North Carolina · Rock climbing · Lake Lure

Tail of the Cat Area

Tail of the Cat Area in North Carolina has 8 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering mixed and traditional climbing.

Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

8 routes

5.5 – 5.11a

Trad · Mixed

Best time to visit Tail of the Cat 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, 3 mi away at 1,040 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Tail of the Cat Area is a climbing area in North Carolina, about 1.3 miles from the town of Quail Ridge. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with the Flakeview Area and Screamweaver Area each about 0.2 miles away. The area offers a mix of trad and mixed climbing, with eight routes in total. Grades run from 5.5 to 5.11a, and the hardest is Nine Lives, a mixed route at 5.11a. Catwalk is a trad route at 5.5, and Octopussy is a mixed route at 5.8. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the Lake Lure 2 weather station, about 3 miles away, show October highs near 72°F with lows around 47°F, while July highs average about 88°F. Nearby, the Rumbling Bald Loop hike is about 0.6 miles away and Lake Lure is about 1.8 miles away.