[Editor’s Note: This list was first published on September 26, 2024, and was most recently updated on February 27, 2026.]
Opening a new climbing gym is not a small undertaking. It takes a labor of love to go through the research, business planning, financing, staffing, design, construction and other essentials required to bring a new gym project to life. Yet those hurdles haven’t discouraged gym developers from taking on the challenge and opening multiple or (in a couple instances) over 20 climbing facilities in communities around a country. This article highlights the climbing gym businesses in the United States with the most locations, based on CBJ’s proprietary dataset.
Each business on this list has a unique story, but one thing they all have in common is that every one started as a single-location facility going through the grind of a first-time gym operator, before bringing the benefits of climbing to more people and places. That rite of passage is a good reminder that, for all the recent growth, the climbing gym industry is still relatively small compared to other industries out there, and even the largest gym businesses in the industry have humble beginnings behind their success and expansion.
Without further ado, below are the gym developers that have grown their small businesses into the largest climbing gym brands in the U.S. In conjunction with this report, be sure to check out the Largest Climbing Gyms, Largest Bouldering Gyms and Tallest Climbing Gyms in America.
9. High Point Climbing & Fitness
- Open Gyms: 8
- Region: South
- States: AL, FL, TN
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 6
- Bouldering Gyms: 2
- Self-Built Gyms: 7
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 1
High Point Climbing, tied in 9th place with eight open gyms, is a Southern climbing gym developer with roped and bouldering facilities scattered throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and now Florida. The first High Point location opened in 2013 in downtown Chattanooga, and the Tennessee-based gym developer has added six more self-built gyms since then—including High Point Orlando, the Largest New Climbing Gym of 2025, and High Point Mid City, the Second-Largest New Climbing Gym of 2019. In 2015, High Point added a second Chattanooga gym by purchasing Urban Rocks (now High Point Riverside), which originally opened in 2008. In addition to its climbing gyms, High Point operates a Zip Adventure zipline based on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga.
9. VITAL Climbing Gym
- Open Gyms: 8
- Planned Gyms: 1 (WA)
- Region: Nationwide
- States: CA, NY, WA
- Bouldering Gyms: 8
- Self-Built Gyms: 6
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 2
Since opening their first facility in 2010 in Carlsbad, California, the VITAL team has expanded their gym business to include eight locations, tied for 9th most in the U.S. VITAL initially focused its development on the West Coast but jumped across the country in 2021, opening VITAL Brooklyn—the Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2021 and one of the Largest Bouldering Gyms in America—and acquiring Steep Rock Bouldering’s two Manhattan gyms later that year. VITAL is well known for operating bouldering-focused gyms (several with 24/7 access). The business opened its latest one (VITAL Lower East Side) in Manhattan, in 2024, and has its first roped gym on the way in Bellingham, Washington.
9. Momentum Indoor Climbing
- Open Gyms: 8
- Planned Gyms: 2 (TX)
- Region: Worldwide
- States: TX, UT, WA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 4
- Bouldering Gyms: 4
- Self-Built Gyms: 8
Also tied for 9th place, Momentum Indoor Climbing opened its first U.S. location—in Sandy, Utah—in 2007. Since then, Momentum has expanded throughout Utah as well as into Texas, Washington, and even Bulgaria. Today the business’s primary shareholder is Bulgaria-based Walltopia, and several other shareholders are in Utah and Texas. In total, Momentum operates eight locations in the U.S. and two in Bulgaria. The second-largest of those U.S. gyms—Momentum Fort Union in Midvale, Utah—opened at the end of 2024 with 31,000 square feet of climbing; the Fort Union gym and Momentum Millcreek (34,302 square feet of climbing) fall just outside the Largest Climbing Gyms in America list. In 2026, Momentum has two more U.S. gym projects underway in Houston and San Antonio, Texas.
7. Rock Spot Climbing
- Open Gyms: 9
- Region: New England
- States: CT, MA, RI
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 5
- Bouldering Gyms: 4
- Self-Built Gyms: 8
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 1
New-England-based Rock Spot Climbing is tied for the 7th-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S., with nine open gyms (five roped and four bouldering-focused). The team’s first location opened in Lincoln, Rhode Island, in 1995 and was originally named Rhode Island Rock Gym, before the gym moved to a new facility in 2002 and rebranded to Rock Spot Climbing. Since then, Rock Spot has opened seven other facilities and acquired an early 1990s gym—Prime Climb, in Connecticut—in 2022. The most recent of those new gym builds were two bouldering-focused locations—in Brookline, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut—that opened in 2024, expanding Rock Spot’s footprint in the Northeast.
7. Climbing Collective
- Open Gyms: 9
- Planned Gyms: 1 (PA)
- Region: East Coast
- States: NC, NY, PA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 7
- Bouldering Gyms: 2
- Self-Built Gyms: 7
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 2
Tied for the 7th-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is Climbing Collective, an East Coast business with nine facilities across North Carolina, New York and Pennsylvania. The first location, Philadelphia Rock Gym (PRG) Oaks, opened in 1994, followed by four additional PRG gyms around the Philadelphia area, then Hudson Boulders in New York. In 2023, PRG’s parent company, Climbing Collective—not to be confused with the Climbing Collective in Colorado, which is a separate business—was formed and acquired Inner Peaks’ Matthews and South End gyms in North Carolina, then opened Inner Peaks NoDa the following year. In 2026, Climbing Collective has a new bouldering-focused gym (PRG University City) on the way in Philadelphia.
6. Hangar 18
- Open Gyms: 11
- Region: West Coast
- States: CA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 7
- Bouldering Gyms: 4
- Self-Built Gyms: 5
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 6
Hangar 18, in 6th place for the largest climbing gym developer in the U.S., operates 11 gyms in California. The West Coast business opened its first location in 1998—Hangar 18 Upland—and has since expanded throughout Los Angeles through a mix of self-builds and acquisitions. In 2012, Hangar 18 made its first acquisitions, purchasing The Rock Gym (now Hangar 18 Long Beach) and Beach City Rocks (South Bay); the team then purchased TruHold (Mission Viejo) in 2013, Thresh Hold (East Riverside) in 2014, Arcadia Rock Climbing Gym (Arcadia) in 2017, and The Factory Bouldering (Orange) in 2020. Altogether, Hangar 18 operates seven roped gyms and four bouldering-focused gyms in the Los Angeles area.
5. Bouldering Project
- Open Gyms: 13
- Region: Nationwide
- States: AZ, DC, MA, MN, NY, TX, UT, WA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 2
- Bouldering Gyms: 11
- Self-Built Gyms: 9
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 4
In 5th place for the largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is Bouldering Project (BP), with 13 gyms nationwide—all but two of which are bouldering-focused. The first BP location opened in the Poplar area of Seattle in 2011. In 2015, BP then opened its first gym build outside Washington—in Austin, Texas—and expanded into Minneapolis two years later. In 2022, BP took a big leap on this list by acquiring three Brooklyn Boulders gyms in Boston, Brooklyn and Washington D.C., then opened a new gym in Salt Lake City, Utah, later that year. And in 2024, BP acquired Oso Climbing Gym in Dallas. Today, BP runs 13 gyms across eight states/districts—including four of the Largest Bouldering Gyms in America as well as the Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
4. The Gravity Vault
- Open Gyms: 16
- Planned Gyms: 3 (NJ, PA, TX)
- Region: Nationwide
- States: CA, NJ, NY, PA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 13
- Bouldering Gyms: 3
- Self-Built Gyms: 16
In 4th place for the largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is The Gravity Vault, with 13 roped gyms and three bouldering-focused gyms. The Gravity Vault opened its original location in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, in 2005, then added a second location in the state (Chatham) in 2009. In 2014, the team made headlines by opening the first franchised climbing gym in the U.S. and has since started several other franchised locations—including one on the other side of the country, in Marin, California. The Gravity Vault founder Lucas Kovalcik owns and operates multiple climbing gyms, but the majority of The Gravity Vault gyms are owned and operated by franchisees. With three new gyms in the works across three states, The Gravity Vault is closing in on the 20 gyms mark and currently has more planned gyms announced than any other developer on this list.
3. Touchstone Climbing
- Open Gyms: 18
- Region: West Coast
- States: CA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 11
- Bouldering Gyms: 7
- Self-Built Gyms: 18
Touchstone is the 3rd-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S., with 18 locations across the state of California. Touchstone opened its first climbing gym in San Francisco in 1995, then expanded into the Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno and Los Angeles areas. In addition to opening new locations, the team at Touchstone has also expanded existing locations, adding 9,000 square feet of climbing to Pipeworks in 2015 and 6,000 square feet to Dogpatch Boulders in 2016, for example—the latter of which is the Largest Bouldering Gym in America. Touchstone also operates the Largest Climbing Gym in America—Pacific Pipe Company, which unsurprisingly won the Largest New Climbing Gym of 2021 award. In 2025, Touchstone opened the new Hyperion gym in Redwood City, between San Francisco and San Jose, shortly before the business celebrated its 30-year anniversary.
2. Central Rock Gym
- Open Gyms: 29
- Region: East Coast
- States: CT, FL, GA, MA, NY, RI
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 16
- Bouldering Gyms: 13
- Self-Built Gyms: 25
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 4
The 2nd-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S.—founded by Joe and Ed Hardy—is Central Rock Gym (CRG), which operates 29 locations throughout six states. Originally based in the Northeast, CRG opened its first gym in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2009, then added new builds throughout the state as well as in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. In 2023, CRG expanded into the South for the first time, opening two gyms in Florida, in addition to three gyms in the Northeast. CRG further expanded its footprint in the South in 2024, acquiring the four Stone Summit gyms in Georgia, CRG’s first acquisition. Although not first on this list, CRG does wear another crown: the only climbing gym developer in the U.S. to have opened more than 20+ gyms entirely through self-builds (i.e., not part of mergers or acquisitions). Two more self-built gyms—in Troy (NY) and Fort Myers (FL)—opened in 2025 and early 2026, respectively, making CRG one of only two developers in the country with 29+ climbing gyms.
1. Movement Climbing, Yoga & Fitness
- Open Gyms: 34
- Planned Gyms: 1 (VA)
- Region: Nationwide
- States: CA, CO, IL, MD, NY, OR, PA, TX, VA
- Roped/Mixed Gyms: 23
- Bouldering Gyms: 11
- Self-Built Gyms: 12 (as Movement brand)
- Acquired/Merged Gyms: 22
The largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is Movement Climbing, Yoga & Fitness, the first climbing gym business to operate 30 open locations across the country, from coast to coast. Movement’s origins date back to the 90s, with the founding of Maryland-based Earth Treks by Chris Warner and California-based Planet Granite by Micky Lloyd. In 2017, the two climbing gym companies merged under the El Cap parent company, which later acquired the Colorado-based Movement gyms in 2019. Mike and Anne-Worley Moelter opened the original Movement location in Boulder, Colorado, in 2009, then added two more gyms in the Denver area over the next decade. Following the acquisition, America’s largest climbing gym network unified under the Movement umbrella and continued to expand across the country through self-builds and acquisitions, purchasing four Summit gyms in Texas and acquiring The Cliffs’ five gyms in New York and Pennsylvania. Movement also boasts some of the Largest Climbing Gyms in America—Englewood (3rd), Rockville (7th), Lincoln Park (8th) and Design District (10th). With 34 open gyms and one planned gym on the way—coming to Fairfax, Virginia—Movement’s total gym count (open or planned) makes it the largest climbing gym developer in the world. In 2024, Movement named Anne-Worley Moelter as the new CEO of the company, a title she held 15 years prior as co-founder of the first Movement gym. (Click here and here for exclusive interviews with Anne-Worley).
