Best climbing gyms in Austin: find options near you

Great gym! Lots of routes that are updated weekly and maintained, including a kids area which is quite large. You can rent climbing shoes or buy from the store! The store sells chalk and bags and shoes… they have got it all covered.

They have a large weight room for strength training and host yoga classes, as well.

The locker room/restrooms are clean and offer showers and cold plunge.

Once a month they host parents night out from 5-10. Kids get to climb, eat pizza, and watch movies.

My experience as a woman who sometimes climbs:

Staff: At the front desk they well assist with any questions or give you anything you ask for like chalk. They aren’t friendly like at Westgate – no smiling or welcoming statements. The instructors for fitness classes are fine. They give good classes and will hang back to talk after class.

Climbing: it’s so spacious and there are tons of options for climbs. I really enjoy climbing here because it never gets old. There are LOTS more climbers at this location and it can feel a bit crazy. Also, this location tends to always have children running around unsupervised who hang out below climbers or start a route that causes you to stop for safety. I think it’s bc of the birthday parties or no staff oversight as to how parents control their kids in the main space.

Fitness: I’ve only been to the mobility classes and they are fine – off to the side in a separate room but it’s a small space. The yoga classes gets PACKED without an inch to spare.

The gym: I like that it has space for alternative types of training like acrobatics, locomotion, mobility. Seems to be fine with the equipment options.

Locker rooms: clean, spacious, convenient. My main complaint is that the sauna is always ruined by people who don’t read the sign outside because it’s small and the wording is tiny. Hence, they they don’t shower, undress, enter with a phone in use, and talk – all major no-nos for sauna etiquette. Every single time I come I end up leaving bc of this. **Please make a better sign to educate people on this!***

Parking: I know it’s terrible but you get creative.

Upstairs space: nice for chilling out or practicing some movements on the open floor space.

Bouldering Project – Springdale is an absolute gem for family-friendly fun! ‍♀️❤️ My family and I had an incredible experience here, and it’s all thanks to the amazing team especially Coach Janet and Coach Theo. Their warmth, patience, and genuine love for teaching made our visit unforgettable.

Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned climber, this place has something for everyone. The atmosphere is welcoming, the walls are challenging yet fun, and the coaches genuinely care about your experience. My family left feeling energized, accomplished, and excited to come back!

If you’re looking for a place to climb, connect, and create memories, Bouldering Project – Springdale is it. ‍♂️✨ #FamilyFun #RockClimbingAdventures

The best bouldering gym I’ve personally visited. The route setting is super creative and the higher grades get you to do a lot without just falling back on making the holds harder. There are enough routes that it’s hard to even try everything in the gym in a single session, and with access to two gyms in the Austin area, you essentially never run out.

The Bouldering Project also features youth training areas and tension boards, a yoga studio, and a full traditional gym space. There are multiple yoga and fitness classes on a regular schedule. The showers are well maintained and supplied, and there’s even a sauna and an ice plunge.

The only downsides are that it is very expensive, and in the summertime it gets very hot. I find that I can only comfortably climb for a couple of hours in the early morning- any later in the day and I’m sweating buckets. But it’s still a worthwhile investment in terms of both health and fitness and the social opportunities it provides. Definitely one of my favourite places to spend time.

First impression: there is a lot of slab in this gym. I’ve never seen a gym with this much slab. The gym is like 65% slab. There is not much overhang, but there’s a nice cave. There are at least two top out boulders. Built very fancy, like the other Boulder Projects, but this one felt a little dirty. Love the soft mats, makes me feel more confident in the top outs. There are a lot of volumes.

My visit was a mixed experience. I went on a Thursday night, it was very crowded. Not one person talked to me, however, I tried to start a few conversations, but nothing carried. The people seemed friendly, but most people were already with friends, and no one was really talking about climbing or climbing hard. I came to train hard, so I was a little disappointed I didn’t find people to climb with. The routesetting is good, but the holds were very large. There are a lot of jugs in this gym. When I was expecting a bad crimp, it was a full one pad 4 finger bucket. Several of the climbs felt soft. The feet are very good in this gym. There were several dynamic problems. There’s a comp training area, and comp problems mixed throughout the gym, however, the quality of the comp problem holds did not seem very good. In terms of the hold quality, there’s a mix of super nice fiberglass holds, some nice plastic, and some old plastic holds. There were not many brushes in the gym. The store had a very good selection of chalk, and I bought a bag.

My favorite part of the experience was the routesetting, and my least favorite thing was gym culture. Next time I’m in Austin, I would not go back to this gym if I was alone again. However, in a group this would be a fun gym. I genuinely hope that they will improve the stoke in this gym. Compared to west coast gyms, and even other gyms in Texas, this was a pretty disappointing experience.

I brought my young kids to climb here and they absolutely loved it! My son is usually nervous to try new things but he gained a lot of confidence in himself as he was climbing. It was also great for problem solving! Unsurprisingly, my son wanted to celebrate his birthday here and the party packages are very reasonable. The party was low-stress and everyone enjoyed themselves. They even help you set up, take down, (Iike a coordinator), so I really appreciated them! Thank you so much, ABP! (Springdale)

This gym is fantastic! So many functional amenities that accompany a badass gym, yoga studio and bouldering space. Thanks to Anastasia and the rest of the team for the warm welcome.

Visiting from out of town, I decided to check this place out because of the boulder focus. It’s clear when you walk in that they want to make sure climbers feel comfortable in their own skin. It’s cozy, despite its large size, and there’s a good amount of climbing.

The majority of the climbs are in the V3-V6 range and the difficulty was pretty consistent across grade bands. They use circuit grading, and they put the grade band on every start tag, which is great. I spoke with lots of staff while I was there and everyone was very friendly.

I don’t know how stiff your gym grades, and I don’t care how soft or sandbagged this gym is compared to yours, because the bottom line is that climbing here was a lot of fun.

Very nice bouldering gym.

Spacious gym with a ton of different routes at all levels. Creative problems set by some great setters.
Clean gym, friendly staff, and a decent setup for some freeweight exercising.

Crux Central has some of the best routesetting I’ve ever seen. They have really exotic holds, including some holds that the head setter designed. The setting is complex and fun to figure out – at all grades – the gym is really geared toward intermediate and beginner climbers. There are many easy boulders in the V1-3 range that use tons of volumes and macros, which is a testament to the gyms dedication to the beginner climber. They don’t set anything that requires an unreasonable amount of strength, but rather focus on building technique and having fun. They have a low density, and high quality. The friendliness of the other climbers is what impressed me the most. Everyone said hello to me and I felt welcomed from the moment I entered. In a city with many world class gyms, this is truly a destination gym.

We had a group gathering today. Please send our thanks to the shift leader who helped us with registration (I’m sorry, I forgot her name…!). She was really kind! We’ll definitely come again next time.

The main issue with this gym is the route setters don’t seem to know how to make routes for lower-intermediate climbers. The black (5.10) routes are always quite easy, but then the next level, blue (5.11) is a large jump in difficulty, and there are zero routes in the gym for intermediate climbers in between. I’ve only ever seen this issue at this one gym, other gyms usually have a strong focus on that middle difficulty level, but not Crux. It briefly improved for a couple months, but now it’s an issue again and it’s pretty much been an issue since they opened.

Really cool facility, great environment, cool climbs and amenities. I frequent the South Austin location as I am closer and honestly prefer the South location since it has lead climbing routes. Really enjoyed this Central location though and all it has to offer

YEAR UPDATE//
Crux climbing is my favorite gym, and getting a membership has been great for me! I share a “crew membership” with friends that gives us guest passes to use to bring other friends, and reduces the price since we all signed up.
The walls change often enough to not get bored and stay up long enough to figure out the more challenging climbs.
I’ve used the yoga and fitness classes and really enjoy the variety in energy from the instructors and the different types of classes.
The workers are knowledgeable about both how to climb and how to be cool folks. I see young children walk in and the front desk is immediately helpful getting them to their club, I see folks teleworking from the gym, families, clubs, and I know it’s a good third place.
I’m so happy this is my third place!

Old review:
I’ve been going here for a couple months, and it’s always been a great atmosphere. It’s connected to coffee shop if you get hungry, the staff is great, there’s 2 gyms and a lot of walls that reset with a schedule posted at the gym. I like to spend a whole day here working for 20 minutes and climbing for 10 and just switching. Dog friendly, there’s a ping pong table, lots of storage for items in benches and cubbies!

My friend used his guest passes in the past to bring me here a few times, and I finally ended up getting my own membership during their new years sale because it made the price more approachable for my budget, and it has definitely been worth it! All the instructors, fitness and yoga, are amazing, offering guidance and encouragement for your form and practice. The staff at crux is also so genuine and kind, leaving you feeling welcomed.

Although I’m not a regular climber, the climbing facility here is approachable and well designed. The fitness barn next door is also great, supplying free weights, a few cardio machines, and almost everything you’d need to do calisthenics/ hybrid weightlifting. Plus, they have gender seperate infrared saunas, which are a really attractive touch in terms of privacy. I pay nearly $70 per month after tax (through the yearly pass), which is a bit expensive for my lower income, even with the 15% new year discount. However, overall I can say its a worthy investment for the amenities I have access to as a gym, mindfulness center, and climbing zone. Love Crux!

Really great and positive first time experience. Quite affordable at $17 per person. Apparently since it was our first time the gear rental was free. Everyone was friendly and the whole place was cool. Rock climbing itself was very fun. Parking got full so be mindful of that.

Went here with my daughter for her 9th birthday and she had a blast. Was a little apprehensive at first with the belay device but got over it quick. Was a cheap stop and packed with fun. The staff was very helpful since it was our first time and the place has a very friendly environment. The bathrooms could have used to attention but other than that we had a great time.

Been a member here for a while and it’s a cool place and one of few in Austin that have top rope and lead climbing as well as bouldering. They have an auto belay (two are speed belays so it’s even faster to get down) so you can come climb by yourself too! The boulder area is pretty massive and there’s an overhang wall / cave you can try out with some privacy. Upstairs has a few workout equipment (the full gym is across the street), working space, yoga studio, and moon boards. Everything feels sanitary, seeing the workers go by and wipe down the ropes and auto belay. Hand sanitizer is aplenty and you must keep your mask on at all times!

My wife and I came in from out of town and had a great experience here. Crux is probably our 2nd favorite gym we’ve visited.

(Sorry, Crux, the climbs up the silos in Carrollton, TX are hard to beat!)

Super friendly staff who made sure we were comfortable and oriented. Later, during our climbs, they offered to belay us on a few routes. Again… Very kind and appreciated!

Will definitely return when we come back in town for a short vacation!

Very nice facility. The boulders are challenging and fun. There is a wide range of skill levels for the auto belays if you don’t have a partner. Staff and customers were all very friendly.

Great staff and routes. Nice facility and their classes really prep you well. Some of their competitors aren’t very hard to best so I appreciate them going above and beyond at crux when others have lowered the bar. They do a great job and made my decision to buy a membership really easy.

Best top ropes in Austin! Tall walls, slab, and inclines. Great route setting. I like that they break down the grades 5.10 a,b,c,d etc. They also just added auto-belays. They are pretty smooth.

The gym has good equipment and facilities are clean.

I also enjoy their climber’s conditioning and core fitness classes. However, I wish they offered these type of intense classes every day of the week and after 6pm.

So many awesome things to say about Mesa Rim! They now have auto belays and I’ve been climbing more than ever before in my life. The gym also has a yoga studio, fitness area, outdoor turf, sauna, upstairs bouldering, tons of classes and events, and youth programs. There are a few tables upstairs to work from remotely and then climb in between plus the staff is super friendly and available to help whenever you have a question. Highly recommend checking it out.

Great place!
Lots of climbing walls for top rope climbing and a huge bouldering section.

We came in twice during the last week, once just two adults and later with the kids and they enjoyed themselves as much as we did.

The staff was great and helpful, patient and professional.

We’ll definitely come climb again.

My first time here, I came in to take Yoga Sculpt with Brittany and she made it an outstanding experience on top of the gym being gorgeous and awe inspiring! Brittany’s welcoming and upbeat energy was perfect for kicking my butt in Yoga Sculpt, and I got a great work out in. Their class studio is gorgeous and spacious. After class, Brittany was kind to offer to give me a tour and WOW! This gym really has it all for climbers or anyone really, and you can tell it’s a community and more than just a gym. Brittany is an actual angel and you can really tell she cares about what she does. I will be back and telling friends to come with me!

I have been to climb a handful of times so far, and I liked the workout it gave me. I would recommend that if you are curious to go check it out. The staff is beyond friendly and accommodating. I have been assisted by Jonathan and Brendan on belay, and they made me feel safe and answered all of my questions. I will continue to add climbing into my fitness routine, especially to get me through the hottest months this summer.

One of the most impressive indoor climbing facilities I’ve ever seen. It’s huge, and they have great routesetting. Their hold selection is amazing. They have many of the latest modern holds in fiberglass. The gym has everything from beginner to advanced. The other climbers were friendly and energetic. The store is well equipped. There are all kinds of traditional workout equipment as well as everything you need for rock climbing training. The boards and spray wall are very good. I had a really great experience here. This is a model gym in every way.

This is a top notch Climbing Center. It is a beautiful, clean and well maintained facility. They just added some auto-belays, and have plenty of rental gear. The staff are friendly and helpful and it’s an overall positive vibe. Members get access to other nice perks and events.

Love this place! Coach Eddie is an awesome trampoline coach, he’s very patient, works with you at your speed and comfort level, and allows you to focus on the skills you want to achieve. It’s a very personalized experience for any and all levels, not a one size fits all type of thing. It’s even suitable for adults (like me!). Highly recommend!!!

I loved this place but sadly moved out of town and I miss it so much! So many great classes to choose from, great instructors, and fair prices! <3

I started coming here a couple weeks ago and have done their pole classes (with Laurie and owner Sonnie). Instruction was solid and I felt very welcomed as a new student. I’ve also utilized their open studio. The facilities are clean and comfortable with plenty of equipment. The staff is incredibly helpful and friendly. I really enjoy coming to Lache’ and am so grateful to have this studio in Austin.

I have been attending classes and events at Lache since early 2019. I love this place so much. It is a home away from home for me. The community is amazing and the fun way to move is second to none. If you are on the fence about coming in to check it out this is your sign to go for it!

Took a level 2 pole class with Laurie. Laurie is fantastic, I enjoy how she taught. Sadly the gym and pole area itself is pretty dirty and I wasn’t super happy to put my hands on the floor. After being to all the other pole studios around Austin it was super disappointing to see this place be so “gym dirty”. (If you’re reading this, the floor, baseboards, all along the bottom of the walls, the window frame, the poles themselves, the bathroom was awful etc.)

Also, practicing pole moves with a bunch of kiddos around is not my ideal. This is definitely more of a “gym” than a pole fitness/dance studio. That may work for some people but not my vibe.

Beautiful, varied space with friendly instructors. They have static and spinning poles for pole dance, an area for gymnastics, an area for parkour, aerial hops and silks, a huge spring floor, trampolines, and a small space with a barbell for strength training. It’s a totally unique place and great for beginners and the experienced alike.

My daughter loves it here! Roy is a great coach that makes class fun & exciting… I also love that it’s so family friendly and they allow the kids open gym time. It’s perfect for our family!

The Intro session was challenging enough to be fun! As a first-time outdoor climber, I felt confident under Randy’s instruction and was pleased with what I learned and how I progressed. The short hike to the climb was amazing and set the stage for a great morning of learning and doing. We had a great time!

Randy did an excellent job introducing outdoor top roping to me and my aunts this weekend. His instruction was clear, safe, and informative. We all had a great time & enjoyed the entire process. Hope to be back soon!!

Great beginner’s class with Randy. He is very cognizant of safety and explained the basics clearly. I appreciated learning new knots! Also, the venue – Reimer Ranch was absolutely beautiful!

Randy went out of his way to accommodate me for a climbing trip out at Milton Reimers Ranch Park on bet short notice. My flight was delayed and he again was very helpful. Once we got to the climbing site, it was apparent Randy really knows his stuff and shared a ton of cool tips, tricks and gear recommendations along with beta tips on the routes.

There was another guide there that I was listening to him coach a young coupe and even I was concerned about his recommendations to them. He didn’t have several of the gear pieces that Randy had.

10/10 best guide in Austin!

FANTASTIC ADVENTURE! Randy is so skilled and has the best climbing stories. He is super knowledgeable and fun. I took a class out at Milton Reimers Ranch (beautiful) and had the best time! Randy taught me the language of “on-belay”, as well as taught me the knot tying and even to belay him while he went up to set a rope. Such an incredible experience! It is definitely challenging, both mentally and physically. It was such an adventure and since it was just myself in the “class” he let me advance to the levels I was comfortable at.

I doubt there is a better guide out there that knows how to have as much fun as Randy, while always keeping safety first.

Randy took our group of 6 to Reimer’s Ranch over the past weekend and we had an absolute blast! Our group had a wide variety skill set (from newbies to seasoned climbers) and Randy was able to make sure we all came away with a lot of knowledge, skill and good times! From the ground work to the last climb, Randy gave clear instruction, valuable guidance and confidence!! Our newbie was able to reach new heights (pun intended) and our more seasoned climbers were able to be pushed to grades they hadn’t been to before.

Our group has nothing but great things to about Randy! He is so incredibly knowledgeable about this sport and teaches in such a clear and direct way that I would recommend him to anyone interested in the sport. He made a huge impression on our group that we all look forward to getting back on his guide schedule to continue to grow our knowledge and capabilities.

I booked a climbing day with Austin Ascents for a group of 8 at Enchanted Rock. Randy, the owner, and the guides Tom and Seth, were super accommodating and fun to work with. They are professionals and I always felt safe. Our group consisted of beginners and experienced climbers so the guides set enough routes for everyone to have fun.

Randy and the guides asked us about our previous experience before hand and they created a plan for the day. No time was wasted planning on the spot. They were prepared for the group and our needs. Our expectations were meet.

I would definitely contact Austin Ascents for a future climbing adventure or for a certification class like lead or trad climbing.

Recommended 100%.

Desk staff were great (and deserve a raise )! Including Mrc, Ff, and the guy who gave me beta whose name I didn’t get. Setting was neat. Gym was clean. Plenty of non-climbing equipment. I wish my home gym had a yoga room and yoga classes like this one does. Not sure how packed it gets on weekdays and non-mothers days, but I never had to wait more than a few minutes for my turn.

What I like as a woman who sometimes climbs:
Staff: From day 1, it was easy to become a member because the staff helps explain how everything works and sets up the acct. Someone helped me to buy shoes by letting me try on tons of pairs and giving me advice about fitting. When I walk in, I’m always greeted by name and smile, even on a busy day. Instructors acknowledge me in or out of class. They are knowledgeable and helpful.

Community: Even if I show up to climb alone, it’s easy to talk to other climbers about routes and techniques. People will cheer me on and it feels great. So many times I find other women climbing and we end up climbing together which is fun. In the fitness classes, many people are regulars and will form little bonds. Some of my best friends are people I hang out with at ABP throughout the week.

Climbing: for me it’s ok. I tend to like some areas more than others. Most days there is tons of space to climb and it doesn’t feel too packed. I’m not a fan of the smaller, darker area off to the side. Maybe it’s a lighting thing, or that it feels cramped and like I’m in someone’s way.

Fitness classes: love and adore the circuit, mobility and movement playground classes. Now that there is new gym equipment I really hope they’ll create a new weight lifting class (currently there’s only one on Fridays). The yoga classes are absolutely varied by style and instructors – and they are great. I love the studio, especially because I use the space when it’s empty.

Gym – full of new equipment.

Bathrooms/showers: I don’t like that they are separate. They need a proper locker room, with a sauna and cold plunge like at Springdale!

Parking: abundant!

Been to a couple of gyms across the country since I stop on road trips, ABP had the coolest route setting by far. Took a while to understand the layout but other than that great gym. First visit is free, staff was helpful, gym was clean and community was nice. Not much more to ask for.

Really enjoyed my visit to this bouldering only gym. The quality of the holds and route setting is very good. The walls have good texture, and it was easy for me to find climbs at my grade level. The staff was very friendly. I was traveling and forgot my shoes, and I was able to buy my favorite shoe in my size, which was amazing. A good crowd showed up around 5pm, I found it easy to make friends. There were climbers of all skill levels. There were styles of holds I had never seen before, so that was a treat. Amenities seem plentiful, there were nice showers and locker rooms, plenty of cubbies and water fountains around. Very impressed, wish I lived nearby! Would visit again next time in in town.

Awesome spot. As the same suggests it’s all “bouldering” and there is no belaying so when you fall you fall on a thick mat. I’m addition to the climbing walls they have a regular gym and various instructor led yoga classes. They also have a lounge where people hang out and work. Weekdays usually aren’t very crowded and even on the weekends it’s not hard to find a space to climb. All skill levels welcome – colors indicate difficulty of the route.

Smaller than the Springdale location (about 60% the size) but still plenty of space and enough routes for climbers of all experience levels. Uses the same color-based, V-grade system as the other ABP. The routes are great with plenty of variation. My only complaints are that the new holds are brutal on your hands (will get better over time) and the gym and work areas, while large, felt sparse when I visited on opening day. So room for improvement but a great bouldering gym nonetheless.

A few things: no top rope, bouldering only. The gym is in a strip mall, parking isn’t an issue if you’re fine with walking a bit. Close to Whole Foods which is nice for a post-workout snack or drink.

The walls are fun and the gym is excellent, also there’s a great rest/community space and the classes are great and challenging

For the price though, you’d think they’d provide towels for the (nice) showers. Also, it sucks that you have to go to Springdale to get the cold plunge and sauna benefits of your membership as they’re not here

Was in town for business M-W. Showed up off the street, they asked how long I’d be in town and that they’d be happy to accommodate me the entire time I was in Austin. Now, I believe my membership
tier in my home market may be higher than this one, but again, they were happy to accommodate regardless. It had 95% of all the free weights, machines and cardio offerings I expected to see. It was packed right after work hours but it was fine. Would go back and would send friends to this location for a convenient LTF offering.

Been coming here for almost three years and I’m not sure if it’s just the wave of new people you get at the beginning of each year, or a change in management, but the cleanliness has absolutely gone way down. Employees are great but they need to make sure people put their stuff back or go and put it back for them. That’s why I pay $250/m to come here over the other club gyms. If this doesn’t improve, I’ll be driving elsewhere for a membership rather than walking across the street, that’s how bad it’s gotten.

Please do better.

Lifetime is probably the best gym chain as far as amenities and equipment, but it’s not worth $200 plus a month. It’s very crowded all the time, the basketball court is always being used by the kids camp, the basketball competition isn’t good for the price, and I stopped going because the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze! Hopefully they improve so I can go back.

The worst LT I’ve been to. To be fair, our home gym is the Westlake location, but everything here was outdated, lockers had greasy dust all over them, condensation dripping from AC ducts, bathrooms were filthy. Go to a different one in Austin. Wild if anyone thinks this is up to standard for LT.

Women wearing shoes in the sauna is disgusting, hope management will do something about it finally, putting a bigger sign “shoes not allowed” could fix this issue FYI

Pretty small and doesn’t have some equipment I want like incline chest press. Another big issue is no mirrors in front of squat racks!! This locations is definitely not as nice as the locations in La Jolla or OC

If I want the full life time experience and set up, I go to the South Life Time location. I use this one most because it’s walking distance from home and convenient. TBH it’s basically a cleaner LA Fitness minus a pool or hot tub. Not at all worth the cost (I’m on a cheaper family plan that I started years ago so it’s not as bad as the new $250/person rate).

I like it because I enjoy working out, but value wise it’s a bit crap, especially since this is the most expensive Austin location. It’s a cash grab. Staff is very nice though! Love them.