Kentucky · Rock climbing · Beattyville

The Morgue

The Morgue in Kentucky has 12 climbing routes with 10 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

12 routes
5.10b – 5.13a
Sport · Trad

Is Morgue, The open right now?

Closure in the area

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

As of · Source: USFS · Daniel Boone National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Morgue

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.

  1. Jan

    42° / 24°

    13 wet

  2. Feb

    47° / 27°

    13 wet

  3. Mar

    57° / 34°

    15 wet

  4. Apr

    68° / 44°

    15 wet

  5. May

    75° / 53°

    15 wet

  6. Jun

    82° / 61°

    14 wet

  7. Jul

    84° / 65°

    14 wet

  8. Aug

    84° / 64°

    12 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 57°

    10 wet

  10. Oct

    69° / 44°

    12 wet

  11. Nov

    57° / 35°

    12 wet

  12. Dec

    46° / 28°

    13 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Beattyville 4n, KY, 2.2 mi away at 1,080 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Morgue is a climbing area in the Cumberland Ranger District of Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, about 2 miles from Beattyville. It sits among several other climbing areas, including Graveyard, The Record Shop and The Portal, all within about 0.1 mile. The area has 12 routes, with sport climbing making up the bulk of them. The grades run from 5.10b to 5.13a, with a median of 5.12a. Among the sport routes, Coroner is 5.12c and Pathology is 5.13a, while Toe Tag is a trad route at 5.10b. September is a comfortable time to visit, with typical highs around 79°F and lows near 57°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station. The station sits at nearly the same elevation as the climbing area, so conditions here should be similar.

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