Socorro Bouldering Guide - Box Canyon - Introduction

Colin on Burning Spear

Box Canyon is located seven miles West of Socorro on US60. Head West out US60 past a bridge with rock walls on both sides. Take the next left on a dirt road, there should be a small BLM sign saying "The Box". Head down the road to the bottom of the hill, then veer left at the "Y". A hundred yards more and the main Box parking lot is to your left. This is a good place to park for Cowshit Roof, Waterfall, La Cueva Angela, Streambed, and the Gimmes. The road to the right crossing the two arroyos leads to Handlebar Willy, Major Wall, Unbeatable, Tres Hermanas, Harmonica Convention and Spedville.

Most of Box Canyon is on BLM land, with a few boulders near Black Canyon on State Land.

Most of the established bouldering at Box is on very hard, red-tinted rock that can be bulletproof or somewhat fractured. Box tends to have very solid bouldering that's a little less sharp than Spook Canyon and a little bit easier on the fingertips than Hueco Tanks. However, Streambed is volcanic tuff that can be very rough.

Box can be hot in the summer. Random summers can host the Biting Bugs of Box, tiny flesh-eating gnats who will drive you further over the edge of insanity. I've had great luck with bug repellant and beer to deal with the gnats, and there is always shade somewhere. Watch for lightning storms and flash flooding. Rattlesnakes and Bees are active year-round at Box, but you'll most likely see them in the Summer.

Fall, Winter and Spring usually see good weather at Box Canyon and this is when you'll see the most people there. There are occasional snows in the Winter and sporadic horrendous wind in the Spring.

Due to it's size, weather, and accessability, Box is the most popular bouldering area around Socorro and may be the most popular route climbing area as well.

updated July 7^th, 2003
Bob Broilo