denny cove

new climbing area preserved outside chattanooga. looks like a great job by the scc, access fund, and a host of other groups! i've been hearing rumblings about this place for a while, so it's exciting to see it coming to fruition. anyone been there yet?

I believe this weekend is the first time that it will be open (limited access) as the trails are still being worked on etc etc. I will post an update and possibly create the new area after Sunday! Supposed to be really great and I'm really excited :) 150 routes and its still being explored!

It sounds great!

I read that Denny Cove is still wild and trails/parking are undeveloped, so in order to get it ready to be opened full time, your help is needed.

The SCC and Access Fund are hosting "Denny Days" every weekend until the initial parking lot, road and trails are built. Denny Days are every Saturday and Sunday until the work is complete (Goal of October 1). Once the work is finished, the limited opening will be lifted and open to the public all the time!

They hope to complete the initial infrastructure at Denny Cove as quickly as possible, but until the work is done, PLEASE follow these guidelines:
-Denny Cove is closed Monday-Friday
- Denny Cove is opened Saturday-Sunday to those who sign up for Denny Days
- During Denny Days, participants will help do trail work from 8 am-noon and then have the rest of the day to climb
- Please leave the Cove by dark
- No Camping

Where do we sign up to participate?

check in the link in the op. scroll down towards the bottom and there's another link to sign up

Are these bolted routes? I'd assume that they are trad lines but can't find any info

Jack Stephenson wrote:Are these bolted routes? I'd assume that they are trad lines but can't find any info

They're sports routes from what I can tell.

Denny Cove - Mini Guide

What are these "rules" we have to follow? Or are they guidelines?

I HAVE to help from 8-noon? Last I checked I could hike to any public cliff I wanted and climb

grog m wrote:What are these "rules" we have to follow? Or are they guidelines? I HAVE to help from 8-noon? Last I checked I could hike to any public cliff I wanted and climb

It isn't public yet. It's been bought by a non-profit organization which is transferring it to the public after they finish building the infrastructure to use it this fall. Once that's done, it will be public!

It sounds like they are buying it with an Access Fund loan, so if you can't help with building parking and trails, I'm sure they'd appreciate a donation to help pay for the land.

grog m wrote:What are these "rules" we have to follow? Or are they guidelines? I HAVE to help from 8-noon? Last I checked I could hike to any public cliff I wanted and climb

These "rules" are so Denny Cove will be opened in good condition for the public. This way you can hike all you want down trails others have cleaned for you.

It looks to be open to the public after sept 11th weekend.

Denny Cove has some really cool sport routes established - ranging from 5.7-5.13. There is definitely the possibility for some trad lines as well.

Access is currently limited because there are no established trails or parking. Even the road into the crag is heavily overgrown (but the gravel road itself is fine). There is one trail that leads to the crag, but it is super close to the property line. The new trail will stay away from the property line in efforts to keep the land owner to the adjacent property happy.

Once the cove gets transferred to the South Cumberland State Park (the same organization that oversees Foster Falls) then it will be officially open to the public. Until then, no further route development is happening either. However, the state park is eager for new routes to go up.

It's really important to show the Access Fund and the SCC our support for this new crag by attending Denny Days and donating to help offset the costs of the loan. Honestly, a half day of trail work in order to climb is not even asking for much.

If you're just going to bitch and whine about having to follow guidelines, you may be better off getting a new hobby - such as watching television and playing solitaire.

So, before the purchase, it was open and development was going on? Why did the SCC have to invest in this property if folks were already out there climbing to begin with?

Before the Access Fund and the SCC acquired the land, it was privately owned (just a chunk of land in an investment portfolio).

Why did the SCC invest in the property? To protect the land and acquire access for ALL. If it was still sitting in an investor's portfolio I suppose climbers could continue to illegally climb on it but obviously that would not have been sustainable for the long term, nor would it have been in the best interest of the climbers.

It's important to keep in mind the long-term goals when it comes to managing crags. We want access to be protected for generations to come.

You know for a fact that those who have been climbing and developing before the purchase were doing so illegally?

I think you are focusing on arbitrary matters. Denny Cove is an exciting acquisition for the Southeast. Help out at a Denny Day to check it out yourself. Donate a couple bucks. It's a great spot with tons of potential and we should be grateful the Access Fund and the SCC were able to successfully acquire it.

Not arbitrary in the least bit. I'll have to hold off on donations to the SCC, as I don't feel like they share in my interests. There is a pristine climbing area here in the southeast that is all but completely closed off to climbing that is more concerning to me. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming this, but I do not feel as though the SCC is putting all of their efforts into working out better policies for climbers access. But, that is a different subject. However, congratulations, another heavy sport crag is now open in Chattanooga that will surely only help increase the influx of climbers to the area which will bring in even more money to the area. It's a win-win for all involved.

Bobby, I respect your opinion and acknowledge that we are probably coming from different perspectives. It is a complicated subject to say the least. Best regards to you and happy climbing!

Bobby, the developers knew the landowners and were given permission to access the cliffs with the understanding that they would not make it public. Over the years they have been working towards this moment of general public access, but it's a delicate dance that has taken time. The SCC has helped secure and maintain access to a number of amazing cliffs in AL, GA, and TN. If there is a crag you are interested in protecting or opening up to the public, you should talk to them and your local climbing community to help make it happen. The developers of Denny Cove made it happen, you can too. I'd love to help open a new crag.

For those who want to sign up for a trail day click the blue link in the original post or here is the link to SCC's website( seclimbers.org/modules.php?…;pa=showpage&pid=158). The hyperlink for the sign-up site is towards the bottom of the page.

Thanks for the information.

Bobby Possumcods wrote:Not arbitrary in the least bit. I'll have to hold off on donations to the SCC, as I don't feel like they share in my interests. There is a pristine climbing area here in the southeast that is all but completely closed off to climbing that is more concerning to me. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming this, but I do not feel as though the SCC is putting all of their efforts into working out better policies for climbers access. But, that is a different subject. However, congratulations, another heavy sport crag is now open in Chattanooga that will surely only help increase the influx of climbers to the area which will bring in even more money to the area. It's a win-win for all involved.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Time will tell.

I have a question about the parking once the crag is open. How many vehicles will it hold and is there going to be a locked gate with a combo lock, or is it truly going to be open to the public?