North Area
- 3 routes
- 5.6 – 5.9
- Sport
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
North Area is a climbing area in Missouri, about half a mile from the town of Providence. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Battress Area just 0.1 mile away and Spire Area 0.2 mile off. Providence Main Wall is 0.7 mile away, and South Area is 0.9 mile away, so the whole area is easy to navigate between different crags. The climbing here is all sport, and the routes run from 5.6 to 5.9 on the YDS scale. Caveman is the easiest at 5.6, and Primal and Turtle Head are both 5.9. Primal was first climbed by Buck Shearouse and Marcus Floyd, and Turtle Head by Marcus Floyd. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Columbia show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 68°F, while July averages climb to about 89°F.
- Battress AreaRock climbing0.1 mi
- Spire AreaRock climbing0.2 mi
- Providence Main WallRock climbing0.7 mi
- South AreaRock climbing0.9 mi
- River Hiking Trail NorthHiking4 mi
Deer Run TrailHikingPhoto: Charkrem, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5 mi- Turkey Creek Interpretive Nature TrailHiking7 mi
- Central Regional OfficeHiking7.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
The Drive-InRock climbing · ~13 min drivePhoto: dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Walk Down AreaRock climbing · ~13 min drivePhoto: dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Main AreaRock climbing · ~13 min drivePhoto: dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Battress AreaRock climbing · Next door
- Spire AreaRock climbing · Next door
- Providence Main WallRock climbing · ~1 min drive
- South AreaRock climbing · ~1 min drive
- CM: Rudimentary Recall BoulderRock climbing · ~7 min drive
- The Sport WallRock climbing · ~10 min drive
- Meadows AreaRock climbing · ~10 min drive
Best time to visit North Area
Best months: March–June 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.
Jan
39° / 23°
8 wet · 3 snow
Feb
45° / 26°
8 wet · 3 snow
Mar
56° / 36°
11 wet · 1 snow
Apr
67° / 46°
11 wet
May
76° / 56°
12 wet
Jun
85° / 65°
11 wet
Jul
89° / 69°
8 wet
Aug
88° / 67°
9 wet
Sep
80° / 59°
8 wet
Oct
68° / 47°
9 wet
Nov
55° / 37°
8 wet · 1 snow
Dec
44° / 27°
8 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Columbia U Of M, MO, 8.5 mi away at 770 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
