August in the NE. A couple questions from western dirt bag desert rat.

We usually only stay in wallmarts in the East. Out west it's so easy to boondock.  Some times Wally's is just the easiest way to find a place to crash. Never had a problem with anyone messing with us in the van. We have a chemical toilet so Isa doesn't have to go outside at night. Rig is locked and I have a tomahawk if someone did break in. Only time I ever felt weird vibes at a Walmart was in Saskatchewan . It was a dirty store. Dirty parking lot, some domestic arguing happening. We had been warned about some of the first nation people not liking whites. That was a weird vibe.  Every other stay at Walmart has been super chill.  Our last road trip to Seneca, Kentucky etc. we stayed one night at the reading PA Wallmart and it was clean and casual.  Occasionally we go to the Wallmart at the Canadian border in Newport VT to shop and if it's that time of day we cook dinner there. Nice sunset and killer view of Jay peak. 

Go to the Adirondacks.  Free camping in Keene Valley.  Follow the shade.  Nap midday.  

TLDR - I'd suggest goin to Maine and working your way south over the span of mid August to end of October if you have the time. 

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I did a trip to Maine in July of 2018. We went to Katahdin and climbed a couple routes from the campground in a day. Weather was perfect. Highly recommend. Beautiful place. Getting a campsite I recall can be tricky at Baxter State Park. Ben Townsend has put up some FAs there, I reached out to him via Mountain Project at the time and he provided some beta and topos. I'm sure if you hit up people you can find a partner. It's 100% worth it, even if you just do easy routes, the position, view, summit, all amazing. 

We went to Acadia after Katahdin and it was much hotter there. Fun to climb near the water and great rock. More crowded (we saw zero climbers at Katahdin), but not bad. Getting a campground res was easy as a I recall. I suspect finding a partner would be easy in advance or possible to just approach people at Otter Cliff. 

Cannon and Cathedral are amazing places. Cannon has a lot of loose rock and active rock fall. Cathedral could fill weeks of time. There will certainly be lots of locals around Cathedral you can find to climb with if you put some feelers out in advance. 

The Gunks are my home crag. Finding partners is easy. Right now It's very hot and humid. Conditions don't improve until maybe mid September. That being said, mornings are nice and afternoon shade in the Nears is nice. The cliff gets packed on weekends but is practically empty during the week right now. 

There ARE places to camp for free around the NE but they take some hunting to find.  

Have fun!

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

That's not bad unless it's in one of those weird zones that don't allow overnight parking?

I have friends who will park / sleep at the Tops grocery in New Paltz.  Not sure if they've ever been hassled.  Unsure about the Walmart.  I got away with 2 nights of sleeping at the River to Ridge trail on the other side of the river from town, but did get kicked out another night.  

Oh! I totally forgot I know a legal parking spot... not my favorite, but it works. It pops up as "Free Municipal Parking Lot" on Google Maps.  Totally legal to sleep there. Also right on the (slightly questionable) Walkill River if you need a quick dip.  There's also a local garden accessible from that lot which is a pleasant stroll. 

I have heard that the Wakill River is very polluted. I wouldn't swim in that.

Rule #1 of fight club people 

Josh Richwrote:

Legal camping at the tennis court in Bar Harbor. I got away with a lot of spots there.

What?? I never heard of this

Right at the edge of town on Route 3 heading out towards Blackwoods, basically adjacent to the Y, I've seen RVs parked there overnight, no tents, etc. though. Also not room for more than a handful of RVs. Not sure if that is what Josh is referring to. 

Thanks Al, I've seen that also but was picturing tents set up in thr field when Josh wrote 'legal camping'.

wivanoffwrote:

What?? I never heard of this

Yea sorry, legal parking/sleeping, not camping.  And I'm only saying this because I was told this by a local and didn't see "no sleeping in vehicles"; I'm sure that it wouldn't take much for those signs to be put up. 

Josh Richwrote:

Yea sorry, legal parking/sleeping, not camping.  And I'm only saying this because I was told this by a local and didn't see "no sleeping in vehicles"; I'm sure that it wouldn't take much for those signs to be put up. 

If all laws were on signs we would be reading 24/7.

Idk if anyone has said this yet but if you like crack climbing you need to go to the Spiders Web. This cliff is world class and every single line at the cliff is good. You could do just this and your experience will be unforgettable. Also if you like multipitch trad, Moss Cliff in the Adirondacks has some amazing and sustained cracks. Probably some of the most aesthetic cracks in the northeast. 

You should go to the Gunks because it is truly unique and high quality. I’ve never climbed anywhere else where the style was very gymnastic but also heavily traditional. There’s also a lot of technical face climbing. Just don’t go on the weekends. If you’re there on days over 80 degrees, I’d wait until the afternoon to climbing anything. Once the sun is off the cliff it’s super nice.