General

Carderock Recreation Area  is a very accessible recreation area on the Potomac River just outside the 495 Beltway. It can be accessed from the Beltway or Clara Barton Parkway if coming from the DC area.

Type of Climbing

Carderock is part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and is well known for top rope climbing and hiking.  The crag offers a wide range of climbing grades for top roping, typically using trees for anchoring – you need long slings or a static rope to set these up. The tallest routes are about 40ft high. Most routes cannot be led as there is no protection (no bolting allowed).

Crag Logistics

To access the climbing at Carderock, park in the north most parking lot and follow the trail westwards past the toilet that leads down to the base of the cliffs.  The climbing is only several hundred yards from the parking lot.

Note that cars have been broken into in this parking lot so do not leave valuables in your car.

There is limited cellphone coverage at Carderock.

Potomac Mountain Club Social Events are often held at the Carderock Pavilion.  This is near the parking lots you first encounter when entering Carderock.

Guidebooks

The Potomac Mountain Club has published a guidebook to Carderock. There is also reasonable information on Mountainproject.

This YouTube Channel – Carderock Beta – provides beta on many of the popular routes at Carderock (produced by PATC-MS members) and also some of the area’s wonderful history.