Panther Lake Camping Resort
Campground
Campground · 0.1 mi from the trail
New Jersey · Rock climbing · Whitehall · Near Hackettstown
r. Benes
- 19 routes
- 5.6 – 5.11+
- Top Rope
- Apr, Aug–Oct
- best months
Clear today
Weather is good · OpenWeather · checked 11 h ago
r. Benes is a climbing area in New Jersey, about 0.2 miles from the town of Whitehall. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with s. Ronca and t. Clifford both about 0.1 miles away and c. Smiley Slopes roughly 0.6 miles off. The area is close to several other outdoor options, so it works well as a base for a day of climbing and hiking. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. 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. The Sussex Branch Trail is about 0.4 miles away, and Cranberry Overlook is about 0.6 miles away. Tamarack Park is about 1.1 miles off, and the Musconetcong River, a paddling route, is about 4.2 miles away.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after 
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 r. Benes
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 mi away at 583 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Routes (19)
Face Left -> Flake Right5.10+Right Face5.10cLeft CornersFA: unknown ? awaiting ?5.11+Close Right Ramp5.6Pillar Right Inside Corner5.6Ramp Left5.6Right Crack5.7+Face Left of Corners5.8Left Gully5.8-Pillar Left Chimney5.8-Pillar Right Face5.8-Far Left Face5.8+Pillar Left Face5.8+Left Face5.9Pillar Right Arete5.9Left Ridge5.9-Pillar Left Arete5.9+Far Right RampEasy 5thRight ScrambleEasy 5th
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Magpieturtle, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Parsippany Rock House
~27 min drive
Parsippany Rock House in New Jersey has 16 bouldering routes across 11 grades.
CLIMB
s. Ronca
Next door
s. Ronca in New Jersey has 16 top-rope routes across 10 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
t. Clifford
Next door
t. Clifford in New Jersey has 10 top-rope routes across 6 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
c. Smiley Slopes
~1 min drive
c. Smiley Slopes is a New Jersey climbing area with 12 routes ranging from moderate to hard, offering top-rope and trad options.
CLIMB
d. Smiley Face
~1 min drive
7 top-rope routes at d. Smiley Face in New Jersey span 5 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
g. Walsh
~1 min drive
g. Walsh in New Jersey has 11 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering top-rope and trad options.
CLIMB
Cranberry Hollow
~1 min drive
Cranberry Hollow in New Jersey has 2 top-rope routes with 2 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
h. Kovalcik
~1 min drive
h. Kovalcik in New Jersey has 8 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
k. Krauss
~1 min drive
k. Krauss is a New Jersey climbing area with 7 top-rope routes across 5 grades.
CLIMB
l. Prudden
~1 min drive
l. Prudden in New Jersey has 10 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering top-rope and trad options.
