5) Burning Buttress
5) Burning Buttress in West Virginia has 17 routes with 11 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
- 17 routes
- 5.9 – 5.13b
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Is 5) Burning Buttress open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
As of · Source: NPS · New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit 5) Burning Buttress
Best months: June–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.
Jan
41° / 23°
15 wet
Feb
44° / 25°
13 wet
Mar
52° / 31°
14 wet
Apr
64° / 41°
14 wet
May
72° / 50°
14 wet
Jun
79° / 58°
12 wet
Jul
81° / 61°
12 wet
Aug
81° / 60°
11 wet
Sep
75° / 54°
9 wet
Oct
65° / 42°
10 wet
Nov
54° / 33°
11 wet
Dec
45° / 27°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Oak Hill, WV, 8.5 mi away at 2,040 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Burning Buttress is a climbing area in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within a cluster of other named climbing areas, and its name fits with the rugged terrain of the park. The area holds 17 climbing routes, with 12 of them in trad and 4 in sport. The YDS grades run from 5.9 to 5.13b. Among the standouts are "East Meets West" at 5.9, "Burning Calves" at 5.10b and "The Sportster" at 5.13b. "Grace Note" is a sport route at 5.12b. September is the most comfortable month to visit, with typical highs around 75°F and lows near 54°F and the fewest wet days of the year. A nearby weather station in Oak Hill, WV, sits at a similar elevation to the area, so its typical averages should be a fair guide. Several other climbing areas sit within a tenth of a mile, including Beauty Mountain, 3) The Brain and 6) Middle Beauty. The Keeneys Creek Rail Trail is about 0.4 miles away for a walk off the rock.
Routes (17)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)R) The Cirque
~1 min drive
R) The Cirque in West Virginia has 27 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades.
Photo: Ryan Stavely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)South Nuttall
~1 min drive
South Nuttall in West Virginia has 18 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)P) Jacob's Ladder Area
~2 min drive
Jacob's Ladder Area in West Virginia has 9 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)I) Honeymooner's Area
~2 min drive
I) Honeymooner's Area in West Virginia has 30 climbing routes across 17 grades.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)G) Diamond Point
~2 min drive
G) Diamond Point in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes with 13 difficulty grades.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)F) Flash Point Area
~3 min drive
F) Flash Point Area in West Virginia has 8 routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: Wv funnyman, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)E) Kaymoor Slabs
~3 min drive
14-route climbing crag in West Virginia with sport and trad options.
Beauty Mountain
~0 min drive
4-route climbing crag in West Virginia with sport and trad options.
[Redacted]
~0 min drive
Redacted in West Virginia has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades.
6) Middle Beauty
~0 min drive
Middle Beauty in West Virginia has 7 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
