Climbing
5 top climbing spots New York
Check out the top 5 climbing spots in New York, based on the type of climbing and location.
“What I love about climbing is the shared global passion for being outside. It’s like a common language we all share,” says climber Sasha DiGiulian.
In her series "No Days Off," Sasha travels all over the globe from Hood River, Oregon to Greece in search of novel places and new people to climb with. Episode 4 takes her to Maine to explore sustainability in a lesser-known climbing area in America—the Northeast.
Let’s face it, this section of the United States often gets overlooked when it comes to climbing. New York, for example, is a massive state home to multiple 500 to 700-foot slabs, plenty of free camping, and long climbing seasons inside the Catskills and Adirondacks. But you hardly ever hear it mentioned!
5 Top Climbing Spots in New York
Maybe that will change after you check out this list of the top 5 climbing spots in New York, based on the type of climbing and location.
01
The Gunks
Climbing at Shawangunks, or “The Gunks” for short, means climbing a piece of history in New York. Home to more than 1,100 established routes, trad, and top rope climbing has been the dominant force here since people started climbing here in the 1930s. If you’ve heard of any climbing places in this state, most likely it’s here, and that’s because there’s a little something for everyone—walls ranging from 30 to 250 feet and routes rated from 5.6 to 5.11 make for a fun day for beginners and experienced climbers alike. Prepare for lots of horizontal cracks, making for a smooth, if not slower, ascent to the top. Pristine wildlife sightings are also common. You may even spot the occasional peregrine falcon.
- Location: New Paltz, NY; take I-87 to exit 18, then turn left onto 299-W and follow until you see signs.
02
Chapel Pond
Tucked into the Adirondacks, Chapel Pond is the perfect spot to climb if you like long, multi-pitch ascents or don’t feel like hiking a long way in. Offering routes with up to 6 pitches, the slab at Chapel Pond is one of the longest ascents in the eastern part of America. There are only five marked routes here, but they are all very long. Bob’s Knob Standard is a 6-pitch that’s perfect for beginners if you want to bring a newer friend. Ice climbing was a fixture in this area when it was first developed (when you see the slab, you might see why) but is no longer recommended due to safety.
- Location: Heading north from I-87 on Route 73, look for the slabs on the west side of the road.
03
Little Falls
Despite the name, Little Falls is not for climbers looking for “little” routes. Sure, the crags may be on the smaller side, and you’ll find a few moderately rated top rope climbs here, but most of the 124 marked routes are rated 5.8 or higher, so the experience will be helpful here. Climbers argue whether the rocks are made from gneiss or black granite, but you never get too far up a slab without a rocky outcropping or steep overhang to maneuver around, so whatever you’re holding onto – expect it to be tough work! Moss Island and The Dihedrals are the two main areas of Little Falls. These sections have a dedicated guidebook written about it, so you might want to look it up before you go.
- Location: Little Falls, NY off the NY State Thruway east of Utica. Take Exit 29a and follow Route 169. The crags are located beyond the bridge at the river crossing.
04
Lake George
Lake George has been a popular place for weekend getaways for New Yorkers for over a hundred years, and that continues to be the case, especially if you like rock climbing. There are multiple 500-foot slabs here, but more than 200 climbing routes total, most of which are for bouldering and sport climbing. Rogers Rock, a 510-foot slab that rises straight out of the lake’s water, is a great longer route for newer climbers with a beautiful payoff at the top. There’s plenty of free camping here, and the lake offers several public beaches you can enjoy. Lake George is the pick if you’re looking for a place to climb but also make a weekend nature trip out of it.
- Location: Slabs are located along the Northway exits 20-28 on the NY State Thruway.
05
Sugarloaf Mountain
The Catskill Mountains consist of nearly 6,000 square miles of pristine nature just southwest of the Adirondacks. Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the crown jewels for climbers in this area, home to (yet another) 500-foot slab that faces southeast, which means it gets plenty of sun exposure in warmer months.
For those who like it a little rough, Sugarloaf is the place to go. Getting there alone might be an adventure, as the rocks are located inside some of the most challenging terrains for hiking in the Catskills. You’ll likely need to do at least some minor bushwacking to reach the rocks. Fortunately, once you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with 12 trad climbs that all have at least four pitches, making for some fun, longer climbs. If you go in the fall, access might be easier, plus you’ll get to see the leaves changing in the Catskills, which is quite beautiful.
- Location: Outside the town of Fishkill, along the Hudson River.
Conclusion
So, were you surprised to learn that there’s more to this state than just the music venues in New York City? The concrete jungle that is NYC gets a lot of the headlines—for obvious reasons—but remember that New York is a massive state. (In fact, it’s almost 55,000 square miles in size, slightly smaller than Iowa and slightly bigger than North Carolina.)
You can even surf in New York. Who knew?
One more bonus is that New York is only a few hours from Maine or even Boston, where even more climbing is available. Make it—and the surrounding climbing areas—a part of your next climbing holiday.