Main Tier
Main Tier in North Carolina has 30 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
- 30 routes
- 5.7 – 5.13-
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Is Main Tier open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name Main Tier, 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 · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Main Tier
Best months: April–October. 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
39° / 21°
Feb
42° / 24°
Mar
50° / 30°
Apr
60° / 40°
May
66° / 48°
Jun
73° / 55°
Jul
77° / 60°
Aug
75° / 58°
Sep
70° / 53°
Oct
60° / 42°
Nov
51° / 32°
Dec
42° / 26°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Blowing Rock 1nw, NC, 5.5 mi away at 3,850 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Main Tier is a climbing area in North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway, within the Grandfather Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina. The National Park Service manages the land, and there is no fee to visit. The area has 30 routes, mostly traditional, with two sport routes and one mixed. Grades run from 5.7 up to 5.13-, with the median around 5.11a. Among the named routes are Buffalo Nickel at 5.7, Anguish of Captain Bligh at 5.11b, and Fire in the Hole at 5.13-. Summer is the warmest stretch, with typical July highs around 77°F and lows near 60°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Blowing Rock. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 39°F. Better Late Than Never Wall sits just 0.1 mile away, and Black Magic Boulder is about half a mile off. The Tanawha Trail and Daniel Boone Scout Trail are both within a mile.
Routes (30)
Facts about this crag
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