Middle Small Wall
Middle Small Wall is a Kentucky climbing crag with 7 trad routes.
- 7 routes
- 5.7 – 5.10+
- Trad
Is Middle Small Wall open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Daniel Boone National Forest. It doesn't name Middle Small Wall, 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 Middle Small Wall
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, 14.8 mi away at 1,080 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Middle Small Wall is a climbing area in the Clifty Wilderness, part of the Cumberland Ranger District of Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits within designated wilderness. The climbing here is all trad, with seven routes ranging from 5.7 to 5.10+. The easiest is Investigator at 5.7, and the hardest is The Quest at 5.10+. Layback Crack, first climbed by Larry Day and Tom Seibert in 1976, is a 5.8, and Devine Climb is a 5.8+. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Beattyville show May highs around 75°F and October highs around 69°F, with summer highs in the low 80s. Lower Small Wall is just 0.2 miles away, and Hen's Nest Rock is 0.3 miles off. Osbourne Bend Loop Trail #240 and Sky Bridge are both within a mile.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Hen's Nest Rock
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