North Carolina · Rock climbing · Mill Spring

French Maid Area

French Maid Area in North Carolina has 10 bouldering routes across 9 grades.

10 routes
V0 – V10
Bouldering

Best time to visit French Maid Area

Best months: February–June 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.

  1. Jan

    50° / 28°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    55° / 30°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    62° / 36°

    9 wet

  4. Apr

    72° / 44°

    9 wet

  5. May

    78° / 54°

    10 wet

  6. Jun

    85° / 63°

    11 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 67°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    87° / 66°

    10 wet

  9. Sep

    81° / 59°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    72° / 47°

    7 wet

  11. Nov

    63° / 36°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    53° / 30°

    8 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Lure 2, NC, 5.1 mi away at 1,040 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

French Maid Area is a bouldering area in North Carolina, about 2.3 miles from the town of Sunny View. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Gateway Boulders and Washing Machine Boulder each about 0.1 mile away. The area holds 10 bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V0 to V10. The hardest is Tim the Wizard (sit) at V10, and the easiest is Hostess With The Mostest at V0. French Maid itself is a V7 route. The median grade is V4, so the boulders here range from easy to challenging. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lake Lure show October highs around 72°F with lows near 47°F, and April is similar at about 72°F by day and 44°F at night. Summer runs hotter, with July highs near 88°F. Other climbing is close by, including West Side Boulders about 2.6 miles away and The Obscure Area about 5 miles out. For a walk, Mountain Vista Trail and Mountain Laurel Trail are both about 4.6 miles away.

Routes (10)