North Carolina · Rock climbing · Balsam Grove

Nose Area

Nose Area in North Carolina has 12 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

Photo: ninepennies, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

12 routes

5.8 – 5.12a

Trad · Sport

Is Nose Area open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name Nose Area, 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 26, 10:25 am EDT · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Nose Area

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, 6.3 mi away at 2,175 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Nose Area is a climbing area in the Pisgah Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Looking Glass Boulders and Sun Wall both about 0.1 mile away. The area has 12 routes, 11 of them trad and one sport, with grades ranging from 5.8- to 5.12a. Sundial Crack is the easiest at 5.8-, and Linear Progression is the hardest at 5.12a. The first ascent of Sundial Crack was by Bob Mitchell and Will Fulton in 1972. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Brevard show May highs around 75°F and October highs around 69°F, while July averages about 83°F and winter highs sit in the low 50s. The Sunwall hike and North Face hike are both about half a mile away. Upper Cove Creek Roadside Campsites are about a mile off, and the Davidson River, a paddling route, is about 1.6 miles away.