Whether you happen to be a permanent resident in San Antonio or are just stopping by for a vacation period down in the south, going by any of today’s climbing gyms will be sure to leave you with a smile on your face. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve never had the chance or thought to climb in your life, and even if you’re a pro that’s been in the sport since childhood – coming to a climbing gym in Texas couldn’t be easier as all skill levels are supported, meaning every person imaginable is welcome. Since there are a wide variety of gyms that appeal to an even more vast group of people, today we have thought to form a list of our overall best climbing gyms in San Antonio, our overall favorite, a top pick, then our runner up, and lastly, a value gym that is perfect for climbers looking to go a little on the cheaper route. Looking for some quality climbing gyms? Look no further because here are the best climbing gyms in San Antonio.
Looking for a different city? Check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.
Our Overall Favorite Indoor Climbing Gym in San Antonio
Armadillo Boulders
Overview:
Opening their doors at 8 am and then closing them at 10 pm, Armadillo Boulders contains over 100 boulder problems with 25 new ones being added weekly. Safety is expressed by each and every single staff member at this facility with every action and service they will offer to you. Their gym environment is professional yet it still maintains the principle of being fun. This location also features a large fitness room with cardio and weights, as well as coffee, WiFi, and a lounge area.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Armadillo Boulders (@armadilloboulders) on Apr 3, 2019 at 2:27pm PDT
What Makes Armadillo Boulders Unique:
- This location features a lot of perks that come packed with their services. Being bundled in with the memberships, some of these perks include a 10% discount on their shop, and unlimited access to yoga, fitness, and of course climbing. You’ll even get special invitations to big-budget parties and events that occur quite frequently here and are a great time to get to meet some new people.
Why Choose Armadillo Boulders:
- Most people want to choose a gym that’s highly rated and loved by the majority of climbers, wouldn’t you? But specially enough, this gym receives more 5 star reviews than any other on today’s list, “Excellent facility for climbing. Wall varies about once a month to keep you challenged. WiFi is not very good for spectators however it is free. Shower room, restrooms and workout room plus training classes. What more could you need? Oh yeah, they have water too, and minor snack protein selections. Recommended!”
Additional Services:
With a competitive team, recreational classes, and a summer camp, the youth will have a great time at Armadillo Boulders with no doubt in our minds. As for adults, the classes range from Bouldering 101, Ab/Core, Yoga, and Climb Fit. But they also feature a really unique course which is called Conquer Your Color, here is an explanation of this service from their site, “Our Conquer Your Color classes are intended for climbers looking to improve and broaden their climbing skills. Classes focus on a different ‘Color’ each week relating to our monochromatic grading scale.“
Pricing:
For only the small price of $17, you can grab yourself a day pass here at Armadillo Boulders, and then $3 off that price if you’re under 18. On top of all that, you can add a full-on gear package to that $17 day pass for just $4 more which includes chalk and shoes. It’s a wonder these prices are so low when compared to the great services and facility you get for them. Their monthly membership even only comes in at $69 a month and can become even cheaper when you buy a couple or family version of it.
Our Top Pick for the Best Bouldering Gym in San Antonio
Crux Climbing Center
Overview:
For members, Crux Climbing Center has its doors open for 17 hours on the weekdays – this 22,000 square foot location clocks in as our second overall favorite. Ever since this gym was founded, it’s continued to be operated by the biggest climbing extraordinaire in the business. They built this location to not only be a spectacular indoor climbing gym, but a place that builds San Antonio’s climbing community bigger and bigger by the day. From the day they opened, they had a humongous crowd awaiting their climbing walls, it was insane. You can even relieve that day with videos found on their site from that exact moment we mentioned.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Crux Climbing Center (@cruxcc) on Jun 7, 2019 at 6:15am PDT
What Makes Crux Climbing Center Unique:
- Their workers continue to get praise from practically anyone which just happens to make the overall gym just that much better. For example, one person writes, “Brand new to climbing but the staff and members made me feel very welcome! Everyone is so nice and supportive from helping pick out your first harness and other gear, to encouragement on the routes. There seems to be a great mix of route difficulty, and the routes have changed a few times already in my first month of membership. Learned a ton in the top rope class with Sam, and love belaying now. Really opens up more routes for beginners. The yoga studio is one of the nicest in town, mostly due to the Manduka mats/blocks/straps available to use, but also the nice view and plants. Great range of classes.“
Why Choose Crux Climbing Center:
- If Crux Climbing Center hasn’t quite clicked with you yet, after hearing about their special perks found throughout the pricing you’ll be sure to fall in love! With both variations of their memberships, you’ll receive 2 free guest passes a month, unlimited yoga classes, and much more. These perks are all fantastic and make the starting price really worth it, just take a look for yourself and there will surely be something that catches your eye.
Additional Services:
They try to achieve the best and most satisfactory classes in all of San Antonio here at Crux Climbing Center. Yoga, endurance, training, and recovery are all themes present in the services located here. In particular, their website offers this short description of the goals they accomplish, “Crux Climbing Center is a premier facility for climbing, bouldering, yoga, and fitness.” With that in mind, you’ll also be able to build muscle, learn new tips and tricks, and most importantly become a part of the local community.
Pricing:
Without gear, a day pass rings in at $17, and then $22 packed with gear that includes a belay device, shoes, and harness. But, if you’re looking for gear separately you can get that package for $5. Quite specifically, their memberships come in two different variations, those being the ‘awesome’ and ‘more awesome’ memberships. In simple terms, the more awesome membership is slightly more expensive but the perks that come with it are much higher and worth the value. Their individual monthly membership will charge you $70 while the more awesome variant costs just $10 more.
Our Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in San Antonio
Life Time Fitness
Overview:
Upon your first entry in Life Time Fitness, within 10-20 minutes you will have had your orientation, set up your gear, and prepare to climb. They operate within very fast speeds and take into account their customer satisfaction with everything they do. First, go ahead and spend a couple of hours climbing, then feel free to relax in their professionally designed lounge areas with other climbers. This may just be the best looking climbing gym in San Antonio which definitely helps give the place a stellar and professional look.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Life Time – Live. Work. Play. (@lifetime.life) on Jan 8, 2019 at 5:02pm PST
What Makes Life Time Fitness Unique:
- This facility has a list of content that’s pages and pages long, just due to the large array of variety and experiences its customers leave with. The list of additional services is almost endless – at the end of the day, it’s an all-purpose gym. Swim lessons, yoga, kids camps, massage, spa, and group training are just a few examples. We heavily recommend coming to check out the massive array of services that can be found here!
Why Choose Life Time Fitness:
- Life Time Fitness is quite a lovely gym and their staff are almost always praised in each review we have seen. This adds a whole other level of credibility in our mind, take a look, “There has been no better outlet for my son to test his stamina, grit and physical ability than Rockwall. Highly recommend it to anybody with kids and teens that like challenging themselves and solving puzzles but are also finding it difficult to find the right fit for an active hobby. The Homeschool Rockwall day is every Friday from 1-3 and it has helped my son find the right fit for him to challenge his abilities. So beneficial. Definitely try it out. Schedule is listed online for all others interested in Rockwall. Check it out.“
Additional Services:
They try to achieve the best and most satisfactory classes in all of San Antonio here at Life Time Athletic. Yoga, endurance, training, and recovery are all themes present in the services located here. In particular, their website offers this short description of the goals they accomplish, “Move your body and lift your spirits with classes that deliver all-out intensity, restorative meditation and everything in between.” With that in mind, you’ll also be able to build muscle, learn new tips and tricks, and most importantly become a part of the local community.
Pricing:
Life Time Athletic’s day passes are an honest to god pretty hefty price of $30 and allow you to get a good feel for the gym. But the larger price tag is made up with the high quality of their services and everything you receive on the backend. While their recurring monthly membership comes in at $94 or $84 for young adults and gives access to all locations of the gym. If you’re in need of gear just simply ask any staff member you come across as they will be sure to provide great assistance to you. However, if you’re looking for more services bundled in your membership you can easily tweak, add, or remove anything from your services by talking to someone.
Our Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gyms in San Antonio
The District
Overview:
The District is San Antonio’s only 24-hour climbing gym which of course means no matter what your schedule entails, you’ll be able to find a time to come by this gym. While any skill level is welcome to come here, they do mainly have services that support beginners more than anything. This location even features a weight room, tumbling area, yoga, acrobatics, parkour, and much more. Even if you have never considered climbing in your life, their talented staff will be able to help you with your every need. But don’t worry advanced climbers, their challenging routes will be more than enough for most.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The District (@thedistrictsa) on Apr 30, 2018 at 11:32am PDT
What Makes The District Unique:
- Everyone seemingly has great things to say about The District, no matter where you look. Just take a look at this online review to get a better understanding, “GREAT bouldering gym. Good vibes, very laid back. One section of the walls changes every week. Upstairs they have decent size weight lifting gym and one warm very basic gymnastic gym. Every time I go I make new friends. Very recommended if you live in San Antonio since it is one of the only indoor climbing gyms ;)”
Why Choose The District:
- Considering The District is our value pick, you can easily expect the best prices in all of San Antonio, but they do even much better than that. If you’re only looking to get a small taste of this facility, their $12 day pass should be exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re in need of gear rental as well, just fork over $3 for their shoe rentals here at The District. With prices like these, it’s no wonder this gym has such great feedback and a growing community.
Additional Services:
The District features a great roster of services that will definitely satisfy what you’re looking for. Most of their course goals are to teach you the basics, the secrets, and the advanced techniques of climbing. Yoga is sure to be perfect for a broad audience, even for people who aren’t entirely physical or very active – everyone starts somewhere after all. On the other hand, they offer a summer camp for the kiddos that provides a great community and learning structure. As for the last service we shall mention, ladies climb is exactly what it sounds like.
Pricing:
Only having a $15 initiation fee for memberships, you’ll only need to pay $50 for a single month for a membership here at The District. However, it gets even better, it’s only $40 for a monthly recurring membership which is quite an affordable price. But wait, it can get even cheaper if you dear a year autopay for 12 months of membership for just $395.
Summary of the Best Climbing Gyms in San Antonio
Out of the massive list of gyms San Antonio is full of, the overall favorite is easily handed over to Armadillo Boulders. Their route difficulty, customer support, and staff quality are unmatched as well.
Crux Climbing Center earns the title of our top pick and is well deserved. The owners over at this gym heavily value safety and providing the best possible experience for their customers. You’ll be able to find some very helpful people here at this facility, being open for 17 hours Monday through Friday.
As for the runner ups, we wanted to make sure to pick one that maintains a quality that rivals the others, with Life Time Fitness fitting that criteria to a T. This location is packed full of additional services that are perfect for any age.
Lastly of course, for those climbers who may be on a budget or happen to want a highly packed gym of content for the money you are paying, you’ll find all you need at The District for our value pick. Its day pass is even only $12, you can’t get much better than that.
At the end of the day, San Antonio truly does have a large number of climbing gyms. Some greater than others, and others more suited for specific needs. Out of the best climbing gyms here in Texas we have discussed today, we hope you are able to narrow it down & find the perfect one, The best climbing gyms in San Antonio are ready for your visit.
Did you enjoy this guide to the best climbing gyms in San Antonio? Check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.