Chattanooga, Tennessee is an excellent climbing destination. Four hours south of the Red River Gorge in Kentucky the Chattanooga area is an often overlooked gem hidden deep in the Southeast US. The city boasts excellent main crags nearby along with many underrated “satellite” crags. Chattanooga sits in the southeast corner of Tennessee so the crags are split mainly between Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Chattanooga has many excellent climber friendly accommodations, with plenty of camping just outside of the city, but also has places like the Crashpad Hostel that can make your stay even more enjoyable.
If it is your first time climbing in the Chattanooga area hiring a guide for your trip is a great option as it will definiteely maximize your experience. Looking for a guide? Click the link below to get connected with one of our AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructors.
Sport an Trad Climbing Areas
Foster Falls is the premier sport climbing destination near Chattanooga. Boasting well over 170 routes Foster Falls is an excellent place for climbers of all levels boasting routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.13+. Learn more about Foster Falls using the link below.
Tennessee Wall is the one of the best Trad climbing areas in the South East. Located just a short distance from downtown, “T-wall” as the locals call it, is nothing short of incredible. If you want to challenge yourself on difficult crack climbs, this is the crag for you.
Sunset Wall is yet another crag close to downtown Chattanooga. It has a good mix of both sport and trad climbing and also has stunning views of the city below. Definitely a worthwhile visit, even if it is just for an evening stroll.
Woodcock Cove is a newly developed crag located just North of Chattanooga. it is Currently still under development by the Southeastern Climbers Coalition, but the crag is open and already boasts a large number of excellent routes. It is definitely an area worth exploring during a visit to Chattanooga.
Sucka Cave is a small Satellite area close to downtown. Sucka is best suited for advanced climbers in the 5.12-5.13 range, but there are good warmup climbs available. The crag is steep and the routes are fun, so if you have the time it is also worth a visit.
Denny Cove is just down the road from Foster Falls, but deserves its own place here on this list. Some would consider it a main crag in Chattanooga area, but I would refer to it is as a Satellite area to Foster Falls. Denny is an excellent sport climbing crag, but I would recommend a visit to Foster Falls over it.
Little River Canyon starting to get a bit outside of Chattanooga now, but LRC is an excellent crag for advanced climbers only an hour from downtown. Routes at LRC pretty much start at 5.11 so the area is not friendly for beginners.
Sand Rock (Cherokee Rock Village) this area is only being mentioned here because it is hands down the best place to take begginer climbers within a reasonable distance of Chattanooga. About an hour and half drive into Alabama, Cherokee Rock Village has become a destination climbing area. Learn more using the link below.
Bouldering Areas
Let’s be real, once you get south of the Red River Gorge, the southern bouldering crags start to outshine the rope climbing areas. Here are a few of the possible destinations you need to visit:
Stone Fort (Little Rock City) The prime bouldering destination in Chattanooga. Located on a golf course the area boasts hundreds of classic southern boulder problems ranging form excellent V1s like “Fire Crack Flake” to “The Shield” V12 and beyond. The quality of boulders provided here really cannot be over stated. It is also on of the locations for the “Triple Crown” bouldering competitions. This is a must climb area on a visit to Chattanooga.
Rocktown located just across the border in Georgia this is another premier bouldering destination. Slightly more spread out than typical southern bouldering crags, this area feels more remote than its counterparts in Stonefort and HP40. The area has an excellent selection of high quality problems. Be sure to get a permit if you plan on climbing there.
Horse Pens 40 bought by Mike Shultz in an effort to protect the land from developers the area was eventually opened to climbers and immediately became one of the top bouldering destinations in the world. Known for its Font like compression and sloper boulders, HP40 is another destination of the “Triple Crown.” The area feels sandbagged to many, but with good conditions and understanding of the area specific techniques the problems open themselves up. Located in Steele, Alabama about and hour and a half from Chattanooga, this area is definitely worth a visit if you are visiting the south, or have not been there before.
Old Wahatchie Boulders (St. Elmo Street Boulders) located just seconds from downtown at the base of Lookout Mountain, the St. Elmo Street Boulders are the most overlooked boulders in the Chattanooga area. No it doesn’t have as many stellar problems as the other areas on this list, but between being free to climb there, the well maintained trails and landings, and the easy access from Downtown the area is definitely underrated. If you only have time to squeeze out a session during your lunch break or just can’t get away from your zoom meetings for more than an hour or two, this is the crag for you.
Pro tips for Chattanooga:
Beat the Heat: Time of year matters in the south, the best time to visit is from late October to around Mid-April. If you are visiting during the other half of the year, choose areas with lots of shade and lower your expectations grade wise.
Rest Day Fun: The Chattanooga area offers toons of fun rest day activities, consider visiting Lookout Mountain, rafting down the Occoee, visiting the local coffee shops like Neidlove’s Bakery or Velo Coffee, or walking downtown Chattanooga. Overall you won’t be bored here unless you want to be.
Private Land: If you are from the Western US, the most important thing to understand about southern climbing is that most of it happens on private land. This means you will often have to pay a small fee to climb in an area. Also be sure to be respectful of the areas as its important to keep the land owners happy, or they can shut down climbing access all together.
Hire a Guide: If you are new to the South or are a new climber in general consider hiring a qualified guide. Guides provide more than just gear and equipment, they also provide in depth knowledge of the area and climbing skills. This means that by hiring a guide you will not only maximize your climbing experience, you will learn new skills and tricks that will make your future climbing experiences better. Guides even often have in depth beta knowledge of routes to help you get up climbs if you need or want. Learn more about why hiring a guide is an excellent choice below.