West Virginia · Rock climbing · Peterstown

The Dugout

The Dugout in West Virginia has 7 bouldering routes across 4 difficulty grades.

7 routes
V0 – V5
Bouldering

Best time to visit The Dugout

Best months: March–April and July–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° / 25°

    11 wet · 3 snow

  2. Feb

    46° / 27°

    11 wet · 3 snow

  3. Mar

    56° / 33°

    12 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    68° / 42°

    12 wet

  5. May

    76° / 51°

    14 wet

  6. Jun

    82° / 60°

    13 wet

  7. Jul

    85° / 64°

    12 wet

  8. Aug

    84° / 64°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 57°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    68° / 45°

    8 wet

  11. Nov

    56° / 34°

    9 wet

  12. Dec

    45° / 29°

    11 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bluestone Lake, WV, 11.3 mi away at 1,390 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Dugout is a bouldering area in West Virginia, set within the Bluestone Lake Wildlife Management Area and managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Main Area Bouldering, Hershey Boulder and The Blok all about 0.1 mile away. The area is a bouldering destination, with seven routes spread across the V0 to V5 range. The easiest are Dugout Arete and Dugout Easy Ones at V0, and the hardest is Trickle Dynamics at V5, which was first climbed by Andy Quillen and Shawn McCauley in 1998. Dugout Sloper Problem is a V2 option, and Ankle Grater Problem and Dugout Traverse are both V4. For timing, September and October are the most comfortable months, with typical highs around 79°F and 68°F and fewer wet days than the rest of the year. Those figures are typical averages from a nearby weather station at Bluestone Lake, about 11 miles away. Within a short drive, the Pipestem Knob Trail and Knob Ridge hikes are about 6.5 to 7 miles off, and Rich Creek offers canoeing at roughly 7 miles.

Routes (7)