Kentucky · Rock climbing · Zoe

The Playpen

Playpen is a Kentucky climbing crag with 7 sport routes.

7 routes
5.3 – 5.9
Sport

Is Playpen, The open right now?

Closure in the area

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

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

The Playpen is a sport climbing area in the Cumberland Ranger District of Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, about 2.4 miles from the Beattyville weather station. It sits among several other climbing areas, with The Nursery and Sanitarium each about 0.1 mile away and Camelot about 0.2 mile away. The area has seven sport routes, all rated between 5.3 and 5.9 on the YDS scale. The easiest is Breast Fed at 5.3, and the hardest is Spank the Baby at 5.9. The routes were first ascended by climbers including Patrick Miller, Jason Harbin and Joe Sena. Fall is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Beattyville station show October highs around 69°F with lows near 44°F, and September and October have the fewest wet days of the year. Nearby, the Sheltowee Trace high water route is about 4.5 miles away, and Happy Top Walking Trial is about 5.6 miles away. For camping, Lago Linda Hideaway is about 5.8 miles away, and the Middle Fork Red River offers paddling about 9.4 miles away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

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