North Carolina · Rock climbing · Balsam Grove

Looking Glass Boulders

Looking Glass Boulders in North Carolina has 4 bouldering routes.

Photo: Osajus Photography, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

4 routes

V1-2 – V3-

Bouldering

Is Looking Glass Boulders open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name Looking Glass Boulders, 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, 7:20 pm EDT · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Looking Glass Boulders

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, 6.2 mi away at 2,175 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Looking Glass Boulders is a bouldering area in the Pisgah Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, managed by the Forest Service. It sits in the heart of a cluster of climbing spots, with Sun Wall and the Nose Area both about 0.1 mile away. The boulders here offer four routes, all rated for bouldering and ranging from V1-2 to V3-4 on the V scale. The easiest is Suzie Q (V1-2), the hardest is Beep Bops Big Birthday (V3-4), and in between are Slurpee Slab (V2-3) and Slipe and Slide (V3-). The bouldering is the main draw, and the close proximity of other climbing areas makes it easy to string together a day on the rock. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from the Brevard weather station, about 6 miles away, show May highs around 75°F and September highs around 77°F. That station sits roughly 1,200 feet below the boulders, so expect temperatures here to run cooler. Headwater Road, a mountain biking route, is about half a mile away, and Upper Cove Creek Roadside Campsites is about a mile off for an overnight stay. The Davidson River, about 1.5 miles away, offers paddling.