Massachusetts · Rock climbing · Hopkinton

Hard Knocks Boulder

10 routes
V0 – V7
Bouldering
Apr–Oct
best months

Hard Knocks Boulder is a bouldering area in College Rock Park in Massachusetts, on city land. It sits right next to College Rock and Main Crag, both climbing areas within about a tenth of a mile, so it makes an easy addition to a visit to the park's rock. The area has 10 bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V0 to V7. The easiest are The Militant Fist and The Physicist, both V0, and the hardest is Problem Set at V7. Knockin' Traverse is a V3-4 traverse. The routes were first climbed by Gus Lambregst and Larry LaForge around 1981. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in West Medway show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 76°F, while winter brings regular snow days from December through February. The Orange Trail and College Rock Run are both about 0.4 miles away. Paddlers can reach the Sudbury River about 5 miles off, and West Hill Park offers camping roughly 8 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Hard Knocks Boulder

    Best months: April–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

      38° / 17°

      9 wet · 6 snow

    2. Feb

      41° / 18°

      8 wet · 4 snow

    3. Mar

      48° / 25°

      11 wet · 3 snow

    4. Apr

      60° / 35°

      10 wet · 1 snow

    5. May

      71° / 46°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      79° / 55°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      84° / 61°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 59°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      76° / 51°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      65° / 39°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      53° / 31°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    12. Dec

      43° / 23°

      10 wet · 4 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at West Medway, MA, 5.4 mi away at 210 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (10)