New York · Rock climbing · Old Chatham

Dorson's Rock

14 routes
V0 – V3
Bouldering
Apr–Oct
best months

Dorson's Rock is a bouldering area in New York, about a mile from the village of Old Chatham. It is a compact spot with 14 boulder problems, all of them boulders rather than routes, and the boulders sit right beside the White trail, so it pairs easily with a short walk. The climbing is bouldering only. The problems range from V0- to V3, with most around V1. Some of the named boulders include Wimsicle, Easy Flake and Matthew'z Comeback, and Lifes A Reach is the hardest at V3. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July highs reach about 83°F with lows near 62°F, according to averages from a nearby weather station. The station sits about 400 feet below the boulders, so temperatures up top run a little cooler. The White trail starts just 0.1 mile away. Hand Hollow Conservation Area and the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail are within about 7 miles. For an overnight stay, Spacious Skies Campgrounds - Woodland Hills is roughly 9 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Dorson's Rock

    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

      34° / 16°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 18°

      7 wet

    3. Mar

      45° / 27°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      59° / 37°

      10 wet

    5. May

      71° / 48°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      79° / 58°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      83° / 62°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      82° / 60°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      75° / 52°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      62° / 41°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 32°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      39° / 23°

      9 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Valatie 1 N, NY, 5.8 mi away at 300 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (14)

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