Access Restored at One of America's Most Iconic Climbing Areas

Access Restored at One of America's Most Iconic Climbing Areas

Climbing access on the East Coast is a tricky thing: Since most of the land here is privately owned (unlike the West), public access can change quickly. If a landowner decides they don’t want climbers on their land — that’s that. The same thing happened 22 years ago at Red River Gorge, a classic sport climbing destination in Kentucky. A landowner revoked public access to two major climbing areas: Oil Crack and the Arena. And they stayed empty fo…

After 22-year closure, Red River Gorge climbers restore access to 80 routes

The Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition has scored a huge win for climbers’ access, striking a deal that has reopened 80 routes that range from 5.8 to 5.14c. Oil Crack and Arena will soon be climbable once again, following loss of access for 22 years. The crags are just around the corner from Drive-By and Bob Marley. “What makes this moment so meaningful is not just that access has returned, but that it reflects decades of persistence, learning,…