The Yellow Spur
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A Colorado trad rite-of-passage up the Redgarden Wall in Eldorado Canyon — 7 pitches, III 5.9 (5.6 variation), on golden sandstone with knockout position. Widely called one of the finest moderate trad routes in the state.
🚗 Getting there & comms
Trailhead: Eldorado Canyon State Park
Eldorado Springs, ~8mi S of Boulder. Timed-entry reservation on weekends/holidays.
🗺️ Google Maps directions⛽ Last services: Eldorado Springs (~0.5 mi east of park entrance) — small community store (limited). Boulder, CO (~8 mi north): full grocery, gas, restaurants. Cell signal (AT&T and Verizon) is solid in Boulder and holds well to Eldorado Springs; may degrade in the inner canyon. Last reliable cell: Eldorado Springs or the park entrance.
📶 Cell signal: AT&T and Verizon both good through Boulder and down to Eldorado Springs. Inside the narrow inner canyon (Redgarden Wall base area) signal is reduced but often available on high ledges. Last reliable signal point: Eldorado Springs / park entrance area.
🧗 Routes
🎒 Gear & food
Rack: Single rack to 3.5" + RPs/small nuts + ~10 alpine draws/slings.
Ropes: 60m single (doubles or a tag line make the rappel descent easier).
Footwear: Approach shoes for the short Redgarden Trail walk-in.
🪓 Mountaineering: None. Helmet (rockfall + crowds below).
🍫 Food: Big-day food: breakfast, summit snacks, recovery (~2,500-3,000 kcal).
🩹 Med/repair kit: Gauze pads + medical tape · Athletic tape (flappers, skin tears) · Skin glue or Steri-Strips · Ibuprofen 200 mg tabs · Blister care (moleskin) · Tweezers (splinters, grit) · Antihistamine/Benadryl · Sunscreen SPF 50 + SPF lip balm · Electrolyte tabs · Emergency space blanket · Nitrile gloves x2 · SAM splint · Small headlamp (late finish possible on 10-pitch route)
🪢 Skills needed
- Multipitch trad
- Sandstone gear placement
- Route-finding
- Rappel/descent management
⏰ Start & altitude
🌄 Timing: Mid-July: sunrise ~5:48 AM, sunset ~8:28 PM (MDT, lat 39.9°N, approx.). Eldorado Canyon gets shade in the morning on most walls — start by 8 AM. No critical alpine timing, but the canyon funnels afternoon upslope storms; be off the upper pitches by 1–2 PM if thunderheads build.
🫁 Altitude & sun: Eldorado Canyon trailhead ~5,600 ft; Yellow Spur top-out ~6,000 ft. Moderate elevation — coming from Austin (~489 ft), expect mild shortness of breath on strenuous pitches the first day or two. Hydrate well. UV is elevated; SPF 50, lip balm, and sunglasses recommended — the south-facing walls get full sun.
✅ Before you leave the trailhead
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🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits
🪧 Land & passes: Colorado State Park — managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). $10/vehicle day-use fee. Timed-entry vehicle reservation required Saturdays, Sundays, and summer holidays May 1–Oct 1 (book via cpwshop.com). Colorado 'Keep Colorado Wild' annual pass accepted.
🔥 Campfires: Eldorado Canyon State Park typically operates under Colorado State Parks fire restrictions — propane/canister stoves permitted, but wood/charcoal fires and open flames are commonly prohibited given the dry foothills environment. In drought years the park may declare a complete fire ban. Check cpw.state.co.us or call (303) 494-3943 for current restrictions before arrival.
🆓 Free camping nearby:
- No camping inside Eldorado Canyon SP — camping prohibited in the park
- Nearest free dispersed: Roosevelt National Forest (Gordon Gulch, West Magnolia, Dream Canyon areas) ~20–30 min northwest on forest roads above Boulder; check Arapaho-Roosevelt NF maps
- Cheapest paid option: Reverends Ridge or Pawnee campground (Roosevelt NF, ~45 min)
- Most climbers base in Boulder or Eldorado Springs short-term rental/motel
Camp:
- No camping in Eldorado Canyon SP — stay in Boulder/Eldorado Springs
💧 Water: Bring water — none on route
📋 Permits: Eldorado Canyon State Park: TIMED-ENTRY VEHICLE RESERVATION required weekends + holidays May 1-Oct 1 (CPW). Park pass/entry fee.
🚽 Toilet: Restrooms at the parking/visitor area.
⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency
- NEVER climb sandstone when wet/damp (fragile)
- Rockfall + crowds
- Afternoon thunderstorms
Minimal — canyon birds, the odd snake low down.
🔥 Fire & smoke: Front Range fire risk is elevated in summer, especially in drought years. 2026 is a high-risk year statewide per the Colorado governor. The adjacent foothills east of the park burned in the Marshall Fire (Dec 2021). Afternoon thunderstorms Jul–Aug are the more immediate daily hazard at the crag (never climb wet sandstone). Monitor InciWeb Colorado and AirNow for smoke events.
🪂 Bail / retreat: Descent involves a series of rappels off the back/east side of the tower. From the summit tree, downclimb or rap east into the gully, then make 3 rappels to the ground using bolted anchors (need 2 ropes OR single 70m with easy downclimbing between stations). The route becomes committing above pitch 4 — once in the upper dihedral system, retreat requires building intermediate anchors. Bail early if weather threatens. Fastest exit: top out and rap the standard descent; mid-route retreat means a full-pitch rap to the previous ledge.
🆘 Emergency contacts
- Emergency — Dial 911
- Boulder County Sheriff (non-emergency) (303) 441-4444 — Eldorado Canyon is in Boulder County
- Rocky Mountain Rescue Group (SAR) — Primary mountain rescue for Boulder County; dispatched through 911 / Boulder County Sheriff
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (park dispatch) — Call 911; park rangers respond within the park
- Boulder Community Foothills Hospital (nearest ER) (303) 415-7000 — 4747 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80303 — 24hr emergency
🌤️ Live conditions
Auto-updated 20h ago · °F · tap a link for the mountain-specific picture ↓
🦟 Negligible; climbable most of the year on sunny days, best spring-fall.
👀 In the field
Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.
🏛️ Access · ranger · pass
Visitor center: Eldorado Canyon State Park Visitor Center — (303) 494-3943; 9 Kneale Rd, Eldorado Springs, CO 80025. Open 9 am–4 pm, closed Thursdays.
Pass: Colorado State Parks pass required ($10/day vehicle or annual Colorado State Parks Pass); no camping in the park itself.
Official page ↗🎣 Fishing
South Boulder Creek runs through the park — accessible via park trails. Species: brown trout (primary), rainbow trout, brook trout, occasional cutthroat. Public access excellent through the park. Colorado fishing license required (available at park Visitor Center or CPW online). Regulations: artificial flies/lures preferred; catch-and-release encouraged; 4-fish limit. Seasonal closures possible during elk rut (fall).
🔭 Points of interest
Fire lookouts, old mines, wreckage, historic relics nearby.
- Walker Ranch / Crescent Meadows Loop — Historic homestead (1880s) in adjacent Boulder County Open Space; 4.5-mi loop passing Crescent Meadows and dropping into the South Boulder Creek canyon. Excellent wildflower display.
- Eldorado Springs Pool — Historic outdoor pool (1905) fed by natural spring; open summers in Eldorado Springs town, ~0.5 mi east of the park. Great post-climb recovery.
- Bastille Crack (roadside classic) — 5.7 crack literally roadside at the park entrance — one of the most-climbed trad routes in Colorado.
📍 Nearby & other interest
- Bastille Crack, Rewritten, Naked Edge (Redgarden Wall)
- Wind Ridge
- Boulder Canyon sport
💬 Comments
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