West Virginia · Rock climbing · Fayette

Fern Gully

11 traditional climbing routes at Fern Gully in West Virginia.

11 routes
5.4 – 5.11-
Trad

Is Fern Gully 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 Fern Gully

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.

  1. Jan

    42° / 23°

  2. Feb

    46° / 25°

  3. Mar

    55° / 31°

  4. Apr

    68° / 40°

  5. May

    75° / 49°

  6. Jun

    81° / 58°

  7. Jul

    84° / 62°

  8. Aug

    83° / 61°

  9. Sep

    78° / 54°

  10. Oct

    68° / 43°

  11. Nov

    56° / 33°

  12. Dec

    46° / 27°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV, 4.8 mi away at 1,296 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Fern Gully is a climbing area in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of named climbing areas, including the 3) Workmen's Buttress, 5) Wild Seed Area and 6) Thieves Area, all within about a tenth of a mile. The Fern Buttress is also close by. The climbing here is all trad, with 11 routes spread across a range from 5.4 to 5.11. The easiest is Andrew's Fart Hole at 5.4, and the hardest is Scrawny Ruffian's Route at 5.11. Mild Seed and Triple Trash are both 5.10, and Fallboard is 5.11-. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 75°F in May to about 78°F in September, with July peaking near 84°F. The Endless Wall Climbers' Access Trail is about half a mile away, and the Endless Wall Trail is about 0.7 miles off. Paddlers can find Manns Creek roughly 8 miles away.

Routes (11)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

E) Kaymoor SlabsPhoto: Wv funnyman, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

E) Kaymoor Slabs

~1 min drive

14-route climbing crag in West Virginia with sport and trad options.

F) Flash Point AreaPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

F) Flash Point Area

~1 min drive

F) Flash Point Area in West Virginia has 8 routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

I) Honeymooner's AreaPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

I) Honeymooner's Area

~1 min drive

I) Honeymooner's Area in West Virginia has 30 climbing routes across 17 grades.

G) Diamond PointPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

G) Diamond Point

~1 min drive

G) Diamond Point in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes with 13 difficulty grades.

3) Workmen's Buttress

~0 min drive

3) Workmen's Buttress in West Virginia has 9 climbing routes across 7 grades.

5) Wild Seed Area

~0 min drive

Wild Seed Area in West Virginia has 10 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.

6) Thieves Area

~0 min drive

6) Thieves Area in West Virginia has 13 climbing routes across 9 grades.

Fern Buttress

~0 min drive

Fern Buttress in West Virginia has 13 climbing routes ranging over 11 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

7) Orchard Wall

~0 min drive

7) Orchard Wall in West Virginia offers 14 climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades, with sport and trad options.

8) Ritz Cracker Area

~1 min drive

8) Ritz Cracker Area in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes in mixed, sport, and trad styles.