We were visiting from out-of-town and were walking toward the Ballard Locks when my sons and I saw this place and went in just to look. We loved it! We signed up for lessons the next day (a Saturday), and had Lily as our instructor. She is fantastic! Patient, easy-going and very knowledgeable! I wished we lived in the neighborhood, so that we could come to this facility regularly. My sons and I learned a lot and can highly recommend this place. I realized some of the other Yelp reviews are negative, but it certainly was not the experience we received. So if you're new to this stuff and live in Seattle, I believe you will have a great experience! read more

We visited the Stone Gardens thinking it was a place for tourists / visitors to have a simple rock-climbing adventure. We quickly learned that this business is a gym with serious rock-climbing experts. My daughter, age 11, was allowed to boulder around in their inside space. The charge was $21 for a day pass that included unlimited bouldering and shoe rental. We watched a short instructional video and were on our way. The gym is rather large with several bouldering areas at various levels and heights. My daughter was entertained for about 90 minutes. read more

Great gym with lots of bouldering, and top roping. The outside walls have some loose holds on them, but other than those everything else I touched was good. very busy after 6pm. but you can still find some spots to climb. I think I might have to buy a pass to this place. read more

Endless, endless, endless bouldering problems! The caves are fantastic: there are crack problems, plenty of routes which finish on the ceiling, and an entire area with a low overhang which leads you on a journey out of the deep belly of a bouldering cave. Overall the variety of bouldering walls lead to some really creative routes which span across multiple walls or corners, or use a heap of bizarre holds (giant skull, anyone?) and features (I saw one climber bridging the gap across a door frame which leads upstairs to, you guessed it, more bouldering problems). The walls are made out of wood and not and not molded to mimic actual rock, so the features are mostly limited to holds and cutouts, with the occasional arete or slab of material to imitate actual formations. As for top roping, most of the routes are shorter than I've seen in other gyms, but there are plenty of interesting features built in and auto-belayers are helpful for solo climbing. The bouldering problems outnumber the roping routes by far. There are plenty of routes geared toward beginners (5.6-5.8) and the harder routes should keep experienced climbers busy for a while. But if I bought a membership primarily for the top-roping, I'd hope they mix it up fairly often due to the relative scarceness of top rope routes. But if you come for the bouldering, you'll have your work cut out for you... read more

Stone Gardens is great! After years of ropes course-ing at summer camp when I was a kid, I wanted to get back into the heights thing. Friends do lots of bouldering at SG and it came recommended, so me and 2 of my girlfriends checked it out. Ladies Night: first up was ladies night. 2 hours of very light instruction for top roping and bouldering - great way to see if climbing is something you want to pursue without diving headfirst into it. We had 2 lady instructors who were friendly and seemed to really know their stuff. There were around 12 or so other women in the class with us, and everyone got to climb 4-5 times, then boulder for about 30 minutes. Great experience for I think $35 or so, which helped us decide to do the Climbing 101 class... Climbing 101: the class is max 4 people, so you get some quality instructional time with the teacher. Ours was named Will and he rocked! The same girlfriends and I attended, taking 3/4 spots, and yakked our way through class while learning the ropes. Will was patient, gave great instructions and some tips to help remember how to tie the knots, do safety checks, clip in, etc. We spent maybe 30-45 minutes up in the loft area learning, then moved down to the floor and spent the rest of the evening climbing and belaying. After 2.5 hours, I feel like I was able to practice enough to commit everything necessary to memory, and am stoked to go climb some more. I think the Climbing 101 class cost $50 for non-members, and it comes with all your gear rental and also includes a 2 week pass. Next up: belay certification! Can't wait to spend some more quality time in the climbing gym! Bonus points: - They always have on the JAMS. Last night was late 90's rap, straight off the Rush Hour soundtrack. - Next door to Kiss Cafe and across the street from the Sloop for obligatory post-climbing beers. - Tons of parking in 2 different lots OR in the Locks parking lot. read more

Recently moved here from San Diego, where I was a regular climber. I checked out both Vertical World and Stone Gardens on Market, and IMO, Stone Gardens has much better route-setting on both the ropes and the boulders, comparable to some of the best places in San Diego. There are 4 distinct bouldering areas in Stone Gardens, each with about 10-20 routes, ranging from technical slabs, caves, 30 degree overhangs, 45 degree overhangs and long traversals, with some really interesting and creative lines! It looks like most of the bad reviews complain about the environment of the gym, which is fair. The gym air is pretty dank in some places, and you can clearly see a lot of wear and tear on some of the holds and the walls. But that really shouldn't matter IMO, as value-wise, the number of routes and the time you can spend here really can't be beat. read more

Prett sweet climbing gym with a focus on bouldering. There's a room upstairs with lots of over-hanging madness. The best time to go is on a weekday morning right when they open at 6am. Nobody is there and you can hit up all the crowd-please routes that you want. read more

Older and danker version of the Bellevue location. Pretty tough setting here, but two floors of bouldering! Parking leaves something to be desired as there are only something like 12 total spots. Another issue I have is that there are always so many people there that it can be difficult to get on a wall. read more

Left a chalk bag and went in to grab it and the staff was really rude. Second time experiencing this level of cockiness from climbers. Its a shame. I know a lot of very accomplished climbers, individuals who have put up new routes in the Himalaya, Andes and Alaska range. All of them are humble and kind. I imagine there are some cool staff members there. I just haven't met them yet. Again, good routes. But I will not give them $16 again to sit around and act thick bc they can climb 5.11's indoors... Bad Bad Taste.... read more

This review is mainly for the staff. We are not regulars at this gym. I agree with one of the reviewers who pointed out that the staff was unwelcoming to newcomers. I came here with my husband (who is an experienced climber) but I'm new to this. I have had some experience a few years back. I took a basic class while on vacation in Yosemite. So I thought this would be a good place for inexperienced people like myself. I was required to take the belay test and didn't pass. The instructor basically said "I'm not going to pass you this time." And then looks at my husband and said "there are auto belay systems for you to use." And walked away. This instructor gave me no feedback on not passing the belay test whatsoever. Ok.. If you're going to fail people on this test how about some feedback and suggestions? Let people know what they can improve and how they can pass next time.....Moving on. So my hubby and I proceeded to do our thing. He used the auto belay system which was great. They have about 4 of these set up. I spent most of my time bouldering so that was actually pretty fun. In addition to the lack of communication and lack of attentiveness, they didn't even bother checking in with us to see how we're doing. It's kind of a snooty approach towards novices. In that case, we will check out Vertical world instead. read more

I found this place after learning last minute that REI requires prepaid reservations and has a time limit of 15 minutes to climb per person. Since I had a group of three people there wasn't enough time for everyone to have a chance to climb. This I found to be rather lame so I checked around and found Stone Gardens! Turns out Stone gardens is a pretty nice spot for indoor rock climbing. Although the rock walls are not nearly as tall as I typically climb, the fact that they have a 17 Ft wall for Bouldering kinda made up for it. I've gone to a number of places for indoor rock climbing yet this was my first time being introduced to bouldering, which is exclusively what my group did because there wasn't enough staff available to assist with using the harnesses; which is what I am partial to when climbing taller walls. The staff were friendly and helpful, there was a good variety of rock walls and it was a lot of fun...oh and reasonably priced :) read more

Last year I moved here from Minneapolis where I was spoiled by Vertical Endeavors and their 10,000 square feet of 50-60 foot walls! Overall I'm disappointed with Seattle climbing gyms. There is a lot of demand and not yet enough competition (take note venture capitalists!). I stopped going to both Vertical World due to safety concerns about their excessively worn gear and SBP because of the chalky, noisy environment. Stone Gardens never really impressed me, but there's really no other option. Pros: They manage to cram a little bit of everything in a really small space. Cons: It gets really loud when crowded making it hard for climbers and belayers to communicate. The staff are usually aloof. Unfortunately for me they are also a pain to get to (30 min each way). Two stars = Meh. I've experienced better. read more

No good for parties, particularly with kids. The rock walls are nice, the facility's big, and the equipment seems sound. So why the two stars? The staff attitude was just short of offensive. We came for a 10yo birthday party, and the three stoners behind the desk took forever to put down the doobage and come back to the front. No line, not busy, just too busy shooting the breeze and trading 20-something sexual conquest stories while we stood there and waited for two... four... six... minutes or so... while the kids got more and more concerned about missing their friend's party inside. When they finally got around to the desk, the nasty attitude was incredible. One snippy comment after another, at both me and my not-misbehaving kid. He even treated me to an unsolicited opinion on my handwriting on the release form. What?? This is the first person who's complained about reading my block printed text since second grade almost 40 years ago. Puh-leez. Did he forget his glasses? Too much time in the Stoned Garden? Possibly, but I think it was just attitude from someone who enjoys his minuscule measure of authority at the front desk. It's a shame, because the facility is nice. If you go, just try and not talk to the staff too much. read more

I usually go to the Bellevue stone gardens since it's right next to my work, but this one is great too! Not too many frills compared to the other location (no locker room, only cubbies to put your stuff) but it's not a problem for me. They have a wide variety of fun bouldering problems. I like that every area has a distinctly different setup so you can go to another area to try something new. Kind of feels like an actual cave when you're in there which is cool. read more

I would have to say I'm a little bias. This is the place where I first started rock climbing and bouldering. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. I have so much fun every time I go and get a great workout. This is the perfect place to go on a rainy day. I recommend going with a current member, because you'll get a great discount on the day pass. read more

Edgeworks Climbing - Seattle - my newly acquired hobby - Climbing Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love going to Stone Gardens. The bouldering section is absolutely amazing, with stuff for pretty much any skill level. It's a little expensive, but if you go often, especially if you're a student, a membership is very affordable. Staff is always friendly. What a great gym! read more

Not much had changed with Stone Gardens. Numerous times I came and they were not open at the designated time. They do offer apologies and free passes, but over time their opening at the scheduled time was more valuable to me. Found another climbing gym. read more

Bad atmosphere, unwelcoming to newcomers. It was only our 2nd time climbing, and from the moment we entered to when we left we found ourselves the butt of condescending jokes, by both guests and staff. read more

Stone Gardens is a relatively large climbing gym with a split between bouldering and roped climbing. They have a smaller upstairs portion for additional bouldering, a small weight room and some cardio machines. Nothing particularly fancy about this place but I do appreciate the later hours. Cost is $18.00 and change for a day pass. It does get pretty busy after work but I've never had a problem Friday nights finding a spot on the wall to climb and haven't had to wait in line. read more

They reset routes a lot here. You won't get bored. I just bouldered on a new area of gritstone textured flake panels. All the routes were over-rated (maybe the setter is from Squamish), but it was nice to have a whole new area to play in for a couple of hours. In general the setting is very creative. The routes are usually rest by the time the tape starts to wear off. Between the autobelay devices and the extensive bouldering, you've got no excuse here for missing a training day. Ample bike parking, proximity to after-climb restaurants (La Isla down the road is co-owned by one of the instructors), and a pretty decent pro-shop (i.e. no Black Diamond crud) add to the mix. read more

Awesome walls with holds that are changed regularly, very friendly and helpful staff, auto-belayers, lots of bouldering space, and a good music selection to top everything off. I see lots of first-timers here as well as experienced pros (they even hold competitions here). I always have a good time climbing here and I'm grateful to my friends for introducing me to the sport and Stone Gardens as well. read more

I came here to try bouldering and ended up enjoying it. I love that there are so much to do and they have a gym in the back. You can really get an awesome workout if you stay long. I was here for only an hour and wished I stayed longer. read more

Brought a date here for date #2, such a great place! Did bouldering, still plenty of room for conversation while having the wall to distract from awkwardness of a second date. Both of us had never been indoor rock climbing before and there was plenty of beginner paths for us. Afterwards, plenty of restaurants to walk to a couple blocks down. Stone Gardens ftw! read more

This is my favorite climbing gym in the Seattle area. Walls: The walls have "natural" texture and is great for smearing. There are even some spots with built-in holds that you can use on some routes. A few spots could use some touching up, but overall I like them. Bouldering: Lots of great bouldering. I wish the walls would be reset more often, but it's still set pretty regularly. There's plenty of space for overhangs and slab. Setting: The real reason I prefer this gym over all of the others in the Seattle area is the setting. I think the problems are more interesting, more true-to-grade and more applicable to outdoor climbing situations. There are a variety of setters that all have a unique style, so you don't get bored. Ratings: Close to the grading of the area. I can usually climb the same grade outside as I do in this gym. Some people think the grading is stiffer than other gyms, but I prefer it that way. Top rope/Lead: Not a ton of roped climbing, but enough for me to train on. I mostly boulder, so there's enough roped climbing to keep me satisfied. Staff: The crew here is pretty cool. Everyone I've met has been really friendly. Amenities: The weight room and training tools are really useful. I like having the opportunity to cross-train without having to get a different gym membership. The member discount doesn't hurt, either. I would venture out and say the pro-shop could use some improving, though. Other comments: I'd like to see SG develop the social act of climbing like SBP has done. I think it would be a lot of fun and help the climbing community. A few upgrades here and there wouldn't hurt either. read more

Over the holidays my spouse and two teenagers decided to do something different and go rock climbing. The kids had previously done a little climbing through school, but I haven't climbed since the rock ages and my spouse has never climbed, so we decided to book the pro belay. We arrived a bit early, so I was expecting to wait, however our instructor Lily was available, and got us going right away. Our instructor was extremely patient, encouraging and helpful with all of us, ensuring that we each got to try whatever routes we wanted, even if it meant moving to a new rope for each. She made each of us feel that we were great climbers! The equipment all seemed to be in very good shape, although I would second another comment here about the aroma of the provided shoes. The walls in the top rope and boulder areas seem to be set up with a very nice variety of difficulties and features (routes around corners, inverted inclines, etc) to make each climb different. We especially appreciated that our instructor was not a "clock watcher" and went a bit over the hour we were entitled to. I had such a good time that I am seriously thinking of getting back into climbing after a 30 year hiatus (this indoor climbing thing is a lot more convenient :) ). read more

This place is pretty cool! it's nor incredibly large but it does have quite a few walls to climb. It's relatively clean... Once you got a hang of the whole climbing thing it's pretty fun. The staff's not very attentive though... It's better if you go with someone who knew how to climb to teach you, we went by ourselves and neither one of us knew how to climb or anything about the sport for that matter. But we make the best of it, a lot of falling, but at the end it was fun! read more

Came here while visiting Seattle's Ballard Locks. I went with 2 others just to boulder, it came out to be about $22-23 each with sharing 1 chalk bag. The rental shoes they offered were really nice: 5-10 velcro shoes that are comparable with typical Evolv versions that my wife had. The bouldering portion of the place was very big, comparable to the size of the place I go to (Factory Bouldering in So Cal), but with more variety in terms of wall angles and cave routes. As a V1-3 climber, there was plenty of routes for me to try. The most recent routes were about 2 weeks old, so it seems like they do update the place. The grades were easier than Factory, but in line with most other places, comparable to those at Sender One for example. Overall, I had an excellent experience and would come back again if I was in the area. read more

My wife and I are Stone Gardens members and really enjoy this gym for the climbing itself; however, the music selection on the part of the employees ruins it for us every time. This morning my wife was so angry by the time we left that I regret even waking up early to go climbing. If you like terrible rap "music" filled with profanity and degrading to women then this is the gym for you. Otherwise I'd recommend crossing Lake Washington to visit the Bellevue location. It's bigger, nicer, and typically has a better music selection. read more

This is the largest rock climbing gym in Seattle so that's a plus, but it always seems to pulsate with the fragrance of feet, that's not a plus. read more

I am new to climbing, but this gym is pretty fun. I really like the Bellevue gym and with the membership there comes access to the Ballard location. I live in Seattle, so this is a convenient option on weekends when I don't have/want to make the trek to Bellevue. The routes here are pretty good, but it can get pretty crowded (I guess this is the new sport to be doing?). So far I've only gone bouldering but eventually I will have to get on that top rope soon. read more

We don't have a whole lot of indoor climbing gyms to choose so if you live in Seattle choose this one. They tend to get a little busy in the evenings and weekends so if possible try to go during the week days. They do a good job of changing the climbs regularly if you go often you can expect a reasonable variety of climbs. The people are always friendly and willing to offer pointers. Overall it's not my favorite place but out of the available options it's one of them. read more

Super nice folks, great service, and instruction. I took my bf here for his birthday, and we had a blast. It was the first time at an indoor gym for the both of us, and they totally rocked it. read more

Facility is good for beginners and instructors are nice but front desk is a little disorganized. Only downside is shoe rentals are not sterilized like the bowling alley so bring extra socks! read more

I went to a first Friday ladies climbing night to learn more about belaying and bouldering. The cost was $40. The course was taught by a couple of young ladies and they provided a good set of knowledge about what we were going to be doing. I had a decent time. The gym was smaller but nice for those that want a little more intimacy with their peers. When it is warm out, they have an outdoor climbing wall as well. The cost and the actual lesson wasn't quite what I expected but it was alright. Would probably recommend it if it was cheaper for the type of instruction that was provided. read more

I'm new to climbing, but have really enjoyed my first two months at Stone Gardens. Tons of routes with plenty of variety and difficulties, lots of personable members and just a cheerful environment in general. read more

Always nice staff, clean bathrooms, fresh routes, and facility upgrades. An excellent place for a weekday climb!

This is an amazing place! Been to other always come back to stone gardens. Ballard! I suggest this one over the Bellevue location... Ballard has more of a natural feel. read more

Has an extensive bouldering section! Neither new nor pretty, but decent membership prices and, well, lots of bouldering!

So I was in Seattle for a weekend and met up with some friends, and we decided we wanted to go climbing. A friend directed us here via cell phone, and at first we had a hard time finding the place, but I'll attribute that to Seattle's confusing road system. When we got there we had to take a belay test; we ended up sticking mainly to bouldering because my friends failed (the staff are really strict about knowing your figure 8s etc), but we still ended up having a good experience. The indoor bouldering area is pretty expansive, and I liked that they had an upstairs area for bouldering only. The staff and clientele seemed nice and funny. If I end up in Seattle again I'll def come back. read more

Stone Gardens is pretty rad. There is a good assortment of bouldering routes and roped climbs that'll keep the average monkey entertained, regardless of skill level. I've taken several friends here who have never climbed before, and all of us end up having a good time because they get to climb the 5.6's and I get to climb the 5.10's. Maybe its just a pet peeve of mine, but I can't stand it when a gym attaches grigri's to their ropes and won't let you use your own belay device. No offense to Vertical Worlds, because they've got a lot of good roped climbs, but its one of the reasons I choose Stone Gardens instead. I love being able to use my ATC. One of the only things that I find really silly about Stone Gardens is how much of a SCENE it is. There's climbing and then there's CLIMBING. No, I didn't come here to socialize, I came here to climb. I don't mind meeting someone spontaneously and having a good climbing session, but I don't want to be your girlfriend or spend my night flirting. Seriously... All told though, Stone Gardens is worth your time. Just make sure you bring a partner. ;) read more