West Virginia · Rock climbing · Sharpsburg

Shepherdstown Crag

Shepherdstown Crag in West Virginia has 6 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.

6 routes
5.10 – 5.11-
Alpine

Is Shepherdstown Crag open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. It doesn't name Shepherdstown Crag, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: NPS · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Shepherdstown Crag

Best months: April–June 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

    41° / 21°

  2. Feb

    44° / 23°

  3. Mar

    53° / 29°

  4. Apr

    65° / 39°

  5. May

    74° / 49°

  6. Jun

    82° / 58°

  7. Jul

    86° / 62°

  8. Aug

    85° / 61°

  9. Sep

    78° / 54°

  10. Oct

    67° / 42°

  11. Nov

    56° / 32°

  12. Dec

    45° / 25°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD, 5 mi away at 400 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Shepherdstown Crag is a climbing area in West Virginia within Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among the park's land, and the closest named climbing area is Pillar 2 (Shepherdstown Pillar), about 0.4 miles away. The crag's six routes are all alpine in style, with grades ranging from 5.10- to 5.11-. Among them are Jakes Right at 5.10-, The Grin Reaper at 5.10, and Davis Special Direct at 5.11-. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Sharpsburg, Maryland, run to highs around 74°F in May and 78°F in September, with July peaking near 86°F. Nearby, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail and Hawkins-FA Connect are both about 3 miles away. Rohrbach Group Campground is about 3.6 miles off, and Gathland, a climbing area in Maryland, is about 8.5 miles away.

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