North Carolina · Rock climbing · Brevard

South Side

South Side in North Carolina has 10 traditional climbing routes across 7 grades.

10 routes

5.6 – 5.10-

Trad

Is South Side open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name South Side, 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, 9:15 pm EDT · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit South Side

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, 4 mi away at 2,175 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

South Side 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 and hiking destinations, with Cedar Rock and Cedar Rock Mountain Trail both about 0.3 miles away. The area has 10 trad routes, with grades ranging from 5.6 to 5.10-. Among them are Angry Nomad at 5.6, The Columbian at 5.6, and Glam Utopia at 5.10-. The routes are all trad, and the hardest of them, Glam Utopia, was first climbed by Sean Coburn, Brad Woolf, Jeff Jenkins and John Saunders. For timing, fall is a comfortable window. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Brevard show October highs around 69°F with lows near 43°F, and the station sits well below the climbing area, so temperatures up high run cooler. Summer is warmer and wetter, with July highs near 83°F and about 15 wet days. Cedar Rock Mountain Trail and New Butter Gap Trail are both within a mile. The Davidson River, about 2 miles away, offers paddling, and Upper Cove Creek Roadside Campsites is about 4 miles off.