For climbers looking for a Chattanooga crag less crowded than T-Wall, with a little alpine-style adventure thrown in, Suck Creek Canyon is the place to go.

Climbing in Suck Creek Canyon dates back at least to the late 1970s. Rob Robinson, Forrest Gardner and Peter Henley established numerous lines in the Roadside Wall and Upper Passes areas during the 80s; later in that decade, Gardner and Todd Wells began developing the Concentration Camp section.

Anyone used to the solid and reliable sandstone of cliffs like T-Wall and Sunset will need to adjust their expectations at Suck Creek. The rock quality is variable; some routes may have sections of loose or rotten rock to deal with. But the reward for dealing with this suspect stone is some of the longest routes in Tennessee, including three-pitch lines like Flying Fortress (5.10a) and Bombs Away (5.8). There's also several aid/mixed lines for added spice.

From downtown Chattanooga, take US 27 north. About a mile after crossing the Tennessee River, exit on 127 north (Signal Mountain Road). Continuing toward Signal Mountain about 1.5 miles, turn left on Suck Creek Road (27 west). Continue about four miles (past a cement plant) and cross a bridge over Suck Creek. This is where you would turn off for T-Wall. After crossing the bridge, continue up the canyon to turnoffs for the different Suck Creek areas.