Management and staff make this place feel very welcomed! I'm pretty new to climbing and there's never any "gym-intimidation"! The guest are all so helpful and will cheer you on! Only ever had one hick up at this location and Chris (the owner) got with me right away to make sure everything was right in the end! Thanks touchstone! read more

Probably the rudest gym I've been to in all of touchstone. They were cursing and had attitude over the volume of music. I had to leave because I of the level of diary the staff had over something as little as the volume of music. He even threatened to fight me just because i asked. I'm kind of appalled this kind of behavior is allowed at a climbing gym read more

They're open at limited capacity so it's probably the best time in history to go enjoy this incredible bouldering gym. Bouldering for DAYS. I didn't have to wait to climb and there was tons of open wall space. There is duct tape set up to divide the walls into climbing "lanes" so as long as no one is in an adjacent lane you are all good to climb. Makes it easy to maintain social distancing. From V0 to more advanced, there's plenty of climbs at all levels to keep everyone happy. I felt super safe here - everyone wore masks and you're supposed to sanitize between every climb. Sanitizer is located throughout the gym for convenience. You check in and out now because you only get a two hour reservation slot. One thing that is new is the all gender bathroom. There's also a private one-person bathroom available. They're also under construction to expand the place so I'm excited to see what it looks like when they're done. read more

Had so much fun coming here! My friend and I came on a Wednesday around 11am and stayed maybe until 1pm! My guess is that on a week day around that time may be the best time to go because it was definitely not as packed as most of the photos show on their Yelp page. If you go before 2pm, you can get a day pass (though you'll probably get tired within two hours) for $20 instead of $25. We rented shoes for $4, and a chalk bag for $1. My normal shoe size is a 5.5 and I wore size 6 shoes and they were a little tight, but manageable. Next time I might try a 6.5. My friend is normally a size 7 in shoes but ended up wearing a 9 or 9.5! The staff up front are really nice and will make sure you get the right shoe size if it's your first time there :) We went in, signed the waiver, got our shoes and chalk situated (one chalk bag is definitely enough for two beginners to share lol), and put our things in cubbies by the front! The bathrooms are located near the front end and they even sell kombucha and clif bars and other snacks! I've been to a touchstone gym in El Cerrito before and my friend has gone to Diablo Rock gym in Concord, and we both agreed that Dogpatch seems to be way harder than the ones we've been to! No slack line at this location like the one in El Cerrito, but the walls were definitely enough of a challenge. Parking may be a bit of a hassle, but if you can't find street parking there is a small parking lot on the street that's behind the gym that's $6 for two hours or $16 for all day :) I think it's called Lot 87? Look up the nearest parking lot on the Waze app! read more

A great place to go bouldering with lots of walls to climb. Even though there was a ton of people, there was enough space and walls to climb that I didn't have to wait on anyone. There is a tiny workout area with a squat rack and bench, rowing, and some cardio equipment in the front. It's about $25 for a day and $5 for a package (comes with chalk and shoes). The surrounding area also has a couple breweries and food, so its a great place to do a day of climbing and than get some grub afterward. read more

Cons: Today's customer service could use a bit of work as the person working the desk this morning was not the most inviting. His demeanor was one of "I'd rather be anywhere else right now than working." This gym always feels like it's lacking the culture and community that many other climbing gyms have. Moving on! Pros/Story: As a Bay Area based climber--that has climbed at numerous gyms throughout California--I have to say that Dogpatch is still one of my favorite gyms to take new climbers. I have taken many people climbing for their first times to this gym and a majority of the time they really enjoy their climbing experience to the point of wanting to plan future climbs! I think a big factor as to why Dogpatch is so great for new climbers is its large size. This is definitely one of the biggest bouldering gyms around and with that comes a variety of routes and difficulties for people of all levels! While this place can get pretty packed, I typically taking new climbers during times when I know there won't be masses of people. This allows for more than enough open space and routes to teach them the basics and allow them multiple attempts. After we left my friend decided to look into climbing gyms around her school so that she can be better prepared for our next climbing trip. That was so exciting to hear especially since she was originally so scared to go bouldering! I recommend coming here for their space, variety, and hours of operation. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

The only other touchstone gym I've gone to is in Culver City, and thought nothing else could compare. But Dogpatch is superrrr good for bouldering. There are endless amounts of walls and you definitely can't finish all of them in one visit. If only I lived closer would I get a membership because it's such a nice gym. There's also street parking around which is super surprising for SF. You might need to park in the back, but I didn't mind. It's a tough tie between here and Granite Planet SF! read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is the place where my boyfriend and I go when we just want to boulder. Entering this place was like eye-candy and seeing how spacious this Touchstone gym was made us very excited like kids going to the playground. From what I recall from our last visits (2 times here at Dogpatch Boulders), we had a great time here just focusing on bouldering where we stayed for almost 3 hours, or 3 hours I believe. There are several bouldering problems, and they even have a children section for climbing! So it's kid-friendly too. Parking was never a problem here. It's pretty open when it comes to parking, or at least maybe we've just been lucky on our visits here. Entering this gym was a chill experience, especially the staff members were nice and friendly. They asked if we needed gears such as chalk bags or shoes, which we already had. But for the staffs working there to still ask us was them reassuring with us, and that is definitely great customer service. They even sell merchandise wear, climbing shoes, and yummy Odwalla proteins drinks. My favorite go to whenever I'm done with my bouldering sesh. Overall, I'm coming back to this gym when I'm in the city. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love Dogpatch Boulders. Best in the Bay for bouldering, especially after the expansion this year which has added so much space and a fantastic workout / weight area. This is my original Touchstone gym and one of my favorites within the company. Routes are reset regularly. Service is friendly and professional, plus they have great programming like climbing competitions. If you like climbing but don't have a regular climbing partner to belay you, or are too shy to ask around, just come get some bomb bouldering at DP! read more

The settings as of late have been awful, and the customer service is always appalling. There was actually one employee who was intentionally rude to me and my partner which made me super uncomfortable to come to the gym for a long time. read more

I've been to a few climbing gyms in LA but this is the first one I've been to in SF and I was very impressed! As the name speaks for itself, this is a bouldering gym, so there's no top roping. But this gym is beautiful for those who like to boulder! It's massive and there are so many different problems to solve for all levels, and since it's so big, even when there's a lot of people, it feels pretty spacious and there are still empty walls. It's also fun watching some of the really good climbers here. You could honestly spend hours here or even half a day. read more

My home gym since 2021, has a great variety of routes, and staffs are always friendly. The wall is higher compared to other gyms, but the pads they placed are softer too. Will recommend to anyone in the bay area! read more

Great gym if you're only interested in hopping on a wall and climbing, but it leaves a lot to be desired with respect to training for climbing. The hangboards were only recently installed, but installed so poorly that your elbows are banging against the backwall. Missing a lot of climbing-specific training equipment: pulleys, pinch blocks, etc. It's catered more towards the beginner climber than the advanced climber. And unfortunately it's getting far too crowded to get a meaningful session in. read more

Quite possibly my favorite bouldering gym in the Bay Area! PARKING - 4/5 It's SF... What're you gonna do :P However, I will say that there is NO need to pay for parking here. There's decent free street parking on 3rd St (especially on the west side for some reason). There's also free unlimited parking in an industrial lot the next block over on Illinois between 22nd and 23rd, although it's often full during the day. Otherwise the surrounding neighborhood has a good amount of free 2-hour parking, which is more than enough time to get in a good climbing session. ROUTESETTING - 5/5 Plenty of routes for all levels of difficulty, ensuring that the hundreds of climbers who visit every day have enough to keep them busy without having to wait too long for their turn. Some walls are actually pretty high, but there is more than enough padding to break your fall. I love that the wall itself is textured do that you can actually smear on it. STAFF - 5/5 Always attentive and helpful! FACILITIES - 4.5/5 Plenty of shelves for people to store their stuff. Never felt like my stuff was going to get stolen, because climbers just aren't that kind of people. Bathrooms are clean. My only (very minor) gripe is that the automatic hand dryer only detects your hands if they're practically touching the underside of the machine, which isn't very sanitary lol. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pretty excited about this new Touchstone gym opening soon! The walls are up, the setters are laying down routes, t-shirts are being handed out, but no word yet on an official day that we can clamber on all the new holds. I thought Ironworks was awesome, but this place...is in a whole other league. We walked around just itchin' to hop on to everything. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pros: big bouldering area (biggest one I've seen out of mission cliffs, Oakland, and all 4 la touchstone gyms, rockreation in la, and planite granite in sf). Problems are interesting and fun. Lots of free parking, even if you have to walk a little bit. Cons: people (staff and clientele) aren't friendly or nice. I'd actually describe them as cold/borderline rude. It's not just my opinion, I've heard this a lot. It's pretty dirty. People wear climbing shoes in the bathroom and holds don't look clean even when sets are new. Extremely crowded. Impossible to get a good climb in on weekends or after 6:30pm during the week. The crowded aspect wouldn't be a con if the vibe/clientele were nicer. Workout area is very small and no mirrors to check form. I was part of touchstone in LA and moved to SF with the intent to keep my membership. I cancelled and go to Planite Granite now. It's smaller for sure but people are a lot nicer, it's less crowded, and overall, just a better experience. read more

I love this place! I only got into climbing right before the pandemic so I haven't been doing it for too long. However, I feel like I have been fully accepted into the community and it has been such a great way for me to get active. I really appreciate this place and can't recommend it enough. I also love that they have multiple locations all over CA. I haven't had the chance to check any other facilities out, but from what I have heard, they are all equally as well kept and fun. read more

This gym is so fun we drop in several times a year. The route setting is creative and dynamic and there always seems to be enough space for everyone. It can get busy but it doesn't seem get ridiculous. It's city parking, good luck with that! read more

A very chill and large bouldering gym in SF. Lots of space and lots of routes that are pretty well set. Staff were friendly and welcoming and the cost for a day pass at $20-25 depending on what time of day is on par with other climbing gyms in the city. Really liked the wide open lay out of the gym where you didn't feel crowded waiting for climbs. This place will satisfy your bouldering urge, will definitely be back for more read more

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A boulder's playground. I feel like the levels here are harder than planet granite bouldering. V0 are not tough at all here, V1 takes a little bit of skill, V2 just kind of smacks you in the face like what just happened. Normally I'm V3 to V4 at planet granite. Here I'm only a V2 at best. I still had fun. Might have to come here more often and find a few friends to boulder together. $25 dollar for a day pass. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is an excellent gym for bouldering, and they are expanding constantly! They recently upgraded their weights area which is a big plus. They don't have as many classes as the mission cliffs gym but maybe that's due to its location. If you're looking to do some bouldering I definitely recommend this gym, you won't run out of problems to work on! read more

Fresh sets after comp. Great place to boulder and plenty of space. Bathrooms are clean, at least woman's anyways. Does get pretty packed sometimes but the community is amazing. Lots of events. I highly recommend this place if you love bouldering. Definitely require a lot of technique on some of the climbs but you'll get a little bit of everything. read more

My favorite place to get some bouldering climbs in, Dogpatch is the spot! This review should be taken with a grain of salt, as I'm biased in that I prefer bouldering much more to ropes, and when I boulder, I boulder and don't use other exercise equipment. That being said, the space is huge, and continually expanding. It gets crowded after work hours, and you'll sometimes have to wait to get on a problem, but there are many to choose from, of varying difficulty levels, and most everyone in the gym is pretty chill and willing to give tips. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, especially if construction is going on, and I've learned that Friday late morning is near impossible because people park and leave cars there to take the train, but better times are a couple hours before closing, or early on the weekends. Happy Bouldering! read more

First timer, rookie wallclimber, and unsure what to expect from Dogpatch Boulders? My advice is just do it! I had a great time checking out this place. It wasn't intimidating at all; there is a wide range of levels here (start with 0), and I felt like I got a great workout in working out muscles I hardly ever use! It feels awesome typing this up next the day! My forearms are definitely feeling it. For a guest pass, it was $20 for a day pass and $4 for rental climbing shoes. For whatever reason, don't wear socks, and be sure to get the right shoe size. They recommend wearing comfortable clothes; I stuck with a loose fitting t shirt and durable pants, but shorts would also work great. They have plenty of bike parking and actual street parking was a breeze on weekends. They also have some weights and treadmills here to supplement your bouldering. The atmosphere here is great; it felt fun, exciting, and encouraging. I felt like a little kid again that had just stumbled upon a brand new playground. Climbing felt like a workout and puzzle. Going at in with a headful of steam, and then stepping back and thinking what was the best path and what was the best strategy. Granted, my technique and form were awful, but most importantly, I knew how to fall and get down with very low risk of actually getting hurt. As silly as it sounds, I felt accomplished doing the beginner climbs. It was a similar feeling to that of a skateboarder who had just landed a trick they had been trying all day. I gave knucks to my buddy who came with me, and I was amped for the next challenge. Even watching other people succeed and reach the "finish line" of their climbs was in an odd way motivating and fulfilling. The inverted walls were a lot harder than it seemed, and it was one of the last climbs that I left on. It gave me a sense of motivation for my next visit (whenever that is), and got me excited again. Who knew getting a good workout could be so fun? Keep in mind, I'm just your average dude with an average build, but it was still super fun. Bring some friends, and check this place out if you're looking for a different type of workout. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Entrance - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Visited this gym on my one week trip to SF. Really enjoyed the bouldering here. This is the biggest bouldering gym I've ever been to and even with all the square footage, it is soooo crowded that you have to wait to try every single route. Came on a Thursday night around 7PM and it was prime time, when I left around 9:30PM it was still pretty crowded. Climbing sure is popular! The walls are much taller than the bouldering gym I normally go to so no wonder why I got tired faster than normal. But there are so many types of walls and routes you'll never run out of problems. Bummed that I only have time to come here once and I'll never see those problems again! read more

The focus here is on bouldering. No top rope routes, no lead climbing, but lots and lots of bouldering and a very small workout area with dumbells, a rack, and a bench or two. It can get pretty crowded on weekdays, but usually a friendly and polite crowd so you can get a good amount of climbing in. It is a definite hotspot for car break ins though, as almost all of my friends who climb there have had their cars broken into repeatedly. You often see broken glass on the sidewalks surrounding the gym, so expect to pay a bit of a "glass tax" for climbing there. read more

I am a member at Berkeley Touchstone Ironworks and decided to come here for the day with friends. The gym is not easy to get to from the east bay but it's worth the trip. Dogpatch is massive with enough to keep you busy for the entire afternoon. If you ever get tired of the weekend crowds that normally swarm the east bay Touchstone gyms, give this place a try. read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came here for the first time last week, and I think it has ruined all other bouldering gyms for me. This gym is a bouldering paradise. It is a bit difficult to get here using public transportation, but it is pretty easy to find parking in this area. Day pass is $20 if your not a touchstone member, if I could come more often I would probably end up getting a touchstone membership so I could come here and Ironworks in Berkeley. The walls here are pretty high about 24 feet, so if you aren't comfortable climbing that high than your gonna have to be more careful than normal. They have tons of arches, overhangs, etc. they have tons of different routes, styles, variety, etc. The pads are really soft, thick, and only a little bit of bounce which I love because I am very wary of falling on bouncy pads. They have a really cute kids section with a slide and a castle. The walls here are super sticky and textured, so be careful when climbing or you will end up ripping your skin ( which I did several times) Everyone here is really friendly and easy to talk to and I can't wait to go again.The grades are rather soft and vary alot in difficulty so try out a few to get the hang of them. I can't wait to come again!! read more

I am a PG member, mainly because PG Sunnyvale is the best gym in the south bay (hollaa!) But if I lived any closer to Dogpatch, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be switching gyms! The layout is incredible. There are just so many problems, so many different walls, and so many great holds. The walls are tall, the angles are steep, and the problems are challenging but fun. They try to incorporate as much variety as they can in a bouldering gym, and that includes setting routes that are as long rope climbs (using the YDS to rate). You'll be bouldering routes for so long and so high it'll feel like you're water soloing or something; it's super fun! They've got top outs, stem problems, a killer arch, multiple overhangs of varying degrees, slab walls, roofs, training wall, and a children's play/climb area (it's a castle, how cool!) Day pass for non-members is $20, a price I am willing to pay every so often. Maybe investing in a 10 day pass would be a good idea... read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Dat arch... - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was just about to give up getting my almost-four-year-old to like climbing when we brought her to Dogpatch Boulders. Dogpatch has a whole corner of the gym devoted to kids routes. The holds are closer together to feel more natural for their little bodies. There is also a 20 foot tube slide that my daughter literally slid down 20 times. There is kind of a high ladder to climb up which made her nervous initially. But with some coaching, she made it to the top and was rewarded for her efforts with the fun slide. Climbing up to the slide multiple times helped her to overcome some of her fear of heights. Which, in turn, helped her to feel more confident on the kiddie climbing walls. She would rotate between the slide and the climbing walls. She even practiced the correct way to fall. Every so often I would find her curled up onto her back with a big smile on her face. Way to fall correctly, sweetie. Another major benefit of having a dedicated kids area is that I didn't have to be afraid of larger humans falling on her. The adult bouldering area was cool too. There is nothing like it. Great features, challenging problems, soft floor, and freakishly high routes that make you really work on your mental game. read more

It was my first time bouldering and I loved it! We arranged an intro class because our group had several bouldering virgins. Our instructor was basically there to 1) teach us climber etiquette 2) teach us how to fall safely which basically equates to not being an a-hole during your stay or acquiring an injury or broken bone. The space: so much wall space to explore. All the problems, which is cool bouldering talk for a climbing route, are labeled by difficulty and color coded. Our group tended to gravitate to some of the V0 or V1 problems and take turns trying to conquer them. Your belongings: There is plenty of shelf space throughout the facility. The shelving is open, but the space seemed fairly safe and we didn't wander too far away from our bags. Definitely bring some water. Shoe rentals: Why do they have to stink? There doesn't seem to be a sanitation spray strong enough to wipe out the stench of sweaty socks. If this becomes a regular thing for me, I'll definitely look into getting shoes of my own. You can plan on spending an entire afternoon here and climb until you can barely bend your fingers. This was a super fun and challenging activity! read more

I don't have membership here, but I probably drop by about twice a month. This place has the highest bouldering walls I've ever been on and can be daunting at times. I usually come on weekends in the morning/early afternoon and it's never too crowded. There are plenty of V0-V3 problems for beginners and I always feel like there are new routes to climb since I don't come all that often. Some walls let you top over, which is quite fun yet scary at times when you're near the top. I've also had friends injure themselves from falling off these walls since they are so tall and the cushions weren't all that great. They have since replaced the cushions and it seems much sturdier yet has enough give. My only gripe is the day pass is $20, but that is on par with other gyms. On the plus side, they have dedicated bike parking inside, so often times I will ride my bike here as a warm up before climbing. read more

Coming from a complete rock climbing / bouldering noob, Dogpatch Boulders was a great location for my first foray into the activity. I have now been there four or five times and here are my impressions from then to now: It's huge. Okay, I have no real reference to how large climbing gyms are but there are a ton of problems to work on. From the moment you enter there are colorful handholds and footholds wall to wall. It extends far into the back and has another section to the far back right which also includes a little gym area with free weights and some racks. There's a front desk right at the entrance where you can purchase a day pass, rent climbing shoes for $4, or sign up for a membership. The staff has usually been friendly and helpful thus far. There are also numerous cubbies to store your belongings. The climbing problems come in different levels, starting at V0, and getting more difficult as you go up. In my five times climbing I've only managed to do a V3, but do not fret, there's plenty of problems for people of all levels to try. The routes are color coded (as in the holds are all of one color i.e red or blue etc) and the level of the route is found on the starting hold. There are many types of problems too. Super easy ones, ones that are more slanted, ones that require more dynamic moves, ones that require more finger grip than others. No matter what you're looking for you can likely find it here. I usually go late at night or somewhat in the afternoon. It's usually quite busy, and can get crowded. But you can usually find something to work on and despite the crowd people are generally good and taking turns (but you gotta take your turn when you get the chance!) I've heard it's way less busy on weekday mornings. It also closes early on the weekends 7PM, so be aware of that. And speaking of the crowd, man, I didn't know how popular climbing was. There are a TON of climbers of all ages, it's pretty dope. So if you've been looking for a new physical activity that's cerebral and good exercise, dogpatch Boulders is a good place to start. And don't be afraid to fall, because there's padding everywhereeee. read more

Went here for the first time today and I loved it. I'm a beginner so took the easy routes. I liked how they were labeled so you can know exactly what you were getting into. I never felt judge by those around and the check in process was easy and fast. They do have a $5 card limit so I had to get shoes and chalk (was going to share chalk with my friend), but nothing to fuss about. I enjoyed it and hopefully I'll be back! read more

My friend and I were on our way to yoga but we decided to try something new and came here. I've never rock climbed and was terrified! After awhile of contemplation I finally started climbing and once I reached more than halfway up I remembered that I was scared of heights. My palms started getting sweaty and my arms felt like noodles! Luckily I was able to find a lower rock to step down a bit and jumped off. I kept trying to reach the top but would stop at the same spot every time. I'm determined to come back and face my fears! However, the facility is nice. I expected it to be bigger but they were doing construction to add more walls. As a first timer, they should have told us to follow the colors. We just chose any rock that was easy to get our hands on until someone had told us otherwise. We felt dumb. A day pass is $25 + $4 for chalk and shoes read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Clearly my right foot was on the wrong color. For someone who had never climbed like this or with harnesses, it was super fun! - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

Forever blessed but also forever ruined that Dogpatch is my home gym...a lot of the smaller gyms out there just don't compare :( This is a gym that almost always has new routes, has a great variety of route styles, and has a ton of space. It gets crazy during peak hours (6pm & later on weekdays, late morning/afternoons on weekends), but I've never had trouble getting my sessions in. I've brought in all my friends on guest passes, and quite a few of them have gotten full memberships now! read more

This place is probably the best bouldering gym I've ever been to, and is the climbing gym that introduced me to bouldering years ago. There are so many problems here of all various difficulties, so makes for a really fun time to figure them out, and bring friends to climb with that will find a problem on the same wall area. Truly, the array of problems and wall types available is astounding, and ensures you will have a maximum amount of fun and a good workout. read more

Cool place to climb, nice variety of problems, chill staff. Can't wait for covid restrictions to be lifted so we can climb again.

My favorite place to boulder in the Bay Area! Its so gigantic that I could spend the entire day there and never run out of problems in my grade to climb. The walls are incredibly high but have a scratchy material that the other Touchstone gyms don't have so its quite easy to knick yourself in the knee if you fall off a problem. There's plenty of overhung caves and straight walls to choose from and it never gets unbearably crowded except for competitions. Some of the south walls have odd angles here and there which make the bouldering much more unique than other gyms. People are incredibly friendly too and always willing to help give beta when they see you struggling with a problem. The only cons I would say are that they unfortunately do not have much gym equipment, steam room, or lock rentals. Also some of the crash pads are falling apart and ripped so hopefully they will be replace soon. I come here on the weekends all the time and absolutely love it! read more

First time bouldering in San Francisco, and I court be happier about my decision to pack my climbing shoes. This place is just like I imagined it to be. And perfect for an afternoon's climbing. The best part of it is an all-bouldering gym, which means plenty of problems! And I don't know if it was the timer of the day or the weekend, but it wasn't crowded at all. No waiting on problems. Come down here it you're ever in SF You will not regret it. Happy Klettering :-) read more

Dogpatch Boulders - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California