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Hospital Boulders

Alabama

Description

On November 15, 2012, the Southeastern Climbers Coalition, with funding provided by the Access Fund, purchased the "Hospital Boulders" in Gadsden, Alabama.

The Hospital Boulders boasts 150-200 high quality sandstone boulder problems, and even some short traditional, sport and top rope climbs on the west brow of Lookout Mountain. The area, with its spectacular scenic views, still has potential for many more first ascents.

The 39-acre tract sits conveniently off I-59, just past Mountain View Hospital at the end of Scenic Highway in Gadsden, AL. Access is optimal with a SCC-owned road that leads to a parking area less than a minute from the boulder field. There are additional boulders located just outside the SCC property, and the SCC will be working with the landowner of this adjacent property to open up the entire boulder field in the future.

The parking lot is gated and the lock combination is available through the SCC website. There are no bathrooms on site, so please pack out your waste. There is a wag bag kiosk on site.

Visit seclimbers.org to donate now and learn more about access.

Getting There

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Hospital Boulders. Photo credit John Paul Floyd.

Climber on a fun face line with perfect sculpted holds. In corridor near barn. Access Fund/Z. Lesch-Huie photo.

Heath climbing a unique and fantastic stemming groove problem.
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Nary a single down pulling handhold! In one of the first nooks near the barn. Access Fund/Z. Lesch-Huie photo.

Heath climbing a unique and fantastic stemming groove problem. Nary a single down pulling handhold! In one of the first nooks near the barn. Access Fund/Z. Lesch-Huie photo.

Falling off a mantle.. don't remember the name of this one.

Super fun V0/1 .. Toy Story ?

Hospital Boulders. Photo credit John Paul Floyd.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Jordan Mitchell
Lookout Mountain

Hospital Boulders is a very cool boulder field that includes some tall formations. Low traffic makes this a great spot to get away from the crowds and loud groups. There looks to be plenty of problems to put up still, you will be able to see where some folks have climbed or cleaned and you will see a lot of moss and dirt on the rock as well. We went without knowing anything in the place and got a complete day of bouldering in. There are a variety of types of problems, which also range in difficulty. You can climb slabs, bulges, faces, steep, overhung... Definitely worth adventuring to. Oct 15, 2013

George Evans

Farmer's Dyno, Underworld, 50 Words for Crazy, Headbangers Ball, etc. are not on the tract of property that the SCC purchased and are still on private land. Jan 20, 2015

Tim Foote

Anyone know where you can get a map of the problems or any sort of layout? Or is it more of a go with people who know the territory the first time kinda thing? Jan 14, 2016

Frictionquest

There is a topo on scc website on the hospital boulders page just click the link labeled for the topo. Jan 20, 2016

laxrulz777

Went on Good Friday and met a couple of guys who help maintain the place. Friendly and helpful. The boulder field is very large with a relatively compact "upper" section with mostly v3+ type problems and a lower section where some of the easier routes are (though the routes in the lower section are by no means all easy). All things considered, had a very good experience.

One note, once you're through the gate, just keep driving straight until you get to the barn and a sign. That's the boulder field. There is a section before that that looks like a bouldering area (though significantly overgrown). That's private land owned by someone else and they rent it out to hunters. Don't go there. Apr 1, 2016

Matt Wood

There is a sickness comp guide for this place, but it doesn’t have any pictures and is pretty much just an overlay with numbered routes. This place is definitely worth checking out and once you’ve been there a few times and know some of the problems it’s a little easier to navigate Sep 21, 2019

Nathan Devan
Huntsville, AL

SCC page:
seclimbers.org/project/hosp…

includes link to outdated pdf guide, still very useful for general navigation to named areas:
seclimbers.org/wp-content/u…

2019 The Sickness comp SCC photo dump on Facebook, from Joshua Bradford Photography:
facebook.com/seclimbers/pho… Jan 27, 2020

Jeff Mekolites
Atlanta, GA

You need a gate code… seclimbers.org/project/hosp… Jan 6, 2022

Dylan Watts
Auburn, AL

A lot of the boulders posted here are totally different than boulders with the same name in the 2022 The Sickness guidebook. Is mountain project more accurate? Mar 23, 2023

Scott B
Colorado

Video of the classics in the area:
youtube.com/watch?v=7MBhPAp… May 1, 2023