Bears Den Cabin Bouldering

One of the facilities that Mill Creek offers for rental for small parties/gatherings is Bears Den Cabin (with a capacity of 36). Behind the cabin, where there used to be a quarry, now sits a stream (Bears Den Run), some hiking trails (which are unmarked but maintained); and quite a few rocks, exposed rock faces, and freestanding boulders. (All sandstone - some mossy, some rotty, but some not too bad!)

There are surprisingly quite a few things to boulder here. Some landings are perfect, but others are a bit sketchy on account of there being rocks nearly everywhere that are embedded in the ground and too large to move without permission and heavy equipment. Take care to not roll your ankles when walking around. Nevertheless, Bears Den provides some of the best climbing in the area (mainly due to the fact that it is possibly the only climbing in the area). Problems are densely packed within the small area.

The area is somewhat secluded, compared to other places in the Parks. You may run into a few hikers on nice days. The cabin isn't always occupied, and you may luck out and get to climb in the area right behind it (including "The Bat Cave" and some other boulders). If the cabin is being rented out when you get there, be respectful!

Based on a forum that received its most recent post in 2010; there were once a few groups consistently climbing here, some earlier attempts to get access, and even a "Mahoning Valley Climbing Coalition" dedicated to the area. Since then, though, it seems that the area fell out of popularity. Many of the rocks are graffitied, and there's a bit of litter so clean up what you can.

Access was gained in Fall 2019 with the help of the OCC and cooperation of Mill Creek Metroparks. Use of ropes and other non-bouldering equipment is prohibited.