Kentucky · Rock climbing · Beattyville

North 40

North 40 in Kentucky has 6 routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

North 40Photo: MarkDoliner, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
6 routes
5.8 – 5.12b
Sport · Trad

Is North 40 open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Daniel Boone National Forest. It doesn't name North 40, 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 North 40

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, 1.4 mi away at 1,080 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

North 40 is a climbing area in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest, within the Cumberland Ranger District and the Ashland Wildlife Management Area. The land is managed by State Fish and Wildlife, and the area sits about a mile from the town of Beattyville. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with six routes in total. The grades run from 5.8 up to 5.12b, and the hardest of them, Barbed Wire and Samurai, are both 5.12b. The trad route Summer Breeze is 5.8, and the sport routes include Outlaw Justice at 5.11d and Yosemite Sam at 5.12a. Kipp Trummel is the first climber listed on several of the sport routes, and the trad route was first climbed by Josh Thurston and Jordan Garvey in 2006. Fall is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Beattyville show September highs around 79°F with lows near 57°F, and October highs around 69°F. Spring is similar, with April highs near 68°F. Purgatory, The Shire and Bronaugh Wall are all climbing areas about 0.1 mile away. For a hike, the Sheltowee Trace high water route is about 2.9 miles off.

Routes (6)

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