Whippoorwill
Whippoorwill, West Virginia climbing crag with 62 routes.
- 62 routes
- 5.6 – 5.12c
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
Best time to visit Whippoorwill
Best months: April–October. 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
52° / 29°
Apr
65° / 38°
May
72° / 48°
Jun
78° / 57°
Jul
81° / 61°
Aug
80° / 59°
Sep
75° / 53°
Oct
65° / 41°
Nov
54° / 32°
Dec
45° / 26°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Summersville Lake, WV, 2.3 mi away at 1,768 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Whippoorwill is a climbing area in West Virginia's Summersville Recreation Area, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It sits among several other climbing destinations within a short distance, including Lost World and Long Point, and the Gauley River flows just a few hundred yards away. The area has 62 climbing routes, with sport climbing making up the majority at 44 routes and traditional routes at 16. Grades range from 5.6 up to 5.12c. Some of the named routes include Tacos Pescados, a sport climb at 5.11d, and Johnny Bravo, a trad climb at 5.10a. For comfortable weather, late spring and early fall are the sweet spots. Typical averages from the nearby Summersville Lake weather station run from highs around 72°F in May to about 75°F in September, with July highs near 81°F. Climbers Trail, a hike about 0.8 miles away, and Summersville Lake Shelters, a campground about 2.3 miles away, round out the nearby options.
Routes (62)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Coliseum
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Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Gun Wall
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Gun Wall in West Virginia has 10 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)DC Memorial Boulder
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DC Memorial Boulder in West Virginia has 13 sport climbing routes across 11 difficulty grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Long Wall
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Long Wall, The is a climbing area in West Virginia with 21 routes.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Narcissus Cave
~2 min drive
Narcissus Cave in West Virginia has 18 climbing routes across 14 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Circus Wall
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Circus Wall in West Virginia has 12 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Lost World
~1 min drive
Lost World in West Virginia has 7 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Long Point
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Long Point in West Virginia offers 57 climbing routes across 22 grades, with sport and trad options.
Pirate's Cove
~1 min drive
Pirate's Cove in West Virginia has 9 climbing routes with 8 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.
The Satisfaction Wall
~2 min drive
14-route climbing area in West Virginia with sport and trad options.
