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Hickory Creek Boulders

CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO HURRICANE HELENE DAMAGE. CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY FOR UPDATES.

Big thanks to Burntshirt Vineyards for helping make this new bouldering access possible! Grab a meal or beverage at Burntshirt in Hendersonville and Chimney Rock and let them know you are here for climbing!

Donate: Please consider a donation to help this great area. Also, please become a CCC member.

CCC Area Rep: Shannon Millsaps smillsaps@carolinaclimbers.org

Directions

Parking is located on 74A/ Gerton Highway. You can park at 35.46146N, 82.31185W. It is a pull off suitable for 4-5 cars. There is not any signage here. Spread cars out and stay quiet and respectful around residences and buildings. If there are more than a few other cars here, go to a different area like Eagle Rock, Buffalo Creek, Chimney Rock Village Boulders, or Rumbling Bald. Please keep a low profile and do not come out with a barrage of vehicles out of respect for neighboring houses and the lack of shoulder on the road.

5 minute walk. No trail. When standing on the shoulder of the road from the pull out mentioned above, you can see the tops of the boulders along the creek during the winter. Walk down the kudzu-filled bank to the creek, then head down stream to the base of the boulders. CCC is partnering with EcoForesters on some kudzu removal on the approach to this area. There is also a lone boulder that sits in a kudzu patch. It is located 5 minutes upstream from the other cluster.

What to expect

High quality, densley packed, small quantity (just 4-5 boulders), river polished granite with impecabble quartz protrusions. The location is beautiful with the bubbling Hickory Creek right near the boulders. 35+ problems established V0-V10.

Access notes

In 2023, the Carolina Climbers Coalition worked with the private land owners of this great little bouldering area to allow climbing on their property. This access is brand new, and with most climbing access, it is fragile. As a thank you for this great access, the CCC and area climbers have been working on cleaning up the property including trash removal, invasive species removal, and graffiti removal. Please help us maintain permission to climb and keep a positive relationship with the land owners by keeping a low profile and practicing LNT. Please help out by helping clean up any road or river trash. Don’t be a chalk slob. Big thanks to Sam Rothstein for turning us on to this access potential. Big thanks to Burntshirt Vineyards for supporting this access. Please consider supporting Burntshirt Vineyards when you are in the area! As always, climb at your own risk, know your limits, and be safe!

Guidebook

Purchase WNC New Boulders at www.grounduppublishing.com. 100 percent of proceeds from this guide will be donated to the CCC.