Climbing Near Frederick, Maryland

The Wave and J Walls face East and North. They are fairly short but can provide hours of fun for a small group. Access is about the same as Bushwhack Rock but with no bushwhack. I compiled route beta before learning that this area is in Indys Online Climbing Guide. I used the names from Indys guide where the routes match up. The beta photos are of what we climbed on our outing. Park just down hill from the fire road on the right side of Hamburg road approximately 2.5 mile from the intersection where Yellow Spring road becomes Hamburg road. Follow the fire road 0.7 miles or about 15 - 20 minutes. When the fire road reaches a rock outcrop and bends sharply to the right you've reached the rock. The main outcrops are here. The Wave and J Walls are to the right. Access is easiest from the right end. The climbs are on the far side.

This area has a few interesting outcrops located along a creek. The rock is sharp (much of it is choss) but there are a few notable lines of very high quality in scattered throughout the outcrops. From Indy's Guide to 'Hidden' (and not-so-hidden) Maryland Climbing Areas: "This is another area not technically within the Frederick Municipal Forest but part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources lands. However, due to its proximity to (and being nearly surrounded by) the FM Forest lands, it is included in this section. In this area the FM Forest boundary stops at the creek below the rocks, and extends downstream for about a quarter of a mile before the FM Forest lands cross the road to the east. This parcel of land was set aside in memory of Nathaniel Marquez, a graduate of Frederick High School who had passed away. On a website dedicated to him, his parents invite anyone who wishes to help keep the area litter-free to visit. They tell a story of how he organized a huge reclamation project that returned the area to pristine wilderness. Ironically, since then, much trash (primarily from teenagers who hang out there) has re-accumulated." Reminder that outdoor climbing/bouldering follows Leave No Trace ethics, so please remember to carry out what you bring in and minimize your impact on the land. Parking Coordinates: Lat: 39° 30.XXX' Long: 077° 28.XXX' Park in the designated pull of and hike down the trail about 500 feet until you reach the lip of the cliff with a stone chimney on the right. Follow trails down the hill to the left to get to the base of the cliffs. Cliff Coordinates: Lat: N 39° 30.317' Long: W 077° 28.877'

The Acre is a 200 foot long outcrop of small Cliffs and boulders. It is located in the Frederick Municipal Forest about 25 minutes from the fire road on Hamburg Rd. Numerous problems have been done there in the past. This area has been created to provide location information and photos of the outcrops. The bouldering community will need to add sub areas and routes. Park just down hill from the fire road on the right side of Hamburg road approximately 2.5 mile from the intersection where Yellow Spring road becomes Hamburg road. Follow the fire road 0.6 miles (15 minutes) . Look for an open field a few hundred feet in the woods to the left. Continue on a few minutes. Turn left into the woods following the clearest path. Look for orange tape. Head down hill in a general north direction for a few minutes until a rock band appears to the left. Angle over to the rocks. This is the south end of the Acre. Cross to the opposite side of the rocks and follow the fairly clear trail downhill along the outcrop to the north end.