A view of Portland Rock Gym’s location at Peterkort Towne Square.

Indoor rock climbing is gaining popularity, and at Portland Rock Gym in Beaverton, you’ll not only be able to master your climbing skills, but you can also take part in fitness and yoga options.

Over the past several months, Portland Rock Gym has been opening in phases, but is now fully operational and gaining more members.

“It is an ever-growing sport,” Gym Manager Aaron Johnson said. “Being in the last two Olympic cycles has really helped, honestly. We’ve seen a large growth from that, and there are new gyms popping up across the country all the time.”

The facility offers bouldering, rock climbing and a full fitness area that offers weights, cardio equipment and two yoga studios.

Johnson says the facility opened in three phases at the Beaverton location. The first phase opened in September 2023, with bouldering, fitness and yoga. The second part of the project opened in March 2024, with locker rooms, showers and saunas. The final third opened Nov. 16, 2024, which included the Ropes Hall.

Portland Rock Gym in Beaverton is the largest facility of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps the country, at 64,000 square feet. There, climbing walls range in size from 40 feet to 55 feet.

“With that, we also have our bouldering walls,” Johnson said. “Your tallest boulder here is 15 feet. Bouldering is different from top rope or lead climbing: It doesn’t require a belayer. The padded mats below soften any falls you may have.”

A belay helps control a rope that secures climbers.

“When you think about climbing, everybody thinks about arm strength and back strength,” he said. “But honestly, your core and your legs are just as important. That is the powerhouse of your body. The more you’re able to use those muscles, the better. Your balance has to improve with all that as well.”

Johnson says several age groups enjoy indoor rock climbing.

“Our baseline is they have to be able to wear climbing shoes and fit into the proper safety equipment,” he said. “I’ve had, probably, 5-year-olds in the gym, having a good time. With that, my programming all starts at age nine.”

And at Portland Rock Gym, rock climbing isn’t the only option.

“People can climb here, but we also have two yoga studios,” Johnson said. “We have fitness classes and with those we also have personal training options as well. I have a bunch of members who don’t climb and are not interested in climbing. They just come in for the fitness side.”

Portland Rock Gym opened its Northeast Portland facility in 1988, making it the second rock-climbing gym in the United States. And now its Beaverton location is gaining in popularity.

“We have had a great response,” Johnson said. “The chamber of commerce has come out a few times. The mayor’s been out. Explore Tualatin Valley has done some stuff with us. On top of that, I’ve had a couple of schools reach out and are participating with us on some things.”

Johnson added, “Beaverton, as a whole, has been really welcoming and a great partner to us.”

Memberships to Portland Rock Gym come in a variety of options.

“I have monthly memberships, yearly memberships, family memberships, couple’s memberships,” he said. “There are a lot of options to get into the gym.”

Portland Rock Gym in Beaverton is located at 10860 S.W. Barnes Road at the Peterkort Towne Square.