These sky-high climbing routes are popping up in U.S. cities

National Geographic

3 days ago

You may not expect to find a 100-foot-tall limestone climbing course within minutes of a bustling city center, but that's exactly what's on offer at Quarry Trails Metro Park in Columbus, Ohio—home to the first urban via ferrata in the country.
Via ferratas are a combination of a ropes course and rock climbing. Harness-clad adventurers climb up and across sheer rock faces using iron rungs, steel cables, and vertiginous swinging bridges. The concept makes sky-high rock scaling feasible for those who lack technical rock climbing skills. And since most excursions are guided, there's a built-in safety net for beginners.
The invigorating experience is increasingly popular in mountain towns worldwide, with thrill-seekers ascending scenic crag everywhere from Colorado to Costa Brava. Yet soaring interest in city adventures—including a boom in urban hiking—is taking these heart-pumping routes far from their European Alpine roots.
(From floatplanes to via ferrata, these are British Columbia's wildest experiences) Climbers ascend a via ferrata in Tyrol, Austria. Photograph by imageBROKER.com / Alamy Stock Photo Via ferrata origins
The first via ferratas were all about utility. The idea of via ferrata, Italian for 'iron way,' originated in the European Alps over a century ago. In the saw-toothed Italian Dolomites, for example, Austro-Hungarian and Italian troops used these treacherous tracks for evasion and gear transportation during World War I.
Many via ferratas remained intact after the war. Alpine communities repurposed them for recreation, and eventually for tourism. Now, you'll find hundreds of via ferratas across the Dolomites region—not to mention dramatic mountain towns across the world. The rise of urban via ferratas
In recent years, these iron-rung routes have popped up either in—or within a two-hour drive of—major U.S. cities, and the urban via ferrata trend shows no signs of slowing, experts say.
'The thrill of climbing a big wall in a remote natural environment is an irreplaceable experience; however, the cost of getting to these locations makes them inaccessible to many,' says Reed Rowley, director of development for Via Ferrata Works, which built Columbus' climbing route.
This buzzed-about urban via ferrata, which opened in 2023, gets booked up almost every weekend it's open, according to park officials. Given the popularity, Rowley and his team are expanding the city-climb idea beyond central Ohio. 'When you look at the urban environment as a blank landscape for cabled climbing routes, you begin to see possibilities everywhere,' Rowley says, noting the latest paths will traverse everything from abandoned quarries and parking structures to city parks and stadium roofs.
While the specifics of these forthcoming new urban adventures remain under wraps, you don't have to wait to test yourself with sky-high climbing. Here are four via ferrata courses you can try within a two-hour drive of U.S. cities. Quarry Trails Metro Park in Ohio
The Columbus via ferrata lies within a 10-minute drive of downtown attractions like bustling North Market. It's built in a former limestone quarry, in the spot where materials for the century-old Ohio Statehouse were once sourced.
The 1,040-foot course sends climbers across rebar rungs, fixed cables, ladders, and the grand finale: a 90-foot-long swinging bridge. Climbers need around 90 minutes to two hours to complete the full route, with plenty of distractions along the way, from fossil-etched rock to turtles and swans in the pond around 100 feet below.
The beginner-friendly via ferrata is free, but it does require advance reservation, which includes a park guide and climbing gear for safety. It's open March to December, depending on the weather. Mount Blue Sky in Colorado
Drive just over 30 minutes from downtown Denver's cafes and breweries to reach the Mount Blue Sky Via Ferrata, which opened in 2017. The course, located in Idaho Springs, overlooks the Arapaho and Pike-San Isabel national forests, as well as popular Mount Blue Sky.
Plan for around 2.5 hours for the excursion, and be prepared for adrenaline. The heart-pumping journey oscillates between iron rungs and nerve-wracking wooden bridges, with a mix of rappelling and zip-lining mixed in. The ultimate feat tests your via ferrata limits, with a rappel down nearly 75 feet and a zip-line back to base camp.
The experience includes a guide and gear, and trips run from April through October. Mohonk Mountain House in New York
On most days, it can take less than two hours to drive from Central Park to the Mohonk Mountain House's via ferrata—the first course of its kind in the Shawangunk Mountains, also known as 'the Gunks.' This Hudson Valley hotel has welcomed adventure-seekers since the 1870s, with access to nearly 90 miles of hiking trails right on the forested property.
In April 2024, it added to the outdoor fun with more than 600 iron rungs and 2,500 feet of steel cable. The Mohonk via ferrata crosses towering quartz conglomerate rock, with views across a sea of verdant woodlands. Its 80-foot sky ladder—which offers mind-numbing views to the forest floor below—will test your fear of heights, and the hotel's recreation guides are there to help.
The course is exclusively available for Mohonk Mountain House guests; it's open year-round, weather-permitting.
(Where to try craft spirits and apple cider donuts in New York's Hudson Valley) Ausable Chasm Adventure Trail Via Ferrata in New York
Since 2013, New York's Adirondacks region has delighted outdoor enthusiasts with the Ausable Chasm Adventure Trail Via Ferrata—a guided route that winds along ledges and adrenaline-pumping walkways above the rushing Ausable River. It's located in the 'Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks,' and within 90 minutes driving from downtown Burlington, Vermont.
This scenic via ferrata traverses some of the gorge's most remote and scenic sandstone stints. Six cable bridges cross the river—peek down at the whitewater for extra thrills—while rungs and footholds send patrons clambering across erosion-pocked rock.
Tickets for the Ausable Chasm Adventure Trail Via Ferrata are available on a first-come, first served basis. They're available when the park opens at 9 a.m., and all climbing trips are guided. This route is open seasonally. Via ferrata safety tips
Most via ferratas require a guide for safety, and outfitters ensure climbers have the proper gear, including helmets and harnesses. You'll participate in a pre-route training to learn how to navigate the trail, and clip in and out of the cables via carabiners.
As for attire, wear footwear with good grip, such as tennis shoes or hiking boots, and comfortable exercise clothes. You'll need relatively good upper body strength to clamber up the rock, as well as a solid level of fitness because the ascents gets your heart pumping. Many via ferrata outfitters also recommend climbing gloves to prevent blisters.
Finally, you can successfully complete a via ferrata even if you have a slight fear of heights—particularly more beginner-friendly routes like Columbus's Quarry Trails Metro Park. Yet those with a serious fear of heights should opt for alternative adventures, as vertiginous via ferratas can feel overwhelming.
(For riveting views, climb North America's highest via ferrata) Stephanie Vermillion is a Cleveland-based travel writer who covers outdoor adventure, astrotourism, and conservation for National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and the World Wildlife Fund's World Wildlife magazine. She's also the author of National Geographic's 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Adventures After Dark, which was published in December 2024.