Looking for the best climbing gyms in Washington D.C? Fortunately, our nation’s capital hosts an impressive list of climbing gyms for you to get your send on! Residents of DC know how brutal the traffic can be, but luckily the climbing gyms in Maryland and the climbing gyms in Virginia all host an array of world-class route setters and training areas. Don’t fret if our favorite gym is far away from you during the rush hour traffic.
Your local gym will also be a perfect place for you to build your climbing community. Let’s take a look at the best climbing gyms in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
The Best Indoor Climbing Gym in Washington DC
SportRock Climbing Centers has two locations in the DC area. 5308 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304 and 45935 Maries Rd, Sterling VA 20166. Access to both locations is included in your membership. Not only is SportRock one of the first climbing gyms in Washington DC, but SportRock is also one of the founding rock climbing gyms in the entire country! Between Carderock, MD and SportRock, our nation’s capital has some of the earliest outdoor and indoor rock climbing in the country!
SportRock was first opened in 1994 and has now grown to one of the leading climbing gyms in Washington DC and the entire country.
SportRock Features
- The tallest climbing walls in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia
- The only IFSC Regulation speed climbing wall in Washington DC
- The only multi pitch training ledge in the country
Why choose SportRock?
Here is a direct quote from the website: “SportRock has always been about following the craft, not the crowd.” SportRock offers classes to improve your climbing. These topics range from open belays, outdoor anchors, and everything in between.
Sportrock also just opened the new SportRock Performance Institute aka the SRPI. The SRPI takes your competition climbing to the next level. Young team climbers will excel with the SRPI and the SportRock coaching staff. And ORB authors can confirm that the SRPI is a great resource for the more “seasoned” climbers as well.
The gym opens early and stays late: weekdays 6AM to 11PM and 9AM to 9PM on weekends.
SportRock Climbing Centers earns the top choice for indoor rock climbing gyms in the DC area due to the fitness services, unique climbing features, and community. SportRock is there to guide you from your first gym climb, perfecting your outdoor skills, and free fitness classes (yoga to handstands!)
Pricing
Day passes start at $20 with discounts included for students, military, and members of organizations. Gear rentals are an additional fee.
SportRock Membership Benefits
Membership to SportRock starts at $80 and includes free fitness classes, free member clinics, and 15% off gear purchases and special orders. All new members receive free rentals for the first 30 days of their membership too!
Outdoor Rock Climbing DC
If you’re looking to test your mettle with outdoor climbing in the DC area, you have plenty of options! Climbers in DC have been getting after it since the 1940s in Carderock, Maryland, and Great Falls Park!
The area has top-tier guiding services that offer private instruction and group classes as well. Sportrock Outdoor Classes and Blue Ridge Mountain Guides are both outfitters that can teach you everything you need to know for outdoor climbing.
What climbing gyms are in Washington DC?
DC Bouldering Project
DC Bouldering Project has a massive 31,000 square foot climbing and fitness facility at 1611 Eckington Pl NE #150, Washington, DC 20002. DC is the third city Brooklyn Boulders is expanding to. With state-of-the-art facilities across the country, this climbing gym will combine climbing, fitness, and saunas to recover from your hard sends.
DC Bouldering Project Features
THE DCBP is the first dedicated climbing gym in DC that will offer a sauna! The location in bustling DC will have you refueling at Union Kitchen and regearing at one of REI’s flagship locations. The gym will only have bouldering walls, but the gym has built The Beast. Which will offer 60+ ft traverses to help you with your ARC Training. BKB Eckington offers a recovery lounge, co-working area, and areas for classes, community events, and kids’ summer camps.
DC Bouldering Project Benefits
- The location in downtown DC near city life
- The Beast! 60 foot traverses and endless roof climbs to train for bouldering
- The Sauna, need we say more?
Pricing
DC Bouldering Project is offering a founders membership sale for $79/mo (three-month commitment and one month due at sign up) or an annual membership of $790.
Membership Includes:
- Unlimited first time visitor guest passes, discounted return guest day passes
- A free month of membership for you and your first time guest when they sign up to join BKB
- A free Intro to Climbing class during the first 30 days of your membership
- Access to the sauna, weight room, and fitness/yoga classes
- 50 % off all climbing classes
Arlington, Virginia Climbing Gyms
Movement Crystal City
Movement Crystal City is an incredible climbing gym in Washington DC, this gym was Earth Treks until a company merger. Well, it’s not quite in Washington DC since it’s in Crystal City. But it is a part of one of the biggest climbing gym communities in the country. Consisting of Earth Treks, Planet Granite, and Movement, these gyms span from the East Coast to the West Coast of the United States.
Movement Crystal City is located at 1235 S CLARK ST ARLINGTON, VA 22202. And while you do have to park in a parking garage, the friendly staff members will happily validate parking for you. Thankfully, the Crystal City metro station is only a three-minute walk, skip the traffic and the headache of the car!
Movement Crystal City Features
- A massive space, 350 routes spread across 35,000 square feet of climbing walls.
- Full service gym including cardio equipment, weights, yoga studio and group fitness clases.
- Fully stocked gear shopped staffed by knowledgable and helpful employees.
- Located within the Crystal City Shops near world class dining for “après climb” as their website suggests
Members Love Movement Crystal City For
- Location, near metro and ease of driving in and out of.
- Opportunities to learn and improve with the free climbing and fitness classes offered by world class instructors.
- Free intro to rope climbing classes.
- Discounts on climbing classes, gear, and apparel.
Hours
- Monday – Friday: 6AM – 11PM
- Saturday: 8 AM – 8 PM
- Sunday: 8 AM – 6 PM
Pricing
Member pricing starts at $83 a month with discounts for students, families and an option for short-term memberships. This membership grants you unlimited climbing access to all gyms in the network.
If you just want to check it out for the day, a day pass will cost $26. Rentals can be bundled for $11 or individually rent the items you need. Shoes will cost you $6, a harness is $5, and a chalk bag will be $2. Save by bundling your visits into a 7-day punch card.
Movement (Earth Treks), Crystal City Membership Benefits
- Unlimited access to all gyms within the Earth Treks network (Earth Treks, Movement, Planet Granite)
- Free access to events
- Free guest passes
- Free fitness classes, free yoga, and free clinics
- Discounts on climbing gear and apparel.
What climbing gyms are in Maryland?
Maryland has quite a few options for gyms. There are four (four!) additional Earth Treks locations. Joining one of the Earth Treks gyms in Maryland would give you access to five different gyms in the region, awesome value!
Note on Movement (Earth Treks) Home Gym: Earth Treks will bill you different rates based on your home gym. Your home gym is initially set by the location of signup but will be further defined by the gym you visit most often. If you sign up for a cheaper gym, but frequent a different more expensive location more often, then your rate will be updated to the more expensive option.
Movement Columbia
7125 Columbia Gateway Dr Columbia, MD 21046
Earth Treks Columbia has seen a recent renovation, quadrupling their size to 27,000 square feet of climbing terrain. This gym was first opened in 1997 and is still going strong today.
Memberships to the Columbia location start at $69.
Movement Rockville
725 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852
Earth Treks Rockville is gigantic and the perfect environment for learning and perfecting your technique. Members receive all the same benefits as the other locations (community, coaching, and fun environment) but at the Rockville location, you have 38,000 square feet of varied climbing terrain. The website says it best, 38,000 square feet of climbing terrain is the size of three Olympic-sized swimming pools!
Memberships to the Rockville location start at $79
Movement Timonium
1930 Greenspring Dr Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093
Earth Treks Timonium is known throughout the Washington DC climbing community. For nearly 20 years, this DC climbing gym has been providing coaching and fun to climbers. The gym is the after-work special, open 4-10 PM during the week. And 9AM – 4PM on the weekends.
Membership to the Timonium location starts at $69.
Virginia Bouldering Gyms
Vertical Rock Tysons Corner
8461D Leesburg Pike, Tysons, VA 22182
Vertical Rock has a gym in Manassas and they now have a bouldering gym right smack dab in Tysons Corner. This gym is also home to Basecamp Coffee Roasters. I love snagging an Americano while I’m projecting some hard problems.
Pricing
A monthly membership is $79 and a day pass is $27. Indoor rock climbing prices are increasing, but this is more reasonable than some of the other gyms in the area.
Vertical Rock Membership Benefits
- Group exercise classes
- Upscale gym and fitness equipment
- Access to both Manassas and Tysons locations
Maryland Bouldering Gyms
The Boulder Yard
5714 Industry Ln Unit E Frederick MD, 21704
If you’re looking for an independently owned bouldering gym, check out The Boulder Yard in Frederick, Maryland. Like Apple and Cliff Bar, The Boulder Yard was started with a dream and a garage. The team started building in May 2018 and created a beautiful bouldering gym in Maryland complete with climbing walls and group fitness studios. All built by hand. Blood, sweat, and a dream made this gym come to be.
Why Boulder at The Boulder Yard?
The Boulder Yard also provides a full weight room and offers a wide variety of additional fitness classes. If you’re interested in bouldering, martial arts, yoga, group fitness, TRX, and speed boxing classes then The Boulder Yard is where you need to be.
Pricing
A day pass is $20 and includes all-day access to the weight room, yoga, and group fitness classes. A ten-punch pass costs $150 and will save you $50. Rental shoes cost $5, climbing shoes are required for the walls.
The Boulder Yard Membership Benefits
Monthly memberships are available, $75 for individuals and $130 for a family plan. An additional unlimited group fitness add-on for $20 gives you all you can handle access to yoga, group fitness, TRX, and boxing classes.
The gym is open 11AM – 10PM during the week, and 7AM – 5PM on the weekends.
Baltimore, Maryland Climbing Gyms
Earth Treks Hampden
1700 W 41st ST #440 Baltimore, MD 21211
Hmm, wondering which company is going to have a bouldering gym in Baltimore, Maryland? You guessed it… Earth Treks! The facility has 10,000 square feet of bouldering terrain. This climbing area is complimented by their yoga studio and dedicated fitness area. The gym is open 6AM – 10PM during the week. 8AM – 8 PM on Saturday, and 8AM – 6PM on Sunday.
Membership to the Earth Treks Hampden location costs $69.
