The Dark Side (Closed to climbing, included for historic reference)
Dark Side (Closed to climbing, included for historic reference) is a climbing area in North Carolina with 6 routes.
- 6 routes
- 5.8 – 5.11c
- Trad · Mixed · Sport
Best time to visit The Dark Side (Closed to climbing, included for historic reference)
Best months: February–May and September–December. 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
53° / 31°
9 wet
Feb
57° / 33°
8 wet
Mar
65° / 39°
9 wet
Apr
75° / 47°
9 wet
May
81° / 56°
9 wet
Jun
87° / 64°
9 wet
Jul
90° / 69°
10 wet
Aug
88° / 67°
10 wet
Sep
83° / 61°
7 wet
Oct
74° / 49°
7 wet
Nov
63° / 38°
7 wet
Dec
55° / 33°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sanford 8 Ne, NC, 13.8 mi away at 262 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Dark Side is a climbing area in North Carolina, about 3 miles from the town of Goldston. It is closed to climbing and is included here for historic reference rather than as an active destination. Several other climbing areas sit right beside it, including Hound Ears, Desperado Wall and The Main Wall, each about 0.1 mile away. The area's climbing routes run from about 5.8 to 5.11c on the YDS scale, with three trad routes, two mixed routes and one sport route. The hardest is Mini Cougar at 5.11c, and the easiest is Outwit, Outplay, Outlast at 5.8. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Sanford show October highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F, and April highs around 75°F. Summer is hot, with July highs averaging about 90°F. Paddlers can head to Bear Creek, about 4 miles away, or Indian Creek, about 5 miles away. Hikers will find Rocky Bluffs Trail roughly 6.5 miles off.
Routes (6)
Mini Cougar, The(1)
Survivor Wall, The(2)
Un-named wall - - Right of Desperado (middle wall)(3)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Haw River Boulders
~22 min drive
Haw River Boulders in North Carolina has 10 bouldering routes across 7 grades.
Carrboro/University Lake boulders
~41 min drive
12 bouldering routes at Carrboro/University Lake, North Carolina.
Eastern Region
~52 min drive
Eastern Region in North Carolina has 8 bouldering routes across 5 grades.
North Cary Park Boulders
~54 min drive
North Cary Park Boulders in North Carolina has 9 bouldering routes rated across 8 difficulty grades.
Raleigh area climbing
~59 min drive
Raleigh area climbing in North Carolina has 2 routes.
Lake Raleigh Boulders
~1h drive
16 bouldering routes in North Carolina spanning 12 difficulty grades.
NC States Campus
~1h 2m drive
NC States Campus in North Carolina has 2 climbing routes with bouldering and trad options.
NCSU Traverse Wall
~1h 2m drive
NCSU Traverse Wall in North Carolina has 7 climbing routes with bouldering and trad.
Piedmont Region
~1h 14m drive
12 bouldering routes in North Carolina's Piedmont Region range across 9 difficulty grades.
Bold Moon preserve boulder
~1h 16m drive
Bold Moon preserve boulder in North Carolina has 5 bouldering routes.
