Virginia · Rock climbing · Etlan

Lower Sunset Wall

Lower Sunset WallPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
9 routes
5.5 – 5.12c
Trad · Sport
Apr–Oct
best months

Clear at last check

Weather is good · OpenWeather · checked 17 h ago

Is Lower Sunset Wall open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Shenandoah National Park. It doesn't name Lower Sunset Wall, so check the source for the area it covers.

  • Active Closure

    Park closure covering Shenandoah National Park · NPS · Shenandoah National Park

  • Parking at Boundary Access Areas

    Park alert covering Shenandoah National Park · NPS · Shenandoah National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Shenandoah National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Lower Sunset Wall is a climbing area in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, within the Shenandoah Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and the area sits in designated wilderness. It's part of a cluster of climbing spots that also includes Eagle's Gift and Lower God's Area, all about a tenth of a mile away. The closest trail, Saddle Trail, is about 0.2 miles off, and Ridge Trail is about 1.1 miles away. The wall offers a range of climbing styles. Of its nine routes, seven are trad and two are sport. Grades run from 5.5 up to 5.12c, with the median around 5.10a. Super Sunset Crack, at 5.12c, is the hardest of the listed routes, and Sunset Crack is a 5.11- trad climb. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Big Meadows weather station, about 7 miles away, show July highs around 75°F and lows near 59°F. That station sits about 425 feet lower than the wall, so temperatures on the wall run a little cooler. A fee is charged for visiting the area. For overnight stays, Big Meadows Campground is about 7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Lower Sunset Wall

    Best months: April–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

      36° / 19°

    2. Feb

      38° / 22°

    3. Mar

      44° / 27°

    4. Apr

      57° / 37°

    5. May

      64° / 46°

    6. Jun

      70° / 54°

    7. Jul

      75° / 59°

    8. Aug

      73° / 58°

    9. Sep

      69° / 52°

    10. Oct

      58° / 42°

    11. Nov

      48° / 32°

    12. Dec

      39° / 24°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Meadows, VA, 7.1 mi away at 3,540 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (9)

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

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