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.
Closures: Detours; Towpath; Points of Interest
Park closure covering Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park · NPS · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Hiking in Gold Mine Tract
Park alert covering Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park · NPS · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
DC Water Sewer Overflow
Park alert covering Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park · NPS · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
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.
Jan
41° / 21°
Feb
44° / 23°
Mar
53° / 29°
Apr
65° / 39°
May
74° / 49°
Jun
82° / 58°
Jul
86° / 62°
Aug
85° / 61°
Sep
78° / 54°
Oct
67° / 42°
Nov
56° / 32°
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.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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Highlands
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Pillar 2 (Shepherdstown Pillar)
~1 min drive
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Gathland
~15 min drive
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