Kentucky · Rock climbing · Sweeden

Turkey Foot

Turkey Foot in Kentucky has 11 climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

11 routes
5.3 – 5.11c
Sport · Trad · Mixed

Is Turkey Foot open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mammoth Cave National Park. It doesn't name Turkey Foot, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

  • Green River Ferry Temporarily Out of Service

    Park closure covering Mammoth Cave National Park · NPS · Mammoth Cave National Park

  • Elevator for Accessible Tour Out of Service

    Park closure covering Mammoth Cave National Park · NPS · Mammoth Cave National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Mammoth Cave National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Turkey Foot

Best months: March–May and September–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

    46° / 24°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    51° / 26°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    60° / 33°

    11 wet

  4. Apr

    71° / 42°

    11 wet

  5. May

    79° / 52°

    11 wet

  6. Jun

    88° / 60°

    10 wet

  7. Jul

    91° / 64°

    9 wet

  8. Aug

    91° / 63°

    8 wet

  9. Sep

    85° / 56°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    73° / 44°

    9 wet

  11. Nov

    60° / 34°

    9 wet

  12. Dec

    50° / 28°

    11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Nolin Rvr Lake, KY, 0.7 mi away at 623 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Turkey Foot is a climbing area within Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, about 0.2 miles from the nearby Dismal Rock climbing area. The park makes the natural setting for this corner of the state's rock, and the two areas sit close enough to make it easy to pair a day on the wall with time on another route. The climbing here draws on both sport and trad styles, with 11 routes in all. The grade range runs from 5.3 up to 5.11c, so there is something for climbers of different abilities. Exodus is the hardest route, a trad climb at 5.11c, while Approach Ramp is the easiest, a sport route at 5.3. Mother Tree Left and Right, both sport routes at 5.10a and 5.10b, are also among the more advanced options. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show October highs around 73°F with lows near 44°F, and April is similar at about 71°F by day and 42°F at night. July and August run hotter, with highs near 91°F. The Waterfall Loop and Point Loop hikes are each about 3 miles away, and Bear Creek offers paddling roughly 6 miles off. For an overnight stay, Maple Springs campground is about 8 miles from the area.

Routes (11)