Camp Merrie-Wood
Campground
Campground · 1.2 mi from the trail
Connecticut · Rock climbing · Manchester · Near Middletown
Gollum's Playground
- 12 routes
- V0 – V3-
- Bouldering
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
Gollum's Playground is a bouldering area in Connecticut, set on city-managed open space. It sits among a cluster of trails, with the Carriage Path and Birch Mountain Trail both about 0.2 miles away and the Lookout Mountain Trail about 0.3 miles off. The Red-Yellow climbing area is roughly 0.4 miles away, and the Red Trail Boulder is about 0.7 miles away, so climbers can easily pair bouldering with other outings in the area. The climbing here is all bouldering, with 12 routes spread across the site. The grades run from V0 to V3, with the median around V2-3. Some of the named routes include Hidden Stair at V0, Edge of Night at V3, and The River Anduin at V3, which was first ascended by Ross Gladey. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Storrs weather station show July highs around 80°F with lows near 63°F, while winter highs stay in the 30s and 40s. For a longer stay, John and Frederica Johnson Memorial Camp is about 3.3 miles away, and the Hockanum River offers canoeing roughly 6.7 miles from the playground.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Hungry Tiger
Bar
On your way back · 2 mi
If it rainsSaraherib, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLutz Children's Museum
Museum
On your way back · 2 miChildren's museum in Connecticut, United States
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Saraherib, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)
More in MiddletownBest time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct
Best time to visit Gollum's Playground
Best months: April and June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
35° / 19°
10 wet
Feb
37° / 20°
9 wet
Mar
45° / 28°
10 wet
Apr
57° / 38°
11 wet
May
68° / 48°
13 wet
Jun
76° / 57°
11 wet
Jul
80° / 63°
10 wet
Aug
79° / 61°
9 wet
Sep
73° / 54°
9 wet
Oct
61° / 43°
10 wet
Nov
50° / 34°
9 wet
Dec
40° / 25°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Storrs, CT, 13.3 mi away at 665 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Routes (12)
Hidden StairFA: Katery HyattV0Now That's Podracing!V0Haven't Dropped No EavesV1Shadowy Nook in the Prancing PonyV1-Faramir's QualityV1+Spider Hobbit, Spider Hobbit. Does Whatever a Spider-Hobbit does.V2I See FireV2-3Lighting the BeaconV2+Edge of NightV3Entering Shelob's LairV3The River AnduinFA: Ross GladeyV3Boil'em, Mash'em, Stick'em in a StewV3-
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