Kentucky · Rock climbing · Beattyville

(1) Buckeye Buttress

Buckeye Buttress in Kentucky has 14 climbing routes across 9 grades.

Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

14 routes

5.9 – 5.13b

Sport · Trad

Is (1) Buckeye Buttress open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Daniel Boone National Forest. It doesn't name (1) Buckeye Buttress, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

National Visitor Use Monitoring, Oct 2026-Sept 2027
Agency closure covering Daniel Boone National Forest · USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest
Scott Creek Boat ramp briefly inaccessible, July 30
Agency closure covering Daniel Boone National Forest · USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest
Low water levels at Laurel River Lake
Agency alert covering Daniel Boone National Forest · USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest
Active logging operations near Redbird Crest Trail Sections 17-19
Agency alert covering Daniel Boone National Forest · USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest
Cliffside Trail #519 Closure
Agency alert covering Daniel Boone National Forest · USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest

As of Oct 25, 4:15 pm EDT · Source: USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit (1) Buckeye Buttress

Best months: August–November. 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
42° / 24°
13 wet
Feb
47° / 27°
13 wet
Mar
57° / 34°
15 wet
Apr
68° / 44°
15 wet
May
75° / 53°
15 wet
Jun
82° / 61°
14 wet
Jul
84° / 65°
14 wet
Aug
84° / 64°
12 wet
Sep
79° / 57°
10 wet
Oct
69° / 44°
12 wet
Nov
57° / 35°
12 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
13 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Beattyville 4n, KY, 0.9 mi away at 1,080 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Buckeye Buttress is a climbing area in the Cumberland Ranger District of Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, about 0.9 miles from the Beattyville weather station. It sits among several other climbing areas, with Madness Cave and Undertow Wall each about 0.1 mile away. The area has 14 routes, 13 of them sport and one trad. The YDS grades run from 5.9 up to 5.13b, with the hardest route, Golden Touch, at 5.13b. Overdrive is the only trad route, a 5.9 first ascended by Grant Stephens in 1994. September is the most comfortable month, with typical highs around 79°F and lows near 57°F, and October is close behind at about 69°F. The station sits at 1080 feet, so temperatures on the buttress itself may run slightly cooler. Nearby, the Sheltowee Trace high water route is about 2.8 miles away, and Lago Linda Hideaway campground is about 4.1 miles off. Paddlers can reach the Middle Fork Red River, about 9.7 miles away, and Miguel's Campsite is about 9.6 miles away.