Committed by the Utah Legislature
Projected 10-year economic impact
Projected annual visitors
Doors open, 6 months before LA28
The facility
What is the National Training Center?
The National Training Center will be a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the operational and training hub for USA Climbing in Salt Lake City, Utah. This transformative building will offer world-class resources for athletes, host national and international events, and anchor USA Climbing’s presence in the heart of the climbing community. With $15 million in funding from the Utah Legislature, the NTC is projected to generate $225 million in economic impact for the state of Utah over the next decade and is expected to welcome over 400,000 visitors on an annual basis.
By design
Built on four pillars.
Performance
The National Training Center provides our National Team and Para Climbing National Team athletes the specialized spaces they need to be successful on the world stage in all climbing disciplines. To create optimal training conditions, setting will be lower density, higher grade, competition-style with higher turnover. Dedicated spaces include National Team locker rooms, recovery space, nutrition support, and team terrain.
Events
Typical climbing gym design prioritizes maximum density of climbing terrain and routes for everyday use. Spectator space is usually lacking and often times the entire facility must close down in order to host a competition. The National Training Center will be different. The unique design approach for the USA Climbing National Training Center is event focused, based on the total lineal feet necessary to host all National- and International-level events through World Championships.
Accessibility
ADA compliance does not equate to full accessibility. The National Training Center aspires to be the world's first fully-accessible climbing facility. Access for the para climbing community at all levels will be thoughtfully integrated throughout the design, including the surrounding areas of the building. With para climbing being considered for inclusion at LA2028 or beyond, the National Training Center will meet the needs of the para climbing community throughout, including accessible terrain, exam rooms for category classification, and even pet relief areas for guide dogs.
Community
The USA Climbing National Training Center will serve as a beacon to inspire the community through climbing. USA Climbing's relocation to Utah helped to catalyze Salt Lake City as a hub for climbers in the U.S., bringing together aspiring athletes from across the nation to train, work, and go to school.
The path to 2028
From idea to groundbreaking to the Games.
- May 2024
USA Climbing issued a Request for Interest (RFI) to gym operators.
- October 2024
The USA Climbing Board of Directors voted unanimously to pursue a partnership with Momentum Indoor Climbing.
- Fall 2026
Expected groundbreaking on the National Training Center.
- January 2028
Expected opening — six months prior to the LA28 Games.
- July 2028
The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games begin.
Location
Why Salt Lake City.
When USA Climbing relocated to Utah, it helped catalyze Salt Lake City as a hub for climbers in the United States. The city now draws aspiring athletes from across the nation to train, work, and go to school — exactly the gravity a national training center needs.
The setting is hard to rival. Some of the country’s most storied climbing sits minutes away in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, and the region’s Olympic heritage runs deep, from the 2002 Winter Games to Utah’s successful bid to host in 2034. That ecosystem — capped by the Utah Legislature’s $15 million commitment — makes Salt Lake City the natural home for the sport’s future.
The partnership
Who’s building it.
Momentum Indoor Climbing
Selected unanimously by the USA Climbing Board to develop and operate the facility, bringing deep gym-operations expertise to the project.
Utah Legislature
Committed $15 million toward the National Training Center, anchoring the capital project and signaling Utah’s investment in the sport.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Recognizes USA Climbing as the National Governing Body for competition climbing, the foundation for Team USA’s path to the podium.
In the press
The sport is paying attention.
Help us break ground in 2026.
The land, the design, and the timeline are real. Your gift turns renderings into a building.