Softball Crags
- 1 route
- 5.8
- Top Rope
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
Softball Crags is a climbing area in Iowa, about 0.7 miles from the community of South Switch Junction. The crags sit close to the town, making them an easy addition to a day spent nearby. The area holds a single route, Homerun, a top-rope climb rated 5.8 on the YDS scale. It was first climbed on March 17, 2009, by R. Kane. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Dubuque show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 75°F, with July the warmest month at about 85°F. The Dubuque Water Trail, a paddling route, lies about 1.7 miles away. Cattesse Hollow, another climbing area, is roughly 3.2 miles off. For hiking, Access Road and Excavator Ridge are both within about 6 miles.
- Dubuque Water TrailCanoeing1.7 mi
- Cattesse HollowRock climbing3.2 mi
- Access RoadHiking5.1 mi
Excavator RidgeHikingPhoto: Zonie_Zambonie, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.9 mi- Dozer DriveHikingPhoto: Zonie_Zambonie, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.9 mi
- Skidder LoopHikingPhoto: Zonie_Zambonie, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.9 mi
Heritage TrailHikingPhoto: Mitch199811, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)8.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
C: Sun ButtressRock climbing · ~1h 1m drivePhoto: Eric Schmuttenmaer from Downers Grove, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- D: Open BibleRock climbing · ~1h 1m drivePhoto: Eric Schmuttenmaer from Downers Grove, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- E: Twin SistersRock climbing · ~1h 1m drivePhoto: Eric Schmuttenmaer from Downers Grove, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Cattesse HollowRock climbing · ~6 min drive
- Winston's BoulderRock climbing · ~35 min drive
- Veteran's BoulderRock climbing · ~35 min drive
- Tiny TimRock climbing · ~35 min drive
- Hoot BluffRock climbing · ~37 min drive
- 187 CragRock climbing · ~38 min drive
- Tagged Slab AreaRock climbing · ~40 min drive
Best time to visit Softball Crags
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
27° / 10°
8 wet
Feb
32° / 13°
8 wet
Mar
45° / 25°
9 wet
Apr
58° / 38°
12 wet
May
71° / 49°
13 wet
Jun
81° / 60°
12 wet
Jul
85° / 64°
9 wet
Aug
82° / 62°
9 wet
Sep
75° / 54°
9 wet
Oct
61° / 42°
9 wet
Nov
46° / 29°
8 wet
Dec
33° / 18°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dubuque L&D 11, IA, 4.4 mi away at 620 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
