Best Indoor Climbing Gyms in Washington

Don’t let February bog you down. You can still climb through the dreariest of winter months -- thanks, indoor climbing! Here are some of the best climbing gyms in Washington state + what their customers have to say about them.

1. Riverstone Climbing Gym (Burlington) - An amazing atmosphere, made up of a growing group of amazing people. Excellent bouldering, TR, and Lead opportunities + 2 Auto belays as seen here. Yosemite decimal system grading up to 5.13a.
2. Wild Walls Climbing Gym (Spokane) - Great climbing in Spokane: bouldering, top roping, lead climbing, auto-belay, slab wall; only thing is the top-roping walls use colored tape (bouldering is colored holds) which is old-school but still challenging and fun!
   WANT TO SEE WHAT WILD WALLS LOOKS LIKE? Check out this Instagram reel we created of how to tie a Figure 8 knot!
3. VITAL Climbing Gym (Bellingham) - When you join Virtual you become a invested owner, who can climb or work out 24 hrs a day. The staff is all laid back and do anything to ensure your time there is good. You can even play your own music. The climb routes have many varies holds and difficulty levels all within the same color.
4. Cirque Climbing (Lacey) - Awesome gym! We are on a climbing trip from Ottawa, Canada and they were super friendly. Let us bring our dog in, staff had lots of info on local outdoor climbing, very nice and clean shower (very nice for us dirt bags). We bouldered and top roped. The problems were really fun and the atmosphere was great. Love this gym!
5. Vertical World (Seattle) - I love the tall ceilings in this place-- it means longer routes! They have a section for bouldering, top roping and lead climbing. I typically frequent a different climbing gym in town, so I had to learn how to use a grigri to belay-- it's super easy, and all of the ropes have one designated belay device, so you don't necessarily need to bring your own.
6. Summit Everett (Everett) - Smaller climbing gym but intimate and close knit. Feels less like a gym and more like a watering hole.
7. Stone Gardens (Bellevue & Seattle) - Very good setup and enough spots all around. Good mix of challenges for all age groups. Parking is shared and ample. Staff is cheerful and helpful. Good startup programs as well to get started.
8. Island Rock Gym (Bainbridge Island) - Walking right in the door it felt quite homey. All the staff were immediately friendly. Not in the "My manager makes me" being nice to me type, more the "I'm happy to be here" type of kind. Very competent staff as well, I was given a top notch crash course in bouldering by a great group of staff and patrons. Good density of walls and gym equipment in the square footage, had plenty of routes to climb at my ability level. Honestly had a truly wonderful time working out here.
9. Seattle Bouldering Project (Seattle) - Although SBP is usually pretty busy, the crowd is super friendly and respects unspoken bouldering etiquette. The sets are extremely varied and creative, and are available to a wide range of body types and heights. The routes seemed to be replaced frequently so they don’t get too greasy. Every time I go, I have an awesome time on stellar sets. Even when it’s crowded, you’re bound to have a great time, with many different walls and a training area that could keep you busy for hours on hours.
10. Edgeworks Climbing (Tacoma) - I really couldn't be happier with this place. I've been climbing here for years, attended classes, gone on guided trips, I've had my kids in camps, my wife has gone to yoga classes, and work out in the weight room portion regularly. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable, my kids enjoy the classes and camps, they go out of their way to give me deals on equipment, and the locker room area is clean. For those who complain about pricing - wait for the first Friday in December and buy a membership for cash for a large discount.

So what are you waiting for? Climb on.