West Virginia · Rock climbing · Fayetteville

Sunshine Buttress

Sunshine Buttress in West Virginia has 17 climbing routes across 12 grades.

17 routes
5.9 – 5.13c
Bouldering · Sport · Trad

Is Sunshine 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 Sunshine Buttress

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, 3.5 mi away at 1,296 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Sunshine Buttress is a climbing area in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, managed by the National Park Service. It sits about 0.8 miles from the town of Ames, making it an easy stop for climbers and hikers exploring the park. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 75°F and September highs around 78°F, with lows in the 40s and 50s. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the buttress, so temperatures here run slightly cooler. Several other climbing areas and trails are close by. Sunshine Boulder is just 0.2 miles away, and the 4 Promised Area and Jaws Boulder are each about half a mile off. The Bridge Trail is also within half a mile.

Routes (17)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Interp BouldersPhoto: sbennett1298, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Interp Boulders

~1 min drive

Interp Boulders in West Virginia offers 5 bouldering routes across 4 difficulty grades.

Moe AreaPhoto: sbennett1298, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Moe Area

~1 min drive

Moe Area in West Virginia has 7 bouldering routes across 6 grades.

Ronski FeintPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ronski Feint

~1 min drive

Ronski Feint is a West Virginia climbing crag with 5 routes.

Tuggin' ShackPhoto: sbennett1298, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tuggin' Shack

~1 min drive

Tuggin' Shack is a West Virginia climbing crag with 10 routes and bouldering pads.

Zealous AreaPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Zealous Area

~1 min drive

Zealous Area in West Virginia has 8 traditional climbing routes across 7 grades.

Beer WallPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Beer Wall

~2 min drive

Beer Wall in West Virginia has 18 climbing routes across 13 grades, featuring bouldering pads, sport, and trad.

Bubba ButtressPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bubba Buttress

~2 min drive

Bubba Buttress in West Virginia has 17 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Central BubbaPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Central Bubba

~2 min drive

Central Bubba in West Virginia has 12 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering sport and traditional styles.

Rainbow Ledge AreaPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rainbow Ledge Area

~2 min drive

Rainbow Ledge Area in West Virginia has 8 routes with sport and trad climbing.

Sunshine Boulder

~0 min drive

7 bouldering routes in West Virginia spanning 5 difficulty grades.