Laurel Knob  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  1,200' Lat, Long:  35.1503, -83.0564 Map Page Views:  143,709. Good page? (4 likes)    Administrators:  saxfiend, Edward Medina, Ryan Williams, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  andjoely on Nov 17, 2006 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 72° | 57° 73° | 59° 72° | 59° 70° | 59° 72° | 59°

2013 Closures MORE INFO >>> Big Lost Cove Cliffs are closed to climbing due to the local falcon population This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Laurel Knob and Dillard canyon from above 09/08

Description 

For many years, Laurel Knob was The Un-named Crag, a secret destination known to the chosen few. Climbing was illegal here, but that didn’t stop the determined climbers who saw the imposing granite dome rising out of Lonesome Valley near Big Green Mountain. They thrashed and bushwhacked for hours through thick rhododendron to the base of the cliff, looking up in awe at an expanse of rock so tall they couldn’t see the top.

Undeterred, these hardcore climbers began the first ascents of the exposed, water-grooved face, putting up routes of up to 10 pitches. And they made do with what they had: leaders who came later would arrive at the next bolt and discover with horror that it was a carriage bolt hammered into the wall with loops of rusty bailing wire to clip to.

Because it was a secret crag for so long, documentation on the first ascentionists and even route names isn’t easy to come by. But that won’t be the case much longer; in 2006, the Carolina Climbers Coalition pulled off the stunning achievement of purchasing Laurel Knob, with the help of donations by climbers all over the world. Now the 1,200-foot dome is open to all climbers, and the CCC has replaced the old hardware on most of the well-known routes like Fathom and Groover.

Some important points of information about Laurel Knob:

• This is one of the tallest (if not THE tallest) crags in the eastern US.

• LK is a remote area with serious multi-pitch climbing. It is not a place for inexperienced climbers.

• Regarding access, Laurel Knob is owned by the Carolina Climbers Coalition, which is working hard to maintain good relations with neighboring landowners. If you're going to climb here, you MUST respect and follow the CCC rules, which can be found at www.carolinaclimbers.org.

Getting There 

Laurel Knob is in the Cashiers Valley. Make your way to the town of Cashiers and take US 64 east of the town. Continue two or three miles to Cedar Creek Road and take a left (north). Follow this winding road into the hills until it intersects with Breedlove Road; take a right here and continue past Christmas tree farm fields for several miles. The road changes to gravel and ends in the Panthertown trailhead parking lot. This is the starting point for the long and strenuous hike in to Laurel Knob. Allow about two hours for the hike in and up to three hours for the hike out.

NOTE: This trail is the only legal access to Laurel Knob. If you come in from the valley below -- no matter who you're friends with -- you are trespassing!

Hike down the road toward Panthertown valley. At the first intersection with another old road, take a right and continue about 10-15 minutes to a creek crossing (Frolictown Creek). Ford the creek and hike another mile or so to a fork. Take the right fork (the smaller trail) and after another 10 minutes or so, be on the lookout for a trail that angles up and right from the main trail. This should be marked by a small wooden sign saying "Laurel Knob."

Continue on this winding trail through the woods, crossing a stream on a log and past the marked corner of the property line between the CCC property and that of the forest service. Follow pink and/or blue flagged markers and cross over a mossy slab. Before long, you'll see a gravel road and buildings to the left; this is private property. Stick to the trail; continue past the CCC kiosk and down a steep 600' series of switchbacks to the base of the main Laurel Knob face.

At this point, you should come out on a well-groomed trail put in place by the Lonesome Valley development. Continue along this trail until you reach the small clearing at the base of the direct start of Seconds. From here, the Lonesome Valley trail goes down and left; the climbers' trail goes uphill from Seconds and continues along the cliff base.

The Classics

Featured Route For Laurel Knob

Defective Sonar 5.12a  NC : Laurel Knob

Laurel's newest and quite probably hardest route! Originally begun years ago by Ralph Fickel and Burton Moomaw. See topo and photo for visual description and here is what Arno reported on the CCC site:Defective Sonar (between Fathom and Forbidden Fruit through an obvious right-angling crack at about 200' height) FA info: Ralph Fickel, Arno Ilgner, Shannon Stegg 8 pitches, rated IV 5.11a, C2 - On June 16 we completed this route that Burton Moomaw and Ralph Fickel started back in 1991. Their hig...[more]   Browse More Classics in NC

Photos of Laurel Knob Slideshow

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BETA PHOTO: Looking up at pitch 5 of Groover. Below me is the ...	I found this photo on the web. Good perspective o...	When the weather goes from bad to worse in 5 minut...
BETA PHOTO: 30% chance of rain.	LK from below.	Hazy long shot of Laurel Knob 09/08
Laurel Knob...all paid for...yeah, baby!	The view up Lonesome Valley from hwy 64.	BETA PHOTO: Looking out from The Funky Chicken - showing route...
BETA PHOTO: This is the turn you're looking for just shy of th...	BETA PHOTO: Looking up from the Base!	J Dull at the top of the third pitch! Chicken head...
Mike Holley Navigating the slippery slopes of Fath...	Buried Treasure.	BETA PHOTO: Routes in the center section of Laurel Knob.
BETA PHOTO: Routes on the right section of cliff.