Via Ferratas Offer an Entry into Rock Climbing—Here’s Where to Find Them in the U.S.
Rock climbing offers unparalleled access to terrain and views that are otherwise unreachable. But it also requires a high level of skill and experience, as well as a mastery of technical equipment and knowledge of local climbing areas.
Enter the via ferrata, a more approachable, protected style of rock climbing first used by military troops to safely traverse and transport materials through the Dolomites during World War I. Via ferrata means “iron way” or “iron path” in Italian, a nod to the sturdy iron rungs, ladders, and cables anchored into the rock face to simplify mountaineering.
Today, via ferratas are experiencing a resurgence in the world of adventure travel, with new routes popping up all over the United States in outdoor destinations. Located at luxury resorts, ski areas, and private climbing areas, these modern via ferratas are an accessible blend of rock climbing, hiking, and aerial adventure courses. The routes incorporate easy-to-use, multi-layer safety systems of harnesses, carabiners, lanyards, and cables to keep visitors securely connected to the rock face as they climb up the metal rungs, walk across suspension bridges, and scramble up trails.
Most via ferratas are open only for treks led by experienced guides. While they don’t require any previous climbing experience, they’re best for travelers who can tolerate heights and some amount of exposure—though, generally, they promise an adrenaline-boosting activity that’s challenging but also achievable for most ability levels.
“People feel that they’ve accomplished something and that they’ve pushed their limits,” says Mike Friedman, owner of Adventure Partners, a company that builds via ferratas around the country. “They’ve interacted with the wildness of a place, they’ve seen the big vistas. They get to be in the position of what climbers experience without having to go through the learning curve of how to climb and how to work with ropes and all the technical gear of rock climbing.”
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best via ferratas in the U.S., that are all worth traveling for this summer. While planning your itinerary, remember to familiarize yourself with the destination’s COVID-19 rules, and brush up on the CDC’s most current travel recommendations.
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Tucker Stapleton/Courtesy Kent Mountain Adventure CenterKent Mountain Adventure Center, Estes Park, Colorado
Guided by the expert mountaineers at Kent Mountain Adventure Center in Estes Park, Colorado, this challenging via ferrata offers expansive views of nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. The course, which opened in 2019, climbs a 600-foot-tall cliff and ends with a satisfying summit festooned with Tibetan prayer flags and the Colorado flag. For an extra adventure that’s equal parts terrifying and incredible, add on a guided “cliff picnic,” which requires rappelling down to a portaledge (a small fabric platform hung from the rock face with climbing gear, just below the via ferrata route) to eat lunch or dinner while suspended 75 feet above the ground.
Courtesy AmangiriAmangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
Amangiri is a favorite escape for celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Justin Bieber—its secluded location in far-southern Utah and 600 acres of amenities and activities make it easy to understand why. This expansive hideaway offers a robust via ferrata network, with seven guided routes available exclusively to the resort’s guests. Each route climbs approximately 400 feet through the otherworldly, reddish-orange desert landscape, offering sweeping views of nearby Lake Powell, Navajo Mountain, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Several of the routes connect to the new Cave Peak Stairway, a 120-step, ladder-style bridge suspended 400 feet off the ground.
Peter Morning/Courtesy Mammoth MountainMammoth Mountain Ski Area, Mammoth, California
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area’s via ferrata, which is located in central California and accessible by car through Los Angeles and San Francisco, includes one difficult, two moderate, and three easy routes that ascend 180 feet and span 100 yards across the cliff face below Caldera Overlook. Tours start with a gondola ride, followed by a short hike to the via ferrata base. The two intermediate routes are connected by a heart-pumping suspension bridge.
Ian Zinner/Courtesy Arapahoe Basin Ski AreaArapahoe Basin Ski Area, Dillon, Colorado
The unique alpine via ferrata at Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin Ski Area is the highest in North America, topping out at a roughly 13,000 foot elevation. Located entirely above the treeline, this via ferrata includes multiple routes led by the ski area’s experienced guides. The full-day excursion ascends 800 feet to a ridgeline offering 360-degree views of the region, while the half-day option reaches a historic mine shaft. Both start with a scenic chairlift ride, an off-road drive, and a short hike to the via ferrata base. “It gives you an opportunity to truly be in the mountains, where you’re surrounded by mountains and you’re looking at mountains,” says Katherine Fuller, a spokeswoman for the ski area. “When you’re up there, you’re not looking at a developed area. You’re really just out there.”
Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain ResortJackson Hole Mountain Resort, Jackson, Wyoming
In the winter, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort offers skiers and snowboarders some of the steepest, longest runs around. But in the summer, this western Wyoming resort transforms into a warm-weather playground complete with a bike park, climbing wall, hiking trails, ropes course, disc golf, and more. Jackson Hole is also home to a scenic via ferrata, which includes six protected climbing routes along craggy granite walls, through the ski resort’s alpine terrain and across a 120-foot suspension bridge. With routes ranging from beginner to advanced—the longest route covers more than 500 vertical feet—Jackson Hole’s entire via ferrata system is located more than 9,000 feet above sea level.
Courtesy Taos Ski ValleyTaos Ski Valley, Taos, New Mexico
Set among the evergreen trees and rocky outcroppings of Taos Sky Valley’s towering Kachina Peak, this via ferrata includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced routes at 11,500 feet. The Taos via ferrata incorporates a 100-foot skybridge suspended 50 feet in the air, and a 30-foot double cable catwalk. In addition to safely leading treks up the mountain, which offers views of the nearby Rio Hondo and Wheeler Peak Wilderness, guides here also educate guests about the northern New Mexico valley’s rich Native American and Spanish culture and history.
Courtesy Southeast Mountain GuidesSoutheast Mountain Guides, Campton, Kentucky
One of the few via ferratas in the eastern U.S., this route traverses three-fourths of a mile along the sandstone cliffs of Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. Unlike many others, this via ferrata does not require a guide (though the route is always supervised by the experienced team at Southeast Mountain Guides). Instead, after a 45-minute orientation, visitors can climb at their own pace, trying out different sections or completing the whole route in one go, with breaks at the exit points and observation decks along the way. The via ferrata is open rain or shine and, though rain can muddy the approach trails, it doesn’t generally make the route more difficult. Plus, the rainy-day experience is especially beautiful when the waterfalls overhead start flowing and visitors have the course all to themselves.
Courtesy Royal Gorge Bridge and ParkRoyal Gorge Bridge and Park, Cañon City, Colorado
Southern Colorado’s Royal Gorge is a narrow, 1,000-foot-deep canyon that was carved over millions of years by the Arkansas River. With its craggy, red-granite walls and dramatic elevation change, the gorge is the perfect spot for a picturesque via ferrata. Situated in the shadow of the Royal Gorge Bridge—the highest suspension bridge in the country—the via ferrata routes climb between 200 and 500 feet, and range from beginner to advanced. At the bottom of the gorge below, whitewater rafters tackle the rushing river and the bright orange Royal Gorge Route Railroad chugs along on nearby tracks. Via ferrata tours are led by experienced guides from Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, which also features aerial gondolas, a sky coaster, and a zip-line.
Courtesy Alpenglow Expeditions/Tahoe Via FerrataAlpenglow Expeditions, Olympic Valley, California
Located at Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the Lake Tahoe Via Ferrata is owned and operated by mountain guiding company Alpenglow Expeditions. There are four routes, all ranging in difficulty, that traverse 800 feet up the iconic Tram Face, a steep, knobby peak that towers over the resort’s base area and is off-limits during ski season. Two more-challenging routes reach the area’s summit, which offers views of Shirley Canyon and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains.
