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Benchmark Climbing

4.8 ★★★★★ 206 Google reviews · Climbing gym in San Francisco, California

Kids classes & camps

Informal gym with bouldering routes for all levels of expertise, plus weights and stationary bikes.

Plan your visit

  • Day pass around $30 — check current rates; most gyms price gear rental separately and discount off-peak
  • Gear rental available — the gym mentions rentals; shoes typically run ~$5–8 and a harness is often bundled with a ropes pass
  • Waiver always required at climbing gyms — sign it online before you go to skip the front-desk line
  • First timer? bouldering needs zero experience — rent shoes and walk in; staff will point you at the easiest problems
  • Kids programs classes, camps, or youth teams mentioned — check the current schedule
  • Memberships available — worth asking about if you'd climb more than a few times a month
  • Today see hours ·
  • Phone (415) 913-7490
  • Website benchmarkclimbing.com

Hours

Monday 11 AM–10 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–10 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–10 PM
Thursday 11 AM–10 PM
Friday 11 AM–10 PM
Saturday 10 AM–7 PM
Sunday 10 AM–7 PM

Hours can shift for holidays, competitions, and youth-team practice — worth a quick check before a special trip.

What's inside

Walls and programs at Benchmark Climbing, confirmed by climbers' own reviews.

🪨 Bouldering Gyms 9 mentions

“As a first timer, I was quite apprehensive to start bouldering, but I wanted to give it a good shot.”

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🛠️ Training Boards 2 mentions

“Lots of space to work with and has a little nook in the back right for more roof oriented climbs, Moonboard, and training equipment!”

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What climbers say again and again

The things reviewers bring up again and again across 206 Google reviews — with their own words as proof.

🧼 spotless & clean 6 mentions

“Starting from the friendly faces in the front to such a fine clean interior design to cool refreshments .”

🧗 great route setting 2 mentions

“Boulders were fun although with a little bit less creativity in route setting than the best gyms I've been to.”

🔰 beginner friendly 4 mentions

“As a first timer, I was quite apprehensive to start bouldering, but I wanted to give it a good shot.”

😊 friendly staff 8 mentions

“Great vibe, friendly climbers and a helpful staff made for a really pleasant experience.”

café & hangout space 2 mentions

“the best part is that we got confused refreshments 😁 at the end of the climbing and we got to hangout and play board games .”

From the reviews

One of my friends climbs so we stepped in to check this new place out . If I can give them 10 stars I would !! Starting from the friendly faces in the front to such a fine clean interior design to cool refreshments ..But the best part of it is how very friendly and educating some of the staff is .

★★★★★ — Nadè, Dec 2021

Super helpful staff! Lots of space to work with and has a little nook in the back right for more roof oriented climbs, Moonboard, and training equipment! Weights are in the back left corner and you literally need to climb a ladder to get to. Lots of couches to do work if needed or to just chill and hang.

★★★★★ — Leo, Jul 2022

Quality bouldering gym with a very Scandi aesthetic which gives a cafe or common room vibe. Good variety of routes with fresh, crisp holds. Route grades are pretty in line with most indoor climbing gyms in my experience. No top rope/long wall, but has hang boards, campus, tension board, and free weights.

★★★★★ — Colin, Dec 2021

Love Benchmark at first visit today :) it is closer than Dogpatch (from downtown). Problems are interesting (v4+) - more cave than slab problems. The vibe is prob the best part, super chill. Reminds me of the Seattle Project - Fremont location.

★★★★☆ — S., Aug 2023

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 206 reviews →

Kids classes & camps at Benchmark Climbing

Reviews and the gym's own info mention kids programs at Benchmark Climbing — climbing classes, school-break camps, or a youth team where kids learn technique from coaches instead of just scrambling around. Program schedules and age groups change each season, so check the current lineup before you plan around one.

Where to find Benchmark Climbing

1414 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA94109

Get directions Instagram

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Listing verified July 2026 from public business records and climber reviews. Something out of date? Report a correction. Own this gym? Claim your listing — it's free.