North Carolina · Rock climbing · Lake Lure

Lakeview Area

Lakeview Area in North Carolina has 12 climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

12 routes

5.10 – 5.12a

Trad · Mixed · Sport

Best time to visit Lakeview 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.

Jan
50° / 28°
9 wet
Feb
55° / 30°
8 wet
Mar
62° / 36°
9 wet
Apr
72° / 44°
9 wet
May
78° / 54°
10 wet
Jun
85° / 63°
11 wet
Jul
88° / 67°
11 wet
Aug
87° / 66°
10 wet
Sep
81° / 59°
8 wet
Oct
72° / 47°
7 wet
Nov
63° / 36°
7 wet
Dec
53° / 30°
8 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Lure 2, NC, 2.5 mi away at 1,040 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Lakeview Area is a climbing area in North Carolina, about a mile from the town of Quail Ridge. It sits right next to several other climbing spots, including Rumbling Bald, the Hickory Nutcracker Area and The Cave, all within about a tenth of a mile. That makes it easy to pair with a visit to those areas or to build a day around the cluster. The climbing here is mostly trad, with a few mixed routes and one sport route. The grade range runs from 5.10b to 5.12a, with the median around 5.11. Among the named routes are Lakeview, a 5.10b mixed climb, and Zinnea's Zen, a 5.11b trad route. Black Dome Dementia, a 5.11d trad route, and Guppies with a twist, a 5.12a, round out the harder options. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. 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. That station sits roughly 576 feet lower than the area, so temperatures on the rock run a little cooler. The Rumbling Bald Loop hike is about 0.4 miles away, and the Party Rock Trail is about 0.7 miles off. Lake Lure, a fishing spot, is about 1.3 miles away, and the Great Woodlands Adventure Trail is about 2.1 miles away.