Every year, Virginians enjoy hundreds of rock climbing opportunities. Between indoor training grounds and outdoor climbs that top thousands of feet of elevation, climbers of all experience levels will find the Old Dominion well worth a visit. Read on for five of the coolest spots in the state.
Rocky Top Climbing in Charlottesville, Virginia, offers top rope climbing up to 20 feet and unroped bouldering up to 13 feet with no class required. Climbers can look forward to fresh boulder configurations almost daily. In addition, customers can sign up for belay classes and climbing merit badge classes for scouts. This indoor gym provides an excellent space to hone your skills.
The Virginia Beach Rock Gym boasts that it is the only indoor climbing gym in all of Hampton Roads. With a main wall of 23 feet and textured climbing surfaces, including slabs, bulges, corners, aretes, and roofs, there’s more than enough to keep climbers interested. Choose from the rappel tower or bouldering and make sure to stop by the pro shop to pick up new equipment.
If you prefer climbing outdoors rather than in, a trip to the mountains of Shenandoah National Park is a must. Located near Luray, Virginia, Old Rag Mountain is a 3,300-foot-high mountain that is popular with hikers and rock climbers. It is the only major granite climbing area in the mid-Atlantic region, and has over 100 established routes. Crack climbers in particular love Old Rag Mountain.
Hidden Rocks near Harrisonburg, Virginia, has been called “A gem of a training ground, perfect for the end-of-the-day blitz to nail a few lines, the mid-week escape to solitude and toproping, bouldering solitude, or just hiking in an incredible setting of forests, rock, and waterfalls.” Hidden Rocks has 40 feet of sandstone cliffs and great bouldering.
Known as one of Virginia’s most incredible bouldering areas, McAfee’s Knob offers an almost 270-degree panoramic view. See one of the most photographed spots on the Appalachian Trail up close and personal as you climb its 1,700 feet. Enjoy climbing sandstone blocks, labyrinths, and free standing as you ascend to the top.
