Climbing Universe
The State of Outdoor Climbing in America
Participation · Route growth · Discipline trends · Safety · Access · Grade distribution
📅 Snapshot as of
Total climbers
9.3M
↑ 3.2% YoY
Outdoor climbers
2.4M
↓ 1.2% YoY
Sport / boulder
3.6M
↑ 0.5% YoY
Trad / alpine
~1.5M
↓ 3.3% YoY
MP routes (US)
216K+
↑ ~5K/yr
US climbing gyms
640
↑ 7.4% YoY
Climbing population by discipline over time
Outdoor Foundation / SFIA surveys
Total climbers Indoor Sport / boulder (outdoor) Trad / alpine
⚠ Outdoor participation figures exclude climbers who only climb indoors. Sport/boulder outdoor tracking began 2017. Trad/alpine at lowest recorded since 2013.
Outdoor climbing discipline breakdown (2023 est.)
Share of outdoor climbing days logged
Routes by grade (Mountain Project US)
~216K documented routes, YDS distribution
Climbers vs. routes — grade mismatch
% of climbers vs % of routes at each grade
Mountain Project route database growth
Total US routes documented over time
Cumulative routes New routes added/yr (est.)
Outdoor climbing accidents in North America
AAC Accidents in North American Climbing (ANAC)
Total accidents reported Fatalities
2024: CA (40 accidents), CO (28), WA (26). Leading cause: falling/slipping on rock. Top fatal causes: rappel error, unroped climbing.
ER visits for climbing injuries (US, NEISS data)
National Electronic Injury Surveillance System
Climbing gyms by state (top 14)
Climbing Business Journal 2024 gym census
Gym count growth vs. outdoor participation
The indoorization gap
Total gyms (right axis) Outdoor climbers, M (left axis) Indoor climbers, M (left axis)
Indoor-to-outdoor conversion rate (est.)
What % of indoor climbers also climb outdoors regularly?
Indoor-only (%) Both indoor + outdoor (%)
Data sources: Outdoor Foundation / SFIA Participation Reports (2006–2023) · AAC Accidents in North American Climbing (ANAC 2025) · NEISS Emergency Department injury database · Mountain Project public route database · Climbing Business Journal Gyms & Trends 2024 · 99Boulders demographics analysis · Jobera Rock Climbing Industry Statistics · PMC: National Trends in Rock Climbing Injuries 2014–2023
* Discipline breakdowns, MP growth curve, and conversion rate are modeled estimates derived from available survey and community data.