Tennessee · Rock climbing · Lancing

The Inner Circle

Inner Circle, The in Tennessee has 10 sport climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.

The Inner CirclePhoto: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
10 routes
5.10a – 5.12c
Sport

Is Inner Circle, The open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Obed Wild and Scenic River.

As of · Source: NPS · Obed Wild and Scenic River. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Inner Circle

Best months: March–April and August–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.

  1. Jan

    46° / 26°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    50° / 28°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    59° / 34°

    11 wet

  4. Apr

    69° / 42°

    11 wet

  5. May

    76° / 51°

    13 wet

  6. Jun

    83° / 59°

    13 wet

  7. Jul

    86° / 63°

    13 wet

  8. Aug

    85° / 62°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    80° / 54°

    10 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 43°

    10 wet

  11. Nov

    59° / 34°

    9 wet

  12. Dec

    50° / 29°

    11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lancing 6 Nw, TN, 3.9 mi away at 1,520 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Inner Circle is a climbing area within the Obed Wild and Scenic River in Tennessee, set among a cluster of other climbing spots that sit just a short distance apart. It is a sport climbing area, and its routes run from about 5.10a up to 5.12c, with the hardest of them, Good to the Last Pop, at 5.12c. The area is close to several other climbing areas, including North Clear Creek, Squeeze Ledge and Stephen King Library, all about 0.1 mile away. The Point Trail is about half a mile off for a walk. Rock Creek Campground (TN) is about 3 miles away for an overnight stay. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 70°F, with July peaking near 86°F. The routes here are all sport, and the area's namesake, The Inner Circle, is a 5.12a climb. Double Trouble is the easiest at 5.10a, and Indecent Exposure and The Rail are both 5.11c.

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