Summersville (Gauley River) Area Rock Climbing

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About a half hour north of the New River Gorge is the Gauley River drainage. The main northern shore of Lake Summersville is home to a host of high quality single-pitch sport routes. Ratings range from 5.easy (slabs left of Orange Oswald) to 5.14+ (in the Coliseum). There are plenty of as-of-yet unsent projects, and lots of new development potential, too. Water levels in the lake vary seasonally, which in turn affects the accessibility of certain routes. During warm months, the reservoir can be a great relief from oppressive summer heat. During colder seasons, the drained lakebed opens up as a treeless landscape that soaks up all the sunlight, making it a great cold-weather destination.

Beyond the main north shore Summersville climbing, Whippoorwill has great swimming and DWS in the summer, and amazing roped moderates in the winter. Long Point is another great early spring/late fall destination, with relatively few crowds. Farther downstream, below the dam that forms the lake, you'll find adventure crags along the Gauley River like Carnifex Ferry and some excellent bouldering.

CURRENT WATER LEVEL AT SUMMERSVILLE LAKE

Whippoorwill, Long Point, and parts of Summersville Lake are accessible when the reading for Summersville Lake at the link above is below 1600ft. When they drain the lake is dependent on many different factors and it's hard to say when it will be down/up with any sort of certainty.

Please note that there have been a few break ins in these areas. Make sure to park as close to the road as possible and keep valuables out of sight. It can be a bad idea to park behind the big hill at the parking lot!