Maryland · Rock climbing · Thurmont · Near Ballenger Creek

Bear Rocks

7 routes
V1 – V5
Bouldering · Top Rope · Trad
Apr, Jun–Oct
best months

Bear Rocks is a climbing area in Maryland, about 1.3 miles from the community of Hunting Creek Acres. It sits within a cluster of climbing and hiking spots, with Cunningham Falls State Park just 0.3 miles away and Down Range Rocks about 0.7 miles off. The Pinnacle is roughly a mile away, and Cunningham Falls State Park Campground is about 0.7 miles from the area. The climbing here is a mix of bouldering and top rope, with seven routes in total. Four are boulders, two are top rope, and one is trad. The boulders range from V1 to V5, with the hardest being Time Crunch at V5. The top rope routes sit in the 5.7+ to 5.11- range. The V1 and V3 routes are among the most straightforward options for climbers looking to get on the rock quickly. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 75°F, with July peaking near 84°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 39°F. Cunningham Falls State Park offers the closest climbing and camping, and Cat Rock Trail and Bob's Hill Trail are short hikes within a mile.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Cunningham Falls State Park Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 0.7 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Los Amigos

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 2 mi
  • If it rainsAcroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Schifferstadt Architectural Museum

    Museum

    On your way back · 13 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)

More in Ballenger Creek
  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit Bear Rocks

    Best months: April and June–October. 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

      39° / 23°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      42° / 25°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      52° / 31°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      65° / 42°

      12 wet

    5. May

      73° / 52°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      80° / 60°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      84° / 65°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      81° / 63°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      75° / 58°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      65° / 46°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      53° / 36°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      43° / 28°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Catoctin Mtn Park, MD, 3 mi away at 1,610 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (7)

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Cliff Trail BouldersPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Cunningham FallsPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cunningham Falls

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Chief BlockPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Wolf RockPhoto: TrailVoice, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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The Main Wall

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Wolf's Head PillarPhoto: TrailVoice, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wolf's Head Pillar

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Cunningham Falls State Park

Next door

Cunningham Falls State Park has 4 top-rope climbing routes in Maryland.

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Down Range Rocks

~1 min drive

Down Range Rocks in Maryland has 10 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.

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The Pinnacle

~2 min drive

Compact Maryland crag with solid rock and accessible mixed-grade climbing.

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TWS Rocks -

~2 min drive

TWS Rocks in Maryland has 14 climbing routes across 9 difficulty grades.