Panther Lake Camping Resort
Campground
Campground · 0.7 mi from the trail
New Jersey · Rock climbing · Cranberry Lake · Near Hackettstown
c. Smiley Slopes
- 12 routes
- 5.2 – 5.8+
- Trad · Top Rope
- Apr, Aug–Oct
- best months
Smiley Slopes is a climbing area in New Jersey, about 0.3 miles from the community of Cranberry Lake. It sits among a cluster of named climbing spots, with d. Smiley Face just 0.1 mile away and g. Walsh and h. Kovalcik each about 0.2 mile off. The area is close to the Sussex Branch Trail, a hike about 0.2 mile away, and Cranberry Overlook, about 0.9 mile away. The climbing here is mostly traditional, with 10 trad routes and two top-rope routes among the 12 listed. The YDS grades run from 5.2 to 5.8+, with the median at 5.5. Cast-less Point is the easiest route at 5.2, and BontiQtree is the top-rope option at 5.8+. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 74°F, with July the warmest month at about 84°F. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the slopes, so temperatures on the rock may run slightly cooler.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Salt
Restaurant
On your way back · 2 mi
If it rainsZeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsZinc mine and museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)
More in HackettstownBest time to go · Apr, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit c. Smiley Slopes
Best months: April and August–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.
Jan
36° / 19°
12 wet
Feb
39° / 20°
11 wet
Mar
48° / 28°
12 wet
Apr
61° / 38°
12 wet
May
71° / 48°
13 wet
Jun
79° / 57°
13 wet
Jul
84° / 62°
13 wet
Aug
82° / 60°
12 wet
Sep
74° / 52°
11 wet
Oct
63° / 42°
11 wet
Nov
52° / 32°
11 wet
Dec
41° / 25°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Andover Aeroflex Ap, NJ, 3.5 mi away at 583 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Magpieturtle, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Parsippany Rock House
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Parsippany Rock House in New Jersey has 16 bouldering routes across 11 grades.
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7 top-rope routes at d. Smiley Face in New Jersey span 5 difficulty grades.
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g. Walsh
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g. Walsh in New Jersey has 11 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering top-rope and trad options.
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h. Kovalcik
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h. Kovalcik in New Jersey has 8 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades.
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o. l'Aiguille de NJRG
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p. Steele
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