best “digital nomad” spots in the EST

hi all,

i’m in the super fortunate position recently getting a well-compensated remote work position. while i plan on having a “home base” in my home state, outside of event work 1-2 times a year i’m free and able to travel with my crag cat. i know of the gunks and TN, but what are some other cragging-adjacent rural locales in the EST that have good climbing and feasibly cheap short-term rents that aren’t in NC? some spots i’m especially interested in are new hampshire and west virginia.

this won’t be in the picture for another year or so but i’m trying to get a longer-term plan going. thanks! (-:

There is a simple 5-step process. 

1. Think of an area you'd like to spend time.

2. Determine if the crags are in-season for the specified timeframe.

3. Check Craigslist, Airbnb, local classifieds, MP, etc. to determine if suitable short term rentals are available.

4. ???

5. Profit

If the answer is "no" to steps 2 or 3, return to step 1.

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Seriously though, it comes down to specifics of where you'd want to spend time (personal preference), and where you can find a good housing arrangement (there can be an element of random chance here). There's also a major seasonal component.

For the winter months, the obvious answer is to go straight to Chattanooga. Lots of climbing, best internet in the country, big enough city to have a variety of housing options, gyms for when it rains, lots of climbing partners. 

For the summer, everywhere EST is hot and humid, but the further north you go the better. NH is probably the best choice. Plymouth NH or the North Conway area would both be good as home base locations if you can find suitable housing/internet. Adirondacks are a highly recommended area to visit also.

How mandatory is EST? Could you go live in MST and just get up early to match east coast hours?  This would give you a lot of good options.

Rentals both short- and long-term around the Gunks have gone through the roof since Covid hit.

Forever and always, red River gorge. Live at miguels camping or in one of their rooms, they have bathrooms, laundry, WiFi, and good community, and ofc world class climbing. Im sure the new River gorge also has a bunch but I’m not as familiar

Abbi Dingus-Simmons wrote:

Forever and always, red River gorge. Live at miguels camping or in one of their rooms, they have bathrooms, laundry, WiFi, and good community, and ofc world class climbing. Im sure the new River gorge also has a bunch but I’m not as familiar

Nope, NRG sucks. Stay away. RRG sounds perfect for the OP and their crag cat

Colombia and Thailand are the real digital nomad destinations, and both have good climbing 

Mike Climberson wrote:

Colombia and Thailand are the real digital nomad destinations, and both have good climbing 

We can probably write off Thailand based on the time zone issue, but Colombia is in the same time zone as the eastern US. Which makes it a interesting proposal.

Puerto Rico is in AST (one hour off from EST), and has lots of climbing.

The other thing to consider when looking for housing is whether you would live with people enrolled at a college. Plymouth and New Paltz both have schools in town so you could get very cheap summer housing but also would be living with college students. I would highly recommend New Hampshire. While Rumney can be hot and humid as anywhere on the east coast, it probably has the fewest bugs in the summer relative to the other New England crags. It is also the easiest crag to have a belaytionship since many walls host 5.6-5.13 or are near walls with easier/harder routes.