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Portsmouth (Fraggle) Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Portsmouth (Fraggle)

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	Riverside Crack T,TR 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Thin slab TR 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Center Slab TR 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Right slab TR 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c

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Elevation:	43 ft	13 m
GPS:	43.05219, -70.75081 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	5,804 total · 48/month
Shared By:	Austin Helm on May 12, 2015 · Updates
Admins:	Jay Knower, M Sprague, Jeffrey LeCours, Jonathan S, Robert Hall Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

These rocks are located on the south side of Sagamore Creek just over the Sagamore Bridge on Sagmore Ave. There is parking behind the building and it is posted "Open from Dawn to Dusk". The area is called the Sagamore Creek Headlands and a 10-acre forest owned by the City of Portsmouth. The land was acquired in 2003. It is pretty under the radar as even the Trust for Public Land does not correctly locate it on their map.

The boulders reside in a beautiful shady, yet somehow wonderfully sunny pine tree forest. There are two large(ish) rocks the first one is about 500 feet from the parking lot and back from the water. The second is about 750 feet in and starts down at the high water mark.

While climbing, you'll most likely see a few harmless strangers, mainly young folk, passing by on their way to enjoy the shrubbery. The rocks are all what I believe to be granite, but I'm not a geologist so I can't be too sure. The holds on each rock are all secure, though some are sharp and need to be held with a sure grip.

Getting There

This area is the Sagamore Creek Headlands (but you'll not easily find that name). It is located on the south side of Sagamore Creek, just after Sagamore bridge on Rt 1A (aka Sagamore Ave).

Driving out of Portsmouth south on Rt 1A towards Rye, you'll pass over the Sagamore Bridge, parking is on the right and the Golden Egg is on the left. It appears you can park behind the Seacoast Mental Health Center at the back of the lot (it appears to be public), there is some signage and a trash can.

At the back of the parking lot is a trail leading into the woods, a Dawn to Dusk sign and a dedication plaque. Follow the path into the woods and the first boulder should be about a 500 feet down the trail and up on the left. The rock has several prominent but not continuous cracks. The next rock is an additional 250 feet further down the trail. The ledge out crop drops sharply to the water and the climbing starts at the high water mark, best at a lower tide.