique:
- Being the value pick of the day, their prices truly are remarkable to a high extent. Most gyms have quite high start-up fees typically being upwards of $80, Source Climbing only has start-up fees for a select number of their plans and even then it’s only $34. Speaking of that, their flex membership that is monthly clocks in at $56 per month – and $45 respectively for the youth. If you’re looking for a family plan, a couple plan, or anything in between you’ll also be able to find that in a jiffy.
Why Choose Source Climbing Center:
- Public image is everything. The guys at Source Climbing know this, so you can expect a great public image anywhere you look. Just take a look at one of the reviews for example, “This place is amazing. The staff is super friendly and extremely helpful, and they keep the place ridiculously clean for a climbing gym. The people who climb here are also amazingly friendly and kind and will help with beta on routes, technique, etc. This is a real community and I can’t say how fabulous it is.”
Additional Services:
Due to the sheer amount of services we have already mentioned Source Climbing contains, we are going to go rapid-fire just to name off some of the highlights you can expect to see taking place upon entry. They have, Improve Technique, Women Climbing, Group Climbing, Birthday Parties, and Team Camp. It will most likely be obvious to you that they aren’t messing around at this gym, some of their services get real serious and competitive so look out for that.
Pricing:
If one thing is certain, it’s that ever since Source Climbing Center opened their doors, they’ve continued to provide fair and even low prices for the services offered. Starting off, their equipment can come in a $10 package with shoes, a harness, and chalk – or individually if you’re missing one or two items in your collection. Youth are in luck, especially as they get discounted prices (more so than most places), meaning youth will get the day pass for only $14 while adults get them for only $2 more.
Summary of the Best Climbing Gyms in Portland
Stoneworks shocked us with their quality and low prices, which was one of the deciding factors to make it our overall favorite. There’s always something going on here, so come check it out.
Secondly, Planet Granite’s competitive factors and massive gym lead us to see the value in this top pick. On the flip side, their services are designed for all ages.
The Circuit is packed full of perks and has much to offer for low prices or even free of all things. They are also heavily loved in the reviews which is always refreshing to see, to say the least.
Value means more than just one thing, you could say it means content, cheap prices, and quality. Source Climbing Center is all of that and a box of rocks, not to mention their services are almost endless and their prices are simply unbeatable.
Overall, the best climbing gyms in Portland are all truly great – as it was hard to rank them all. There surely will be a perfect gym for you if you happen to look hard enough, just have fun in Portland!
Did you enjoy this guide on the best climbing gyms in Portland? Check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.
> Best Climbing Gyms in Seattle
