New York · Rock climbing · Keene

Owls Head Mountain

6 routes
5.6 – 5.8
Trad · Mixed

Owls Head Mountain is a climbing area in New York's High Peaks Wilderness, managed by the State Department of Conservation. It sits within the High Peaks Wilderness, a protected landscape of steep peaks and high-country terrain, and is a compact destination for climbers who want to reach the rock on its own or pair it with a nearby trail. The climbing here is straightforward. Six routes are listed, all trad except for one mixed climb, and they run from about 5.6 to 5.8 on the YDS scale. Central AC and Wind Song are both 5.6 trad routes, Owl Crack is a mixed 5.6, and Peckers is a 5.8. The easiest of them, Central AC, is a natural starting point for a day on the mountain. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July highs reach about 74°F with lows near 54°F, according to averages from a weather station near Lake Placid, and June and August run only slightly cooler. Winter is cold, with typical January highs in the low 20s. The Owls Head Trail lies just 0.4 miles away, and the Pitchoff Mountain Trail is about 1.2 miles off. Climbers can also look to the C: Keene Region, 1.1 miles away, and the Barkeater Cliff, about 2.1 miles away.

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Owls Head Mountain

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. 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

      23° / 6°

      18 wet

    2. Feb

      27° / 8°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      36° / 16°

      14 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 29°

      14 wet

    5. May

      62° / 40°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 49°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      74° / 54°

      14 wet

    8. Aug

      73° / 52°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 45°

      13 wet

    10. Oct

      52° / 35°

      15 wet

    11. Nov

      40° / 25°

      16 wet

    12. Dec

      28° / 14°

      18 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Placid 2 S, NY, 8.9 mi away at 1,888 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (6)

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