Bat Cave Boulder
Bat Cave Boulder in West Virginia has 9 routes across 8 grades.
Photo: Ryan Stavely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 9 routes
- V1 – V11
- Bouldering
Best time to visit Bat Cave Boulder
Best months: April–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
42° / 23°
Feb
46° / 25°
Mar
55° / 31°
Apr
68° / 40°
May
75° / 49°
Jun
81° / 58°
Jul
84° / 62°
Aug
83° / 61°
Sep
78° / 54°
Oct
68° / 43°
Nov
56° / 33°
Dec
46° / 27°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV, 1.4 mi away at 1,296 ft. The station sits about 500 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Bat Cave Boulder is a bouldering area in West Virginia's Cotton Hill Wildlife Management Area, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. It sits among a cluster of bouldering spots, with Slitty Titty Boulder and Malone Boulder each about 0.1 mile away and Highball Boulder about 0.2 mile off, so it works well as a stop among several climbing areas in the same part of the management area. The climbing here is all bouldering, with nine routes on the V scale ranging from V1 to V11. Wonder Boy is the easiest at V1, and Mega Mite is the hardest at V11. The Dancing Outlaw and Spicy Sweet are in the mid-range at V5 and V6. The V11 route was first climbed by Nick Kawecki on April 2nd, 2021. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable seasons. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 75°F and lows near 49°F in May to highs near 78°F and lows around 54°F in September. That station sits about 522 feet below the boulders, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several trails lie within a short distance. Cliffside Trail is about 0.9 mile away, Loop Trail is about 1 mile away, and Hawk's Nest Rail Trail is about 1.4 miles away.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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