Venue Category: Climbing Area

The Gunks

Details

Venue Phone: (845) 255-0919

Venue Website:

The Gunks (short for Shawangunks) is one of the premier trad climbing areas in the country. Located near New Paltz, NY, the Gunks is about 85 miles from the NYC metropolitan area. It is part of the Mohonk Preserve, a 501c(3) charitable organization.

To climb at the Gunks you need a day pass or an annual pass.  The  nearby town of New Paltz has a climbing store, Rock and Snow,  and there is camping at the AAC  Samuel E Pryor III campground.

The rock is quartz conglomerate with horizontal rather than vertical cracks. Climbing at the Gunks is characterized by roofs, jugs, traverses, big air, and sometimes “sporty” pro. The Gunks is famous for great one-to-three-pitch climbs of all levels of difficulty. You’ll find some of the best easy and moderate trad climbs in the country at the Gunks. There are a few bolted climbs at the Gunks, but no sport climbs.

More details are available on the Potomac Mountain Club website here

Location

Address:
New Paltz, New York, 12561, United States

Seneca Rocks

Details

Venue Phone: (304) 567-2827

Venue Website:

Seneca Rocks is a mostly trad climbing area in West Virgina with over 500 routes from 5.0 – 5.14. It is located in the Monongahela National Forest which is administered by the Forest Service. There are multiple campsites, guiding services and The Gendarme,  a climbing store located below the cliff.  Climbing information can be found on Mountainproject and there is a climbing guidebook available from the Gendarme.

Location

Address:
Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, 26884, United States

Great Falls (Virgina)

Details

Venue Phone: (703) 757-3101

Venue Website:

Great Falls (Virginia) is a US National Park located on the Potomac River just north of the Washington DC 495 Beltway.  There are around 260 listed top roping routes in this guidebook published by the Potomac Mountain Club.  The park is located here.  You need to pay an entrance fee or possess one of several NPS annual passes.

Normal meeting place is the Climber’s parking lot – turn right immediately after passing the Entrance Kiosk

 

Location

Address:
9200 Old Dominion Dr, McLean, Virginia, 22102, United States

Carderock

Details

Venue Website:

Carderock Recreation Area  is on the Potomac River just outside the 495 Beltway. Carderock is part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and is well known for top rope climbing and hiking.  The Potomac Mountain Club has published a guidebook to Carderock.

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.

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

 

 

Location

Address:
38.5579376,-78.325019, Carderock, Maryland, 20817, United States

Old Rag

Details

Venue Phone: (540) 999-3500

Venue Website:

Old Rag is a granite mountain in the Shenandoah National Park offering good hiking and challenging trad climbing on a number of mostly one pitch cliffs. Although there are many bolted and mixed routes on Old Rag, they are not sport climbs. There is a recently published (November 2023) climbing guide available from Sharp End Publishing.

Old Rag is located several hours drive south west of Washington DC near Sperryville VA.  There are two main points of access,   with parking at the NPS Ranger Station on the north side of Old Rag and at Berry Hollow on the southwest side.

Visiting Old Rag requires a limited availability day pass – purchased in advance – from March 1 – November 30.  This is in addition to paying the entry fee or possessing one of several NPS park passes.  Details re obtaining the day pass are here.

Location

Address:
38.5579376,-78.325019, (Near) Sperryville, Virginia, 22740, United States

Reeds Creek

Details

Venue Website:

Reeds Creek  is a limestone sport climbing area in West Virginia,  a few miles from  Seneca Rocks.  Parking is extremely limited and the climbing is described in this Rakkup Guide and on Mountain Project

There are around 70 routes from 5.7 – 5.12.

Reeds Creek is close to the Smokehole Canyon, another limestone sport climbing area, and can be accessed from Highway 220.

Location

Address:
38.785, -79.288, Upper Tract, West Virginia, United States

Smokehole Canyon

Details

The Smokehole Canyon is in West Virginia,  a few miles from Seneca Rocks.  The canyon contains a number of limestone sport climbing areas, mostly located towards the north end of the canyon.  Parking is extremely limited and the climbing is described in this Rakkup Guide.  There are also routes on the Entrance Walls near the start of the Canyon – this Rakkup Guide. Limited information is listed on Mountainproject. There are around 200 routes on a number of different cliffs, and several commercial campgrounds nearby.

The Smokehole Canyon is close to Reeds Creek, another limestone sport climbing area, and can be accessed from Highway 220 (south end) and Highway 28 (north end)

Location

Address:
(Near) Upper Tract, West Virginia, 26866, United States