New York · Rock climbing · Red House

The Bear Caves

14 routes
V1 – V7
Bouldering
Jun–Sep
best months

The Bear Caves is a bouldering area in Allegany State Park in western New York, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits within the park's state park land, and Welcome Boulder lies just 0.3 miles away, making it an easy pairing for climbers exploring the park's rock. The area is a bouldering destination, with 14 routes all rated on the V scale. The grades run from V1 to V7, with the median at V3. Among the named routes are Chalk, Please (V1), Capstone (V5) and Enigma of Desire (V7), so climbers can choose between easier and more challenging problems. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 56°F, while winter highs stay in the low 30s. Thunder Rocks, another climbing area, is about 5 miles away. Eastwood Meadows Trail and Flagg Trail are both about 3 miles off, and Tracy Ridge Rec Area offers camping roughly 6 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit The Bear Caves

    Best months: June–September. 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

      32° / 15°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 15°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 21°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      56° / 32°

      13 wet

    5. May

      68° / 43°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      76° / 52°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 56°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 55°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      71° / 48°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 38°

      13 wet

    11. Nov

      47° / 30°

      14 wet

    12. Dec

      36° / 22°

      16 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Allegany Sp, NY, 6.4 mi away at 1,500 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (14)