Climbing Gym San Antonio

Head inside for a climbing adventure. (Photo: Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images )

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The flat, southern geography of San Antonio in southern Texas provides no opportunities for you if mountain climbing is your thing. You'll have to exercise your climbing muscles on an indoor wall. So, befriend a student at one of San Antonio's local universities to gain entrance to university facilities, or head up the road to nearby Austin to access a public climbing gym.

St. Mary's University, San Antonio

Catholic liberal arts university St. Mary's (stmarytx.edu) features an indoor climbing wall for students, staff and faculty as part of the Alumni Athletics and Convocation Center in the Bill Greehey Arena. Membership at the gym is free for current students, staff and faculty, but there is an annual charge for alumni, their families and current students' families. Current gym members may bring guests with a day pass, for a fee. The climbing wall follows the same seasonal hours as the rest of the gym and has its own established set of rules. Climbers must take an annual skills check test or climbing class to keep their safety awareness up to par.

University of Texas, San Antonio

As part of their campus recreation center, the University of Texas in San Antonio (utsa.edu) offers a rock climbing wall where members can test their skills on a 54-foot overhanging climbing course or a short bouldering wall. Routes along the wall are changed frequently by the experienced staff. The university provides all climbing gear, including ropes, harnesses and belay devices. All new climbers must participate in an orientation and a belay test before climbing. The rock wall is open to student climbers, faculty, staff, alumni, retired faculty and staff and families. Groups of 15 or fewer may rent out the rock wall with prior permission.

Austin Rock Gym, Austin

With two locations in Austin - one north, the other south - the Austin Rock Gym (austinrockgym.com) is a public gym just 80 miles from San Antonio. Climbers can come with a day pass or buy a monthly or annual membership. Austin Rock Gym requires a belay training course for first-time visitors, while other instructional courses are optional for children, teens, new climbers, lead climbers and advanced climbers.

Main Event, Austin

Also about 80 miles north of San Antonio, Main Event (mainevent.com) is a multi-purpose child and family event space. With 9, 000 square feet of climbing area, children and families have the chance to experience the thrill of rock climbing. Main Event charges by the half hour so that you won't pay for more climbing than you can handle. All participants must sign a waiver before participating.