3 Iconic Climbing Gyms in Las Vegas (2024)

Most climbers are aware that Las Vegas is one of the best rock climbing destinations in the United States. There are the meccas of Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston just 30 minutes from the Strip, not to mention other world-class destinations, such as Joshua Tree and Zion, within a couple of hours’ drive.

Combine that with the cheap cost of living and a climate accommodating year-round climbing, and you’ll quickly understand why some of the world’s most renowned climbers (including Alex Honnold and Jonathan Siegrist) call Sin City home.

What’s not as well known, however, are the indoor rock climbing gyms in Las Vegas. The indoor rock climbing gym ecosystem here isn’t as large as in Southern California, Denver, the Pacific Northwest, or many East Coast cities. There are plenty of touristy climbing walls, but there are only a few solid climbing & training gyms currently operating in Las Vegas.

These are the Refuge Climbing and Fitness, the Red Rock Climbing Center, the Pad Henderson, and the Nevada Climbing Center. The good news is that all of these gyms are extremely high-quality. You can’t go wrong, the main difference is simply location, price, and the climbers they cater towards. Let’s learn more about each climbing gym Las Vegas has to offer!

1. The Refuge Climbing and Fitness: Best for Training and Bouldering

The Refuge Climbing and Fitness is probably the best “known” climbing gym in Las Vegas. It features prominently in the popular “Miguel Climbs” (1) YouTube channel and pros like Emily Harrington and Jonathan Siegrist are regularly be seen training here.

The Refuge is bouldering-only, with 11,000 square feet of climbing and training space, and walls that are reset weekly. (There are three auto belays on a corner wall, but these are usually reserved for kids’ camps and the like. I’ve been a member of the gym for a couple of years now, and I’ve never seen them in use.)

In addition to the bouldering walls, the Refuge has an extensive array of training equipment, including a tread wall, MoonBoard, Tension Board, campus board, cardio machines, Olympic bars, and several weight stations.

The principal focus of this gym is on training and bouldering. Climbers who want to get stronger with the main focus of becoming better outdoor boulderers will appreciate the plethora of problems, terrains (slab, visor, vert, cave, etc.), and the spread of training equipment and full weight rack.

Another boon is the Refuge’s innovative route setting, which does a particularly good job of mimicking sequences you’ll find outdoors. (Check out an interview with one of their lead setters to learn a bit more about their system and the bouldering problems they set.)

There are more than enough easy problems for newer climbers, but the bouldering focus of this gym makes me reluctant to recommend it to new climbers, because there’s no space to learn rope techniques like belaying, knot-tying, or lead climbing.

Classes & Facilities

The gym offers group yoga classes, as well as a “Bouldering Basics” class for beginner climbers. Yoga is included in the gym membership, but the “Basics” class comes with a $29 fee and a free one-week trial membership. The Refuge also hosts a regular “Kids Club” (2) for ages 5-12, annual summer camps, birthday parties, and a competitive youth team.

In addition to the climbing walls and training space, this indoor climbing gym has changing rooms, a yoga room (also available as a study or meditation space), lockers, and a small pro shop with basic gear, drinks, and snacks. There’s a nice open hangout space with couches, magazines, and phone chargers.

Pricing

As mentioned above, the month-to-month individual membership is $63. Members can receive a discount by paying monthly with an annual lock-in ($57/month), or pre-paying for a full year ($650). There are discounts for minors, full-time students, and active-duty military. Family members can be added to an existing membership for a reduced rate. Day passes run at $20, and the gym also offers a seven-visit punch pass for $106.

Check out the gym here.

2. Red Rock Climbing Center: Best for Beginners and Outdoor Climbers

If you’re looking for the best rock climbing gyms that offers a bit of everything in Las Vegas, the Red Rock Climbing Center on Charleston Blvd is the best option. This affordable climbing center is located along the main road leading west to Red Rock Canyon, the font of Vegas climbing during the fall, winter, and spring. (In summer Red Rock is often too hot, and most locals head up to the bolted alpine canyons of Mt. Charleston to escape the temperatures.)

The Red Rock Climbing Center offers a whopping 8,000 square feet of top rope, auto belay, and lead climbing walls spread out over several different floors and wall angles, in addition to a bouldering area. The walls were designed by Tony Yaniro and Doug Englekirk, two old-school pros. There’s also over 1,000 square feet of accessible roof coverage (roof routes!), which isn’t always common in rock climbing gyms.

The vertical walls here are approximately 35 feet, but when you account for the roof routes, some are nearly 100 feet long, making the Red Rock Climbing Center probably the best indoor climbing gym in Vegas to develop stamina and endurance for outdoor efforts.

They’re also a stellar point of contact for anyone looking to climb outdoors in Red Rock Canyon, offering in-house climbing guides (3) with both half-day single pitch adventures and full-day multi pitch outings.

Classes & Facilities

The Red Rock Climbing Center has a wide array of classes (4) to learn climbing skills, another reason why I think they’re the best gym in Las Vegas for beginner climbers. These include a four-week “Learn to Climb” series, an “Introduction to Climbing” class, and dedicated classes for lead climbing, top rope climbing and belaying, and rappelling. Personal training and private lessons can also be booked by appointment.

For younger climbers, the gym offers a “Kids Climb Time” on Sundays from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, summer camps, and a youth competition team. The gym is more focused on actual climbing as opposed to training, but there’s still a solid array of climbing training equipment here (countless hangboards, etc.), as well as the usual restrooms, changing rooms, and even showers available for a fee.

Pricing

Monthly individual memberships here start at $68. You can also pay in three-month blocks for $180, drop $600 for an annual pass, or sign up for EFT payments at drop that monthly rate to $55 (although a $20 sign-up fee is required). A day pass at this rock climbing wall is $17, and they offer a 10-visit punch card for $140.

Read more about the gym here.

3. The Pad – Henderson: Best All-Around

With 22,000+ square feet of climbing, training, and hang space spread out between 17-foot boulder walls and 35-foot roped walls (plus six auto belays), there’s something for everyone at The Pad, which is part of a small gym family also operating locations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara (California). But the real boon of this unique member-run gym is that it’s open 24/7. If you sign up for a membership, you’ll get access to bouldering, the weights and fitness gym, and the lounge (WiFi!) at all hours, every day of the week.

Whichever way you swing it, the Pad is the most expensive climbing gym in Las Vegas, but it has the most to offer, with a bit of all climbing styles, training gear (hangboards, systems board, tread wall, LED Kilter board, etc.) a coworking space, and 24/7 access.

Classes & Facilities

The Pad offers a large array of classes (5), including an “Intro to Climbing” course and dedicated classes for top roping, lead climbing, belaying, rappelling, anchor building, and even falling. Private lessons are also available. The gym also has an in-house physical therapist (6), Dr. Aaron Simon, available by appointment. Like the other gyms on this list, you’ll find youth camps, teams, and birthday party available.

Perhaps the most unique feature of this indoor climbing space is the 24/7 access and lounge, which serves as a stellar space for remote workers and individuals with unique schedules (night shift, anyone?) who otherwise can’t find the time to make it to a training center with more traditional hours of operation.

Pricing

The Pad is a bit more expensive than the two other gyms, starting at $108 for non-renewing monthly and $800 annual. However, it offers an array of membership options and unique initiatives for extenuating circumstances, such as the Climb 4 Community initiative (7), which allows “members who are able to pay more than basic membership rates [to] choose their own monthly membership price, and those who need to pay less [to] set their price.”

Find out more about the gym here.

Bonus: Nevada Climbing Center

The Nevada Climbing Center is another Las Vegas gym I didn’t mention, simply because I haven’t spent any time there. Technically the oldest gym in Las Vegas, this climbing gym opened in 1996 and offers bouldering, top rope, and lead climbing.

There are also a slew of unique classes on offer here beyond the usual yoga and climbing fare, such as a ladies’ night, silks class, slackline night, Pride (LGBTQ+) meetup, and core class. A stone’s throw from the airport, the Nevada Climbing Center is perhaps the most centrally-located gym in Las Vegas and a good choice for dirtbags and gumbies alike.

Conclusion

There aren’t as many climbing gyms in Las Vegas as there are in other major U.S. cities, but every one of the gyms on this list is extremely high quality. The Refuge climbing gym offers a superb training hub for boulderers, RRCC is an incredible launchpad for outdoor climbing and roped technique, and the Pad has something for everyone, at all hours. The Nevada Climbing Center is another excellent option, though this author hasn’t yet visited it.

Except for the Pad, all the gyms are pretty comparatively priced. Ultimately, the main reason to pick one gym over the other is a) location and b) your preferred climbing style and experience.

References

Miguel Climbs YouTube channel (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7J648SGVLa27w2j5pAUoIQ

Kids Club
Refuge Climbing and Fitness (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.refugeclimbing.com/kids-club

Red Rock Climbing Guides
Red Rock Climbing Center (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.redrockclimbingcenter.com/climbingguides

Classes
Red Rock Climbing Center (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.redrockclimbingcenter.com/classes

Climbing Instruction Classes
The Pad Climbing (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.thepadclimbing.org/climbing-instruction-classes/

In-house Physical Therapy Services
The Pad Climbing (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.thepadclimbing.org/physical-therapy/

Climb4Community Membership!
The Pad Climbing (retrieved on 10/11/2023)
https://www.thepadclimbing.org/pay-another-way/