[Editor’s Note: This list was first published on December 2, 2013, and was updated on August 16, 2024.]
At the time of this writing, there are more than 635 commercial climbing gyms in the United States. We love climbing, and we love celebrating climbing gym businesses doing big things in their communities. Each year, we report on industry growth and award the largest new climbing gyms that opened their doors for the first time. But of all the gyms—new and old—in existence today around the country, which ones are the biggest, in terms of offering the most climbing?
We crunched the numbers, checking with the gym operators to verify square footage figures. Below is a list of the top ten largest climbing gyms in America, based on total square feet of climbing wall surface.
In addition to this top 10 list, be sure to check out the Largest Bouldering Gyms, Tallest Climbing Gyms and Largest Climbing Gym Developers in America.
10. Movement Crystal City
- Wall Size: 35,000 sqft
- Open Year: 2016
- Location: Arlington, Virginia
- Walls: Walltopia
- Flooring: Cascade Specialty
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
Movement Crystal City is the 10th largest climbing gym in the U.S., located across the Potomac River, South of Washington, D.C., and ten minutes away from the Ronald Reagan Washington Airport. The gym originally opened as Earth Treks Crystal City in 2016 and now features over 350 routes on 40-foot walls in a 45,000-square-foot facility. Besides 35,000 square feet of climbing, Movement Crystal City also has a full-service fitness gym, yoga studio and a gear shop, plus a range of group climbing classes, yoga and fitness classes, personal training and private coaching.
9. Movement Design District
- Wall Size: 35,880 sqft
- Open Year: 2022
- Location: Dallas, Texas
- Walls: Walltopia
- Flooring: Cascade Specialty
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
The 9th-largest climbing gym in the United States, based on total climbing wall surface, is Movement Design District, with 35,880 square feet of climbing. In 2022, the year the gym first opened, Movement Design District won the Largest New Gym of the Year award and was Movement’s 20th location. The gym—located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area—features 56-foot climbing walls in a 45,417-square-foot facility, with a mix of roped, bouldering and speed terrain. Other amenities at the gym include fitness and cardio zones, group classes, youth programming, saunas and a gear shop.
8. Carabiner’s Climbing and Fitness
- Wall Size: 36,600 sqft
- Open Year: 2004
- Location: New Bedford, Massachusetts
- Walls: Owner/contractor
- Flooring: Owner/contractor
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
In 8th place, Carabiner’s Climbing and Fitness Centers was founded by Steve Caton in 2004 and features 36,600 square feet of climbing. After breaking ground on the gym in 2001, Caton acted as the designer, engineer, certified welder, and foreman of the construction crew for Carabiner’s. When the facility first opened, it was the largest indoor climbing gym in the U.S. After expanding several times—remaining the largest gym for seven years—Carabiner’s lost that position in 2011. The gym’s 65-foot climbing walls are some of the tallest in the country.
7. Movement Lincoln Park
- Wall Size: 37,079 sqft
- Open Year: 2021
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Walls: Walltopia
- Flooring: Cascade Specialty
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
Movement Lincoln Park, the 7th-largest climbing gym in the U.S., opened in Chicago in November 2021. On its 37,079 square feet of climbing surface, the roped and bouldering gym has over 200 climbs. The 41,181-square-foot facility received the Tallest New Gym of the Year award in 2021, with climbing walls reaching 56 feet, and was the second-largest new climbing gym to open that year. In addition to the climbing terrain, the gym has a soundproof yoga studio, several lounge areas, a gear shop, and a floor dedicated to cardio and weightlifting equipment.
6. Movement Rockville
- Wall Size: 38,000 sqft
- Open Year: 2006
- Location: Rockville, Maryland
- Walls: Comp Wall
- Flooring: Cascade Specialty
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
The 6th-largest climbing gym in the U.S., with 38,000 square feet of climbing, is Movement Rockville. Originally Earth Treks Rockville before it was rebranded in 2021, the bouldering and roped gym near D.C. was the largest in the nation from 2011 to August 2014. At the end of 2023, Movement announced plans to reinvest nearly $1 million into the 29,000-square-foot facility, which will be getting a climbing training zone—with a 12×12 Kilter Board and 12×12 Tension Board 2—an expanded fitness area, upgraded locker rooms and yoga room, new holds and more.
5. Sportrock Climbing Centers Alexandria
- Wall Size: 38,500 sqft
- Open Year: 1996
- Location: Alexandria, Virginia
- Walls: Radwall; Rockwerx; Walltopia
- Flooring: Flashed
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
The 5th-largest climbing gym in the U.S. is Sportrock Alexandria, with 38,500 square feet of climbing surface. The 41,000-square-foot facility is the oldest on this list, having opened in 1996; it’s also the longest standing gym run by Sportrock, which has been developing and operating climbing gyms since 1994. The mixed-discipline Alexandria gym boasts 61-foot roped walls and 14-foot boulders, with over 150 routes and 125 problems. Also inside the facility are two 15-meter speed walls, a MoonBoard, and several more training and fitness amenities.
4. Mesa Rim Austin
- Wall Size: 40,000 sqft
- Open Year: 2023
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Walls: EP Climbing
- Flooring: Strati
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
The 4th-largest climbing gym in the U.S. is Mesa Rim Austin, which won the Largest New Gym of the Year award last year. The 52,000-square-foot facility—California-based Mesa Rim’s first Texas location—features 40,000 square feet of climbing, with walls reaching 55 feet, a 15-meter speed wall and 16-foot boulders. It’s often said that “everything’s bigger in Texas”—a state that’s home to two gyms on this list and a third large gym in Momentum Indoor Climbing Katy (28,450 square feet of climbing)—and while not the largest climbing gym, Mesa Rim Austin is bigger than most.
3. Movement Englewood
- Wall Size: 42,123 sqft
- Open Year: 2018
- Location: Englewood, Colorado
- Walls: Walltopia
- Flooring: Cascade Specialty
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
Movement Englewood, formerly Earth Treks Englewood, is the 3rd-largest climbing gym in the U.S. The bouldering and roped climbing gym opened its 42,123 square feet of climbing in the Denver metro area in 2018. According to the Movement website, the 52,000-square-foot facility is “large enough to house an entire football field worth of climbing,” with 55-foot climbing walls and over 400 climbs. Like other Movement gyms, the Englewood location has a variety of climbing and training classes, as well as yoga and fitness options accompanying the climbing.
2. Vertical Endeavors – Glendale Heights
- Wall Size: Pushing 46,000 sqft
- Open Year: 2014
- Location: Glendale Heights, Illinois
- Walls: Nicros
- Flooring: Nicros
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
Vertical Endeavors – Glendale Heights was built in 2014 by Nicros—Vertical Endeavors’ parent company—and is the 2nd-largest climbing gym in the country, with 46,000 square feet of climbing terrain. At the time of the 42,000-square-foot facility’s opening, it was the sole gym with over 45,000 square feet of climbing, a distinction it held for seven years. The Glendale Heights gym, located on the west end of Chicago, was Minnesota-based Nicros’ second build in Illinois. The gym features 31.5-foot climbing walls, 450 climbs, 35 auto belays and a 20-foot horizontal hand crack.
1. Pacific Pipe Company
- Wall Size: 47,000 sqft
- Open Year: 2021
- Location: Oakland, California
- Walls: Walltopia
- Flooring: Flashed
- CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro
In 1st place on this list and the largest climbing gym in the U.S. is Pacific Pipe Company, opened in 2021 as Touchstone’s 14th location. The gym is situated in a former manufacturing warehouse in Oakland from the 1920’s, which sat vacant for decades before being repurposed for climbing. Today, the 55,500-square-foot building sports a whopping 47,000 square feet of climbing wall surface built by Walltopia, winner of the Wall Builder of the Year award for three years straight. Not surprisingly, Pacific Pipe won the Largest New Gym of the Year award in 2021, with 33,000 square feet of roped climbing on 55-foot climbing walls, bouldering terrain, training boards and a full lineup of fitness offerings.
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