Mountain Project: Climbing Seneca Rocks

Located in the Monongahela National Forest, Seneca Rocks is best known for multi-pitch trad climbs and stiff old-school ratings. The rock is formed from white Tuscarora quartzite, which feels much like sandstone. Bring your helmet since some of the rock can be loose at times. Many moderate routes exist on Senca Rocks, and the wildly exposed summit pinnacle can be obtained by several 5.2-5.5 routes. This makes Seneca a popular destination for trad climbing on the East coast.

Camping can be had at either the Seneca Shadows campground (1 mile east of Senca Rocks on RT 33), or Yokum's Princess Snowbird campground in the town of Seneca Rocks.

Gear and guides can be found at the Gendarme and Seneca Rocks Climbing School or at Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides. Food and beer may be purchased at Harper's Country Store or Yokum's, both located in the town of Seneca Rocks. The Front Porch restaurant, located above Harper's Country Store serves pizza, sandwiches and salads. The restaurant does not serve beer, but you may purchase beer in the store below and bring it upstairs to drink with your meal.

Getting There

Seneca Rocks is located at the intersection of Route 33 and 55, east of Elkins, WV.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Seneca Rocks:

Gunsight to South Peak 5.3 Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet South Peak - West Face

Ecstasy Junior 5.4 Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet South End

Gunsight to South Peak Direct 5.4 Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet South Peak - West Face

Candy Corner 5.5 Trad, 1 pitch, 95 feet South End

Pleasant Overhangs 5.7 Trad, 3 pitches South Peak - West Face

Traffic Jam 5.7 Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet South Peak - West Face

Soler 5.7 Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet South Peak - East Face : Upper Broadway

Green Wall 5.7 Trad, 3 pitches South Peak - West Face

Ecstasy 5.7 Trad, 3 pitches, 250 feet South End

West Pole 5.7+ Trad, 1 pitch, 200 feet South Peak - West Face

Lichen or Leave It 5.8 Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet North Peak, East Face

Triple S 5.8+ Trad, 2 pitches, 90 feet South Peak - West Face

Climbin' Punishment 5.9 Trad, 3 pitches, 180 feet Southern Pillar

Back to the Front 5.9 Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet South Peak - West Face

High Test 5.9+ Trad, 120 feet South Peak - East Face : Upper Broadway

Bring on the Nubiles 5.9+ PG13 Trad, 2 pitches, 250 feet South Peak - West Face

Marshall's Madness - Crack of Dawn 5.10a Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet South Peak - West Face

Castor 5.10a Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet South Peak - East Face : Upper Broadway

Cottonmouth - Venom 5.10b Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet South Peak - West Face

Spock's Brain 5.11a Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet South Peak - East Face : Upper Broadway

Featured Route For Seneca Rocks

Bob Batterman at the crux of West Pole. The best 5.7 roof west of the Gunks.

West Pole 5.7+ WV : Seneca Rocks : South Peak - West Face

One of the best routes at Seneca, period. West Pole follows a more-or-less continues crack system through two roofs. It can probably be done in one pitch with a 70-meter rope.P1: Climb up through the easy ledges to a pine tree. Belay either from rings (not advisable on a busy day) or gear. P2: Follow the broken crack system until it runs into a corner at the bottom of the first roof. Go straight up through the roof and continue through the second. Follow a left-facing corner to a crack and then ...[more] Browse More Classics in WV

Photos of Seneca Rocks

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BETA PHOTO: The West Face of Seneca Rocks	Which way down?	BETA PHOTO: Oh, over there... Gotta love Seneca
Spectacular view from the top.	BETA PHOTO: The town of Seneca Rocks	Seneca, West Face. October '07.
Seneca Creek in evening fall colors.	Used car dealership on the east side of Seneca.	Inscription carved on the summit block: D.B. SEPT...
Routefinding at Seneca can be a challenge, especia...	This guy lived in the summit register for a few ye...	Seneca Rocks as seen on foggy fall day.
View from behind (east of) Seneca Rocks on North F...	A photo of the Gendarme before it fell. Photo: Pa...	Urtiscay Unyanray learns the story of Pollux
The saint, easing up Castor	Climbers on the twin cracks of Castor and Pollux	A view of the Southern Pillar from the top of the ...
Great shot of the rocks from the parking lot.Photo...	View of the South End and the Cave as seen from th...	Leading on the southpeak-east face.
A view of Princess Snowbird Campground from the Gu...	Top of Green Wall 5.7	BETA PHOTO: West side of North and South Peaks.
View taken from the East side of Seneca	Wild flowers (weeds?) in full spring bloom.	Seneca Rocks, WV
West Face from Seneca Shadows	Seneca Rocks from the meadow at Seneca Shadows on ...

Comments on Seneca Rocks

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By Brian Adzima
From: Pittsburgh
Feb 8, 2007

Steep, sandbagged, and occasionally scary. What's not to like?

By Ladd Raine
Administrator
From: Plymouth, NH
May 3, 2007

For folks heading down to Seneca for the first time:
Don't trust pitons-many were placed during WWII as training and they aren't great placements.
Lots of loose rock!
Wear your helmet.
Be in awe of the voluteers that built The Stairmaster!

By Mark Cushman
From: Cumming, GA
May 3, 2007

About pitons - there are a few new ones here and there, you can tell they are new because the eyes are not rusting off them and aren't completely part of the rock. For example there is a very helpful newer piton on Conn's East at the crux of the second pitch. I'm pretty sure this was a replacement for an old one that was unsafe to clip, however many people clipped it anyway.

By Mark Cushman
From: Cumming, GA
Jun 14, 2007

The 4-U Restaurant is a decent place to get breakfast when climbing at Seneca. The prices are cheap and it's only a few miles south of Seneca Rocks on Route 33.

By Ladd Raine
Administrator
From: Plymouth, NH
Dec 13, 2007

To read others' stories of Seneca Rocks and to share your personl experiences, check out Seneca Rocks Stories or Tales from Seneca Rocks.

By John Kelbel
Feb 17, 2010

A few interesting rules from the National Forest about the Seneca Rocks area. Below is just an abbreviated list from the link at the bottom.

There is No parking on Roy Gap Road.
Bivouacking is only allowed fifty 50 above base of rocks and only on the east face.
No other camping is allowed in the Seneca area except for the established campground.
No Alcoholic, No Fires, No Horses, No Bicycles on any trails.

Just to be clear this only pertains to the small portion of the National forest land considered as the Seneca Rocks Area, see the link for more details, this is where the information came from.

Have fun it's an amazing place.

fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSz>>>

By Mike Anderson
From: Dayton, OH
Oct 19, 2010

Gumbies swarm to this place (multi-star 5.3s are hard to come by), so bring your patience and try not to be too cynical.

By Gini Kramer
Sep 5, 2011

A few things of note...

The 4-U motel & restaurant is closed.
Valley View Restaurant a little further south on Rte. 33 does a decent breakfast.
Hellbender up in Davis serves burritos the size of your head.
Avoid the older section of Yokum's Motel at all costs. Appalachia Cabins, just north of Seneca Rocks, has a row of motel rooms that are much nicer (complete with micro wave, toaster, fridge, and coffee maker) and cost the same.
When they say that the ratings on Seneca Rocks climbs are stiff, they mean it!

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Seneca Rocks

Description

Getting There

The Classics