Dogpatch Boulders

Bouldering is growing on me. This place is dedicated 100% to just bouldering. Lots of the structures allow you to top out, though I find it a bit sketchy on the top in some places because it’s not flat, it gets narrow, and there are boxes and bars that you can hit your head on. Also, I’ve heard others say before that they’ve seen people stumble and fall off the top onto the mats below, which seems pretty dangerous. Of course, bouldering and rock climbing in general are dangerous activities, so engage at your own risk.
They do a decent job of setting the problems and cleaning the holds, but I wish that they would replace the mats. The canvas is coated in some sort of plastic that is crumbling away and always sticks to my pants. Their locker room isn’t huge, but it gets the job done. They also provide towels and soap and shampoo and conditioner, like the other Touchstone gyms. Guest passes cost $ 20, but you can get a punch card of 10 visits for $ 180.
The front desk is pretty friendly. They don’t have tape at the counter, but they’ll usually scrounge up something for you if you ask.

Hands down, the best bouldering gym in the area. I love GWPC, and Ironworks is pretty solid, but if you’re looking for bouldering there just isn’t a comparison.
We’ve got a group that goes after work once a week, and it’s great motivation because it is a little bit of a hassle to get to (especially when you live in Oakland). But it’s worth it for the variety of problems that are set, both in terms of difficulty and style.
My only complaint is that they don’t have block chalk for purchase. Completely blows my mind, but oh well.

Update 3÷17÷16: Dogpatch Boulders has free Wi-​Fi. So does Mission Cliffs. The More You Know™

Dogpatch Boulders is a great facility. I love the touchstone family of gyms, and this one does not disappoint. The entire gym is pretty much a bouldering area, with a few machines near the front (including an ergometer, which is my favorite), and a handful of weights in the back corner. At the front of the gym, there is a very large area for bike parking and the locker rooms are adequate. I have to admit, after climbing at Mission Cliffs and Cliffs of Id, I am slightly jealous that there is no sauna at Dogpatch Boulders, but oh well that is a minor detail. The bouldering area is really incredible, there are enjoyable and challenging problems for every skill level, and the routes are frequently updated and changed. The staff here is helpful and friendly, and I enjoy that this location frequently has various sales and specials on gear and other items. Keep up the great work!

Great facility! Dozens of routes, catering to all different skill levels and a good mix of terrain. The place is clean and well staffed. Been coming here just about once a week for the last few months!

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!

Wow. This place is amazing. We went last week with our three kids (ages 12, 12 and 6). They LOVED it. The place is the best I’ve seen with lots of space and tons of options for climbers. We saw people from a range of skill levels and everyone seemed to have a challenging climb. We will be back (and we live in Virginia). It was the highlight of our vacation for our kids.

I had such a great time with my boyfriend when we came on a rainy weekend. It was pretty crowded in the afternoon, but not to the point where it was bothersome or it required waiting before starting any of the problems. We each paid $ 20 for a day pass, plus $ 4 for shoes and $ 1 for a chalk bag (only need 1 chalk bag for two people though).
I’m FAR from an experienced climber, so I love how the bouldering problems inside are super accommodating to all skill levels (v0-​v12). I’ve seen online that they even have an option for first-​timers to take a 30-​minute class (2:30pm during weekends) that is covered by a day pass, so you don’t even need an experienced friend to show you the ropes.
GREAT place to go for a fun upper body workout, and you could even make it into a full body workout with the limited cardio and weight lifting equipment they have in the back.
Two days after our visit, my back and shoulders are still sore…

Came here when visiting friends. The gym is nice, lots of wall space, although the pads are pretty chalky. The guy working the front desk when I arrived was very rude, took forever for him to finish his non-​work related conversation with another coworker before helping me, and when I asked if they had any climbing tape he said «yeah, for sale.» What sort of gym tries so hard to nickel-​and-​dime its members that they don’t even offer athletic tape? I get that I should have my own, and I normally do in my climbing bag, but all I brought on this trip from the East Coast was my shoes. For being part of a sport that is (in my humble opinion) all about collaboration and friendliness, the rudeness and cheapness of this gym was a thumbs down from me.

The gym itself is incredible, soooo many boulders. I love how they have such a variety of grades, so there’s something for everyone. The space is pretty big, and there are walls for topping out. If I lived in SF I’d definitely be buying a membership.
The one drawback to Dogpatch was the guy behind the counter. He was incredibly rude, and he didn’t seem to be having an off day or anything, rather his attitude came across as condescending. He was just snippy, and he just seemed annoyed. Not the type of person I’d want to have at the front desk of a business.
The gym had hosted a comp the weekend before and the first time we went by half the gym was closed for the comp. the day passes are $ 20, which I think is steep if half the problems are closed.

They have a lot of problems and I think around 11 levels so it caters to climbers of all levels. The place is pretty spacious for SF and even has an indoor area where you can park your bikes (a huge bonus for me). It has a great ambience, the climbers and staff are really friendly and the customer service is excellent. Great quality problems and always new problems to try out. They change /​add new problems every week or so.
They also sell a lot of climbing equipment. Shoes, chalk, tape, drinks, protein bars, you name it; they probably have it. I just started bouldering in the beginning of the summer and have been to a couple places in Toronto, but nothing like this. I just bought my membership recently and it’s a really great place to climb.
Did I mention they also have a mini weight lifting area! Awesome I can also do 90% of my original weight lifting workouts here because all I need are some dumb bells, barbell, plates, benches and a squat rack and I’m good to go.

Climb, climb, climb, climb, we go climbing all the time, climbing up and climbing left, beating chalk off monkey chest, rollers treadmills by the door, eat a cliff bar climb some more, message hackers using slack, take a fixed gear from the rack, see you bro-​gram out the door, round the block and CLIMB SOME MOAR

My back… is so sore.
This was my first time at Dogpatch Boulders — my friend recommended it since she has a monthly pass here and loves climbing/​working out there. My friends and I went on a Tuesday before 3pm for the $ 15 day pass + $ 5 for shoe rental. I’m not the best climber, but I love the challenge and it’s a great workout for your upper body. Since we went early in the day it was fairly empty, the receptionist was chill and helped us out with everything. It’s an all-​bouldering gym so there were tons of problems and I hear they change them up every so often which is nice! After climbing for ~2hrs, I checked out the cardio and weights too, the equipment is limited, but you can definitely make it work to get a full workout. Dogpatch is nice because parking is easy and its close to my house which is nice. Love this place, can’t wait to go back.

What a fun place and a great upper body/​arm workout!
Came here for the first time and was a bit intimidated by all of the people who were jumping from one wall nubbin to another! But the receptionist was super friendly and encouraging and soon enough, I was scaling the walls as well :) (only V0s and V1s though haha).
Great place to go with friends (or a cute date idea!) and I do want to come back to try some of the upside down hanging/​climbing.
Bonus: if you come before 3 pm on the weekdays, it’s $ 15!

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 :-)

Came here for the first time and loved it, but I do have a few complaints.
#1: Price: $ 20 for a day pass and $ 5 for rentals? A noob isn’t gonna climb all day, they’ll be sore after an hour. If they lowered the price to $ 15-​$ 20 all inclusive for a day, I bet they would get more business.
#2: Rental Shoes: I would not wear them barefoot, you’ll definitely get something. When putting back on your own shoes, go commando, better safe than sorry.
Besides the price and smelly shoes, this is a great place to «work out»

Love this place.
Came with a friend and now I’m addicted to bouldering and going rock climbing!
The atmosphere is great — everyone is really kind and it’s not too crowded. There are tons of different levels scattered around the entire gym on different walls so theres not just «one section» for beginners, «one section» for intermediate levels, «one section» for expert levels. It allows everyone to interact and watch people at all different skills! $ 20 for a daypass. Unlimited In’s and Out’s. Unleash your inner monkey :) Climb on.

This place is basically a playground for adults. (Although it’s also good for kids: there’s a pretty significant kids’ section that’s fun to traverse and some kid competition routes throughout the space that are very challenging.) According to the website, there 14,000 sq ft of climbing here, and it’s all dedicated to bouldering routes! (That means no rope, for those of you unaware of climbing terminology.) Because the place is huge, you won’t get bored. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a beginner like me or have been climbing for a while. Everyone is friendly and willing to help guide or spot you as you challenge yourself on new puzzles. You also probably have to be more careful climbing at Dogpatch, since the walls are higher than normal and it’s a bit dangerous to fall from the top. So look forward to a bit of an adrenaline rush and/​or fear of heights kicking in.
Staff is friendly and helpful, whether you’re trying to get more information about your membership or purchasing/​renting gear. Unfortunately this place is pretty hard to get to (Muni from Financial District/​Mission Bay is not terrible; anywhere further will be a bit of a time investment) and not near much else, but it’s well worth the bus ride (or the cost of Lyft/​Über).

I got addicted to bouldering very fast, so Dogpatch was heaven for me. It’s a pain to get here since it’s in the middle of nowhere, but if you spend a few hours a week here, you really do feel like part of its community. Checking in, renting gear, and asking membership questions are all easy at the giant front desk. The whole place is open and spacious so you might either get excited or intimidated like me. Everyone is so friendly, so don’t be afraid to make new friends!
Locker rooms are decent, but you’ll spend most of your time climbing, so let’s move onto the main attraction. The walls at Dogpatch are super high, but I mean… you can go as far as you want. I love that all the routes are challenging because it truly makes you strive to get better over time. I have come back several times to attempt certain routes I’m determined to tackle. They change up the routes every so often, so that’s good. Plenty of room for everyone to climb, though it will get especially on the weekends.
Weights and cardio equipment are limited, but they really know how to maximize the space for bouldering! Love this place.

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!