Pennsylvania · Rock climbing · Penn Township

Walnut Bottom

6 routes
V1 – V10
Bouldering
Apr, Jun
best months

Walnut Bottom is a bouldering area in Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. It sits among a cluster of climbing and mountain biking spots in the forest, with Tumbling Run about 2.7 miles away and Hammond Rocks about 6.5 miles off. The area has six bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V1 to V10. The easiest is Squeeze Me at V1, and the hardest is Malicious Intent at V10, which was first climbed by Travis Gault. Fire Wall is V5, and Counterweight is V7, with Ryan Scurfield on the first ascent. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Shippensburg show May highs around 74°F and September highs around 78°F, while July averages about 87°F. That station sits roughly 800 feet lower than the boulders, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Other nearby options include the Fegley Road mountain biking trail about 6.3 miles away and the Canada Hollow Road trail about 7.3 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun

    Best time to visit Walnut Bottom

    Best months: April, June and August–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.

    1. Jan

      38° / 22°

      11 wet · 5 snow

    2. Feb

      42° / 24°

      10 wet · 5 snow

    3. Mar

      51° / 31°

      11 wet · 3 snow

    4. Apr

      64° / 41°

      12 wet

    5. May

      74° / 51°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      83° / 60°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      87° / 64°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      85° / 62°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      78° / 55°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      66° / 44°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      53° / 34°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    12. Dec

      42° / 27°

      10 wet · 3 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Shippensburg, PA, 8 mi away at 680 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (6)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Devils Den, MainPhoto: Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Devils Den, Main

~34 min drive

7 bouldering routes at Devils Den, Main in Pennsylvania.

Plum RunPhoto: Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Plum Run

~34 min drive

Plum Run is a Pennsylvania climbing area with 8 routes across 4 grades.

Wolf's Head PillarPhoto: TrailVoice, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wolf's Head Pillar

~51 min drive

Wolf's Head Pillar in Maryland has 6 routes with 6 distinct difficulty grades.

The Main WallPhoto: TrailVoice, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Main Wall

~51 min drive

Main Wall, The in Maryland has 14 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades.

Wolf RockPhoto: TrailVoice, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wolf Rock

~51 min drive

Wolf Rock in Maryland has 4 top-rope climbing routes.

Chief BlockPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Chief Block

~52 min drive

Chief Block in Maryland has 5 climbing routes with bouldering pads.

Cunningham FallsPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cunningham Falls

~52 min drive

Cunningham Falls is a Maryland climbing area with 5 routes on bouldering pads.

Cliff Trail BouldersPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cliff Trail Boulders

~52 min drive

41 climbing routes at Cliff Trail Boulders in Maryland.

CLIMB

Tumbling Run

~5 min drive

Tumbling Run in Pennsylvania has 8 bouldering routes ranging from 5.11a to 5.12c.

CLIMB

Hammond Rocks

~11 min drive

Hammond Rocks in Pennsylvania has 6 bouldering routes across 5 grades.