9 Places in the U.S. to Climb a Via Ferrata

I’m standing some 5,000 feet above sea level on a granite crag, gazing out at Triumvirate Glacier, a river of ice sprawling before the Tordrillo Mountains in Alaska. Roughly 900 feet below me is the rocky, postage stamp–size shelf where the group had started our climb.

In the past, I’d have needed an arsenal of advanced equipment and skills honed over years of climbing to get here. Now, I just need a little sure-footedness and a guide. That’s because I was on Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s via ferrata (Italian for “iron way”), which opened in 2019.

A via ferrata is a climbing route made with metal rungs, steps, pegs, suspension bridges, and ladders bolted into the side of the rock face, with a cable system to clip into for extra safety, making it (relatively) easy to traverse otherwise difficult terrain.

The origins of via ferratas

Via ferrata routes have been around for more than a century in Europe, developed in World War I to move troops and supplies through the mountains. Today they continue to be a popular, beginner-friendly way for people to spend time in the mountains—for those who are not afraid of heights. There are an estimated 1,000 via ferrata routes spidering across the Alps alone, and now the climbing systems are becoming increasingly popular in the United States.

“Via ferratas are geared toward anyone who enjoys hiking in the outdoors and wants to experience places that have previously been strictly reserved for climbers,” said Todd Rutledge, owner of Mountain Trip, a guide service in Telluride, Colorado, that takes guests on the local route.

Some via ferratas cling to red rock mesas in the middle of the desert; others hug ledges overlooking alpine forests. Some feature suspension bridges that cross chasms or waterfalls, and others end with a zip line back to terra firma. Most of those in the U.S. are privately owned and require visitors to book a guide. Four domestic via ferratas are free to the public: one in Telluride, Colorado, two in Ouray, Colorado, and one in Columbus, Ohio.

What it’s like climbing a via ferrata

Climbs start with an explainer on the equipment, including how to use it and how it keeps climbers safe.

While self-locking carabiners, a harness, and a helmet are needed, other tools commonplace in mountaineering, like ropes and belay devices, are extraneous here. Instead, climbers take a via ferrata set—two large carabiners that attach to the harness with a shock absorber—then clip these carabiners to the safety cables. As people climb (sometimes using the metal bars, sometimes natural foot and handholds in the rock), the carabiners slide along until they reach one of the anchor points that are spaced every few feet. Once there, climbers unclip one carabiner, reattach it to the cable after the anchor point, and then repeat with the other carabiner. These short tracks mean that in the unlikely event that a climber falls, they can’t fall far. All in all, climbers with little to no previous experience can ascend a sheer cliff face relatively easily—it’s almost like climbing a ladder.

While via ferratas don’t require full-fledged mountaineering know-how and are often lumped with attractions like aerial rope courses, they can be stomach-tightening experiences. Rutledge said there are still parts of the Telluride route—which he’s done hundreds of times—that give him butterflies. “There’s a move where you’re standing on rungs, and the rock is slightly overhanging, and you have to step down and to the left. And there’s 325 feet of air under the soles of my shoes, but it’s exhilarating.”

Want to try your hand at rock climbing without some of the stress? Here are nine of of the best via ferrata routes in the United States, from Utah to New York.

Where to try via ferratas in the United States

Quarry Trails Metro Park Via Ferrata, Columbus, Ohio

Price: Free; advanced registration is required
Age: 14 and up

One of the first urban via ferratas in the USA, the Quarry Trails via ferrata is only a 15-minute drive from the Ohio State Capitol in Columbus; limestone from this quarry was used to build many downtown landmarks. The park’s 1,040-foot via ferrata includes two aerial walkways, a 54-foot steel staircase, and a 90-foot suspension bridge that hangs 105 feet above a pond.

Amangiri Via Ferrata, Utah

Price: Open to hotel guests
Age: 10 and up (age 6 and up for the Canyon Crossing)

Guests of Amangiri and Camp Sarika, two ultra-luxurious properties in Utah under the Aman resort umbrella, have the opportunity to visit any of the resorts’ seven via ferratas. The most stomach-tightening course arguably involves the Cave Peak Stairway, a 200-foot-long steel bridge that spans from one peak to another. It’s made out of 120 steps, roughly 18 inches apart, and is 400 feet above jagged rock. From the summit, the guests can survey a landscape made of camel-colored sand and sagebrush set before mesas with rust and rose-hued striations.

Tordrillo Mountain Lodge Via Ferrata, Alaska

Price: Open to hotel guests
Age: Confirm with the hotel

Alaska’s very first via ferrata was completed in 2019 by the owners of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge and features a network of metal rungs, 1,200 feet of cable, and two suspension bridges, which all together help guests gain 900 feet of elevation. The fun starts with a helicopter ride from the lodge up to a rocky shelf 4,000 feet above sea level. Throughout the course, climbers can see the 2,303-foot-high Triumvirate Glacier, with all its moraines and otherworldly blue crevasses, as well as the Tordrillo Mountains, which include Mount Spurr, an active volcano that last erupted in 1992.

Alpine Jewel Via Ferrata, Estes Park, Colorado

Price: $409/one person; $618/two people; $777/three people; $872/four people
Age: 12 and up

Alpine Jewel offers both a via ferrata for beginners and one for more advanced climbers. The Peregrine Ridge starts with a challenging ascent of 400 feet and can be tackled in two to three hours. Billed as the steepest via ferrata in the United States, the Cloud Ladder has 650 feet of vertical climb. Two tightrope-style suspension bridges, one of which stretches 45 feet across a 200-foot chasm. From the top (roughly 9,200 feet in elevation) are views of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Mummy Range.

Arapahoe Basin Via Ferrata, Keystone, Colorado

Price: $149/half-day, $199/full-day
Age: 12 and up

Arapahoe Basin ski area installed North America’s highest-elevation via ferrata on the East Wall in 2023. There, guests have two options: the half-day adventure that leads them 900 feet to an old mining shaft or a full-day tour that ascends 1,200 feet (800 of which is completely vertical) to the 13,000-foot summit. Both are suitable for those with no previous climbing experience.

Telluride Via Ferrata, Telluride, Colorado

Price: Free; book an optional guide here
Age: Not suitable for small children or, in their words, “very short adults”

One of only four, free, and open-to-the-public trails in the United States, the Telluride Via Ferrata has been operational since 2007. Nestled into the eastern end of the box canyon on the southern-facing wall below Ajax Peak, this route is technically 2.2 miles long, but only 1,600 feet of it has cable—the rest is a single-track trail. However, that trail is very exposed—it’s on a ledge of a more than 12,000-foot mountain.

Rutledge said what he likes most about the route is how it differs throughout the seasons. “In the spring, you’ve got Bridal Veil Falls, the tallest waterfall in Colorado, just gushing right next to you. And in the fall, you’re above this sea of gold and amber trees.”

Taos Ski Valley Via Ferrata, Taos, New Mexico

Price: $325/one or two people; $425/three people; $525/four people; $625/five people; shoes available for $10
Age: 12 and up

In the sub-alpine forest of Kachina Peak, a popular ski area, are Taos Ski Valley’s via ferrata routes for beginners and advanced climbers alike. The climbs start at about 11,500 feet. The routes include a 100-foot sky bridge suspended 50 feet above the ground, a double cable catwalk, and views of the Rio Hondo and Wheeler Peak Wilderness area.

Southeast Mountain Guides Via Ferrata, Red River Gorge, Kentucky

Price: $130/person; $120 each/two people; $110 each/three people; $105 each/four people; $100 each/five people
Age: 10 and up; those ages 15 and up can climb without an adult

The very first via ferrata in the USA opened way back in 2001 an hour and 20 minutes outside of Lexington, Kentucky. Southeast Mountain Guides’ via ferrata is an “unguided but supervised course that climbs continuously through six different sections.” The course is nearly a mile long and can reach up to 120 feet high. Climbers can tackle ladders, cross suspension bridges, and tiptoe their way across a tightrope walk. The goal here is for people to really feel comfortable climbing a via ferrata; there’s a practice wall before the real thing and if, after trying it, you no longer want to do the via ferrata, all but $25 will be refunded. Anyone who doesn’t want to climb can hang out at the observation decks or picnic tables. — Sophie Friedman

Ausable Chasm Adventure Trail Via Ferrata, Keeseville, New York

Price: $45/person
Age: 8 and up

A family-friendly climbing route in the self-described “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks”, Ausable Chasm’s via ferrata is part of its adventure trail. Picture a low-elevation ropes course meets via ferrata, on which you’ll cross a river and cable bridges, climb a cargo net, and work your way carefully around cliff edges. Consider this via ferrata for a side trip from Burlington, Vermont; it’s an hour’s trip, including a 30-minute ferry ride. — SF

This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on September 30, 2025, with current information. Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.