Climbing Near Atlanta, Georgia

At first glance most climbers would assume there is little to no climbing in the Metro-Atlanta Area. Upon a closer inspection one will be pleasantly surprised to find bold leads, easy toprope set ups, and great bouldering. Two issues that have slowed development of the climbing in Atlanta are access and logistics. Areas like Stone Mnt, Panola Mnt (in the works), and Kennesaw Mnt. are still off limits, but hopefully will be opened up in the future. Other areas in the lush woods that pepper the urban sprawl have yet to be fully explored. Most of the established climbing takes place along the Chattahoochee River and the boulder fields south of the city which Boat Rock is part of. There are three interstates that cut through Atlanta, I-85, I-75, I-20 and a by pass that encircles the city, I-285.

This is the road cut next to the I75 on-ramp. It's right next to the Spectrum apartment building, and that combined with Midtown's vibrant LGBTQ+ community lead to my choice of name. It's currently mostly undeveloped, but as no one has uploaded anything from this spot on MP I figured I might as well. Please add climbs and help clean the area. I'm not currently sure who owns this, but as it's accessible from the sidewalk it should hopefully be public land. Fairly chossy. Bring a wire brush for loose granite. Drive to the intersection of 14th Street and Williams Street. Turn onto Williams street and into the parking lot behind Swarm and Whole World Improv. There is limited open parking! Please park appropriately or your car will get towed/booted.

For a state at the tail end of the Appalachians, Georgia has a surprising variety of good rock climbing. Georgia can't match the tremendous volume of rock and number of destinations held by neighboring North Carolina and Tennessee, but it does have some hidden jewels. If you want a taste of granite slab but don't feel like making the drive to Stone Mountain, NC, head for Mount Yonah. This granite dome in north Georgia has long been a training ground for Army Rangers, but it's also a prime trad climbing destination. Many new leaders have gotten their first experience placing protection on some of the easier Mount Yonah lines. Currahee Mountain is another good spot for friction climbing. For trad climbing on Tennessee-style sandstone, Lost Wall is a good choice. Crack and face climbs ranging from five-easy to fearsome can be found here. And further up the mountain from Lost Wall is Rock Town, a great bouldering area with enough problems to keep you busy for years. If you're ready to up the ante, north Georgia's Tallulah Gorge is the premier trad destination in the state. For serious and exposed multi-pitch climbing in the midst of beautiful scenery, Tallulah is hard to beat. In addition to Rock Town, Georgia has numerous other bouldering areas. Tops among these is Boat Rock, located in the metro Atlanta area, with loads of high-friction granite to shred fingers and shoes. To keep yourself in shape when you can't get outside, there are several indoor climbing gyms located in and around Atlanta. Most climbing in Georgia is located within an hour or two of Atlanta. See the climbing areas for specific directions.