Home › Illinois › Crystal Lake › North Wall Rock Climbing Gym
North Wall Rock Climbing Gym
4.8 ★★★★★ 232 Google reviews · Climbing gym in Crystal Lake, Illinois
Casual gym featuring rock-climbing walls with varying degrees of difficulty.
Plan your visit
- Day pass around $6 — check current rates; most gyms price gear rental separately and discount off-peak
- Gear rental nearly every climbing gym rents shoes (~$5–8 typical) and chalk; harness rental 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
- Belaying ropes gyms teach belaying or check your certification at the desk; bouldering and auto-belays need no partner and no belay test
- First timer? bouldering needs zero experience — rent shoes and walk in; staff will point you at the easiest problems
- Auto-belays mentioned here — clip in and climb ropes solo, no partner needed
- Kids programs classes, camps, or youth teams mentioned — check the current schedule
- Ages families visit with kids 4–6, going by reviews
- Memberships available — worth asking about if you'd climb more than a few times a month
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (815) 356-6855
- Website climbnorthwall.com
Hours
| Monday | 12–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 12–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 12–10 PM |
| Thursday | 12–10 PM |
| Friday | 12–10 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 12–8 PM |
What's inside
“Very nice and informative owners, super kid friendly, lots of different levels of difficulty, with belay, auto belay, and bouldering”
“Slab, several angles of overhang, a cave with a roof, and some top rope routes.”
“Very nice and informative owners, super kid friendly, lots of different levels of difficulty, with belay, auto belay, and bouldering”
“The weight room in the back with hang boards, weights and exercise machines was a nice addition.”
What climbers say again and again
“The routes are anything you want them to be and the facility is clean and we'll maintained.”
“The weight room in the back with hang boards, weights and exercise machines was a nice addition.”
“As someone who had never climbed before entering this gym, I have loved how welcoming and encouraging the atmosphere is.”
“Very nice and informative owners, super kid friendly, lots of different levels of difficulty, with belay, auto belay, and bouldering”
“Staff was very friendly and the facility has a large variety of styles.”
From the reviews
Discover North Wall: Climbing Fun for Every Age and Skill Level. I recently had the pleasure of visiting North Wall, and I'm so glad I did—what a hidden gem! This facility is incredibly welcoming and offers a fantastic climbing experience for everyone.
My best friend has been coming here with his kids for years and I just went with the kids this past weekend. First of all I have lived in Crystal Lake for 8 years now and I had no idea this place existed. I'm always looking for activities to do with the kids and a rock climbing gym should be no exception.
Great experience, helpful staff. Lots of bouldering walls, fun for all experience levels. Prices are fairly reasonable.
I climb regularly in Indianapolis, but came here while on vacation. Staff was very friendly and the facility has a large variety of styles. Slab, several angles of overhang, a cave with a roof, and some top rope routes. The top rope routes aren't very high, much shorter than other gyms I've been to.
Kids classes & camps at North Wall Rock Climbing Gym
Reviews and the gym's own info mention kids programs at North Wall Rock Climbing Gym — 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.
Climbing gyms near North Wall Rock Climbing Gym
The Club at Prairie Stone
4.5 ★★★★★ 370 reviews
Clean fitness center featuring weights, an indoor track and friendly staff.
The Centre of Elgin
4.5 ★★★★★ 887 reviews
185,000-sq.-ft. recreation center with fitness club, track, ball courts, pool & community areas.
