Chickies Rock  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  40.0516, -76.525 Map Page Views:  10,151. Good page? (2 likes)    Administrator:  Justin Johnsen Submitted By:  Ross Purnell on Feb 14, 2008 Make this area a Favorite What's New Guidebooks (1)  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

BETA PHOTO: main wall at Chickies

Description 

Chickies Rock is a traditional climbing crag on cliffs rising over the east bank of the Susquehanna River. It has single- and multi-pitch routes, ranging from 5.0 to 5.10+ or 5.11-, on adequate quality metamorphic rock. It's popular to climb on top rope on the Main Face, with slings and trad protection to build anchors; you'll find no bolts here!

The crag is in the eponymous Chickies Rock Park. The rock itself is Lower Cambrian Chickies Quartzite. Chickies Rock is the largest exposed anticline on the East Coast. According to USGS, the summit of the ridge is 587 feet (179 metres) above sea level. The state park info says the cliff is 200 feet tall--and that might be true by the overlook, but at the south end--on the face where the main crowd climbs--the cliff is about 150 feet. Maybe 75-100 feet up to Riverview Ledge, and then another 50 feet up the Block if you try for a second pitch; very few people do that.

Getting There 

Chickies is just off Highway 441 near Columbia, PA. Use this map as a reference:

www.co.lancaster.pa.us/parks/lib/parks/Chickies_rev.pdf

The parking area indicated by the "P" on chickies Rock Overlook Trail is NOT where you want to park. This is a longer hike and ends at the top of the overlook. the best place to park is to the north where the Susquehanna Heritage Trail meets 441. It's a pullout beside a grassy area with a few white municipal buildings. Follow the trail to the south along the river and old railway tracks to the far south end of the rock.

Rock Type 

Lower Cambrian Chickies Quartzite : "light-gray to white, hard, massive quartzite and quartz schist with thin interbedded dark slate at top."

Governance 

Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation

The Classics

Featured Route For Chickies Rock

Witches Brew 5.3 PG13  PA : Chickies Rock : 4 Main Wall

I have seen different descriptions of Witches Brew and Witches Brew Direct. In my opinion, "Direct" is the only version worth considering. Any escape to the left of right does not make the climbing any easier, and you miss the best part of the climb.Due to the length of the climb, the first time I did this I did it in two pitches, setting up a belay on the loose ledges at the base of the chimney. Don't do this. There is tons of loose rock on these ledges, rope management here sends showers of ro...[more]   Browse More Classics in PA

Photos of Chickies Rock Slideshow

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main wall at chickies	BETA PHOTO: Chickies Main Wall topo from Chickies climbing gui...	BETA PHOTO: Tanya on the final headwall of Sunday Morning.
BETA PHOTO: Ryan following on Main St.	Decent perspective on the problem