North Carolina · Rock climbing · Brevard

Cathey's Creek Crag

Cathey's Creek Crag in North Carolina has 11 climbing routes across 9 difficulty grades.

11 routes

5.7 – 5.14a

Sport · Mixed · Trad

Is Cathey's Creek Crag open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name Cathey's Creek Crag, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

Rainbow Springs Road closed for reconstruction
Agency closure covering National Forests in North Carolina · USFS · National Forests in North Carolina
Closures in anticipation of Hurricane Isaias
Agency closure covering National Forests in North Carolina · USFS · National Forests in North Carolina
Siddie Fields Day Use Area closed for improvements
Agency alert covering National Forests in North Carolina · USFS · National Forests in North Carolina
Pisgah National Forest Driving Safety Alert
Agency alert covering National Forests in North Carolina · USFS · National Forests in North Carolina

As of Oct 25, 11:15 pm EDT · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Cathey's Creek Crag

Best months: March–May and September–November. 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
49° / 25°
10 wet · 1 snow
Feb
53° / 27°
10 wet · 1 snow
Mar
60° / 33°
12 wet
Apr
69° / 41°
11 wet
May
75° / 50°
12 wet
Jun
81° / 58°
14 wet
Jul
83° / 62°
15 wet
Aug
82° / 62°
14 wet
Sep
77° / 55°
10 wet
Oct
69° / 43°
9 wet
Nov
59° / 32°
8 wet
Dec
51° / 28°
10 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Brevard, NC, 3.8 mi away at 2,175 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Cathey's Creek Crag is a climbing area in the Pisgah Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, managed by the Forest Service. It sits within easy reach of several other destinations, including the climbing area of The Cave just 0.1 mile away and the paddling route on Catheys Creek, about 0.6 mile off. The crag offers a range of climbing styles. Eleven routes are listed, with sport climbing the most common, and grades run from 5.7 to 5.14a. Among them are sport routes such as Crown Royal at 5.12- and Gateway Crack Extension at 5.11b, and the boulder route River Chatter at 5.14a. Trad climbers can find GateWay Crack at 5.7. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Brevard put May highs around 75°F and October highs around 69°F, with July the warmest month at about 83°F. Paddlers can head to Catheys Creek or the North Fork French Broad River, about 4 miles away. Cedar Rock, a climbing area 1.7 miles off, and the Cedar Rock Mountain Trail, about 2.1 miles away, round out the options.