The Bear's Den
Bear's Den, The in Kentucky has 36 climbing routes on 17 difficulty grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 36 routes
- 5.6 – 5.13a/b
- Sport · Trad
Is Bear's Den, The open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Daniel Boone National Forest. It doesn't name Bear's Den, The, 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 · Source: USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Bear's Den
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.
The Bear's Den is a climbing area in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest, within the Cumberland Ranger District. It sits among a cluster of named walls, with The UnHoley Wall, A-Hole Wall and B-Hole Wall all about 0.1 mile away. The area has 36 routes, mostly sport climbing with a few trad options. Grades run from 5.6 up to 5.13a/b, with the median around 5.11b. Among the routes are Rumspringa at 5.10b, Ursa Major at 5.11a and Squirrels Gone Wild at 5.13a/b. For timing, September is the most comfortable month, with typical highs near 79°F and lows around 57°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station. Spring is similar, with April highs around 68°F. Nearby, the Sheltowee Trace high water route is about 3 miles away, and Lago Linda Hideaway campground is about 4 miles off. Paddlers can reach the Middle Fork Red River within 10 miles.
Routes (36)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The UnHoley Wall
~0 min drive
10 sport climbing routes at UnHoley Wall in Kentucky, ranging across 9 difficulty grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)A-Hole Wall
~0 min drive
A-Hole Wall in Kentucky has 9 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)B-Hole Wall
~0 min drive
B-Hole Wall in Kentucky has 9 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Hole New Wall
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Hole New Wall in Kentucky has 9 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(1) Buckeye Buttress
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Buckeye Buttress in Kentucky has 14 climbing routes across 9 grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Unlode
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Unlode, The in Kentucky has 10 sport climbing routes across 5 grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)South Park
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South Park in Kentucky has 19 sport climbing routes with 15 difficulty grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Chocolate Factory
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Chocolate Factory in Kentucky has 86 climbing routes.
Photo: MarkDoliner, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)North 40
~1 min drive
North 40 in Kentucky has 6 routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński (user:Jarekt), CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Shire
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Shire is a Kentucky climbing crag with 13 routes across 12 grades, offering bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
