Nelson Rocks

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Nelson Rocks
Nelson Rock - two fins.jpg
USA West Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Pendleton County, West Virginia
Nearest city Circleville, West Virginia
Range Allegheny Mountains
Coordinates 38°41′46.92″N79°27′52.41″W / 38.6963667°N 79.4645583°W / 38.6963667; -79.4645583
Climbing type Traditional and Sport Climbing crag
Height800 feet above stream level
Pitches Single and Multi-pitch (The Millennium Route is 9 pitches) [1]
Ratings 5.2-5.12+
Grades 1-2
Rock type Tuscarora quartzite
Quantity of rockOver 200 routes [2]
DevelopmentMostly developed
Cliff aspect East and West facing
SeasonSpring through Fall
Elevation 3120
OwnershipPrivate
AccessClosed to unguided climbing [3] [4] Guided climbing by reservation only. [5]
CampingCamping by reservation [5]
Classic climbs
  • Crescendo (5.10a)
  • Easy Wider (5.6)
  • Stone Gallows (5.10)
  • Millennium (5.7)
  • Merlin (5.11a)
  • The Laeger Route (5.8)
  • Excalibur (5.12a)
  • Sorry Howard (5.9)
  • Written in Stone (5.11+)
  • Porcelain Pumphouse (5.11c)
Website www.nrocks.com

Nelson Rocks is a large privately owned rock formation located in the North Fork Valley of Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States. The area is operated under the name of NROCKS Outdoor Adventures, and was previously known as Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center (NROC). [6]

Contents

Description

Nelson Rocks is at the southern end of the River Knobs, which contain several other similar "razorback" ridges or "fins" including Seneca Rocks, Champe Rocks, and Judy Rocks, all on the western flank of North Fork Mountain. Nelson Rocks, like all of the river knobs, is bordered by the North Fork Valley on one side and the Germany Valley on the other. Located less than five miles from the highest point in West Virginia, and surrounded on three sides by the Monongahela National Forest, the mountainous site features two parallel rock fins made of tuscarora sandstone that rise from the mountain overlooking Nelson Gap. A hanging footbridge 150 feet in length and 200 feet in height spans the corridor between the rock fins. [7] [Note 1] Visitors can participate in various adventure activities including rock climbing, Via Ferrata climbing, hiking and a canopy tour consisting of 12 zip-lines and other elements. [5] Lodging at Nelson Rocks is available in the form of hotel-style guest rooms, rustic cabins, or tent camping. [5]

History

Rock climbing at Nelson Rocks dates back about as far as at nearby Seneca Rocks; however, for most of that time, this privately owned area was not officially open to the public. In 1943 and 1944, as part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area, the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army used Seneca, Nelson and Champe Rocks to train mountain troops in assault climbing in preparation for action in the Apennines of Italy. One guidebook author estimates that they left behind approximately 75,000 soft iron pitons, some of which can still be found on the rocks. [1]

In 1998 [1] the area was purchased by Stuart Hammett [8] who operated it under the name Nelson Rocks Preserve for about a decade. The area was officially open to rock climbing, and route development flourished. During the 1998-2001 seasons, the number of routes doubled reaching about 100 routes. [1] Nelson Rocks was included in Rock Climbing: Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, a regional guidebook by Eric J. Horst. [1] and in Rock 'n' Road: An Atlas of North American Rock Climbing Areas by Tim Toula. [9] In the next decade the number of routes reached about 200. [2] Also at the same time via ferrata was built., [6] which included a 200 feet long suspension bridge 150 feet above the ground. [10]

In 2009 Nelson Rocks was purchased by John Hall, owner of Camp Horizons company and reopened as the Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center. [6] and expended by adding new buildings and zip-lines. In 2011, construction was completed on the North Fork Valley Canopy Tour. [11] At the same time the area was closed to all unguided climbing. [4] [5] Guided climbing can be reserved through the property owner. [12]

Guidebooks

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pendleton County, West Virginia</span> County in West Virginia, United States

Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,143, making it the second-least populous county in West Virginia. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1788 from parts of Augusta, Hardy, and Rockingham counties and was named for Edmund Pendleton (1721–1803), a distinguished Virginia statesman and jurist. Pendleton County was strongly pro-Confederate during the American Civil War; however, there were pockets of Unionists who supported the state government in Wheeling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monongahela National Forest</span> National forest in West Virginia, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allegheny Front</span> Major escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seneca Rocks</span> Rock formation in West Virginia, U.S.

Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is the only peak inaccessible except by technical rock climbing techniques on the East Coast of the United States. One of the best-known scenic attractions in West Virginia, the sheer rock faces are a popular challenge for rock climbers.

The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia centers on five West Virginian counties in the upper Potomac River watershed in the western portion of the state's Eastern Panhandle, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Because of geographical proximity, similar topography and landscapes, and shared culture and history, the Potomac Highlands region also includes Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker counties, even though they are in the Monongahela River or New River watersheds and not that of the Potomac River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seneca Rocks, West Virginia</span> Unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States

Seneca Rocks is an unincorporated community located in Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States. The community of Seneca Rocks — formerly known as Mouth of Seneca — lies at the junction of US 33, WV 28 and WV 55 near the confluence of Seneca Creek and the North Fork South Branch Potomac River. The community also lies near Seneca Rocks, the crag from which it takes its name. Both lie within the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area</span>

Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area is a national recreation area in the Monongahela National Forest of eastern West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reddish Knob</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Fork Mountain</span>

North Fork Mountain is a quartzite-capped mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Allegheny Mountains, also known as the High Alleghenies or Potomac Highlands, of eastern West Virginia. Kile Knob, at 4,588 feet, is the mountain's highest point, and Panther Knob and Pike Knob are nearly as high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuscarora Sandstone</span> Bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, US

The Silurian Tuscarora Formation — also known as Tuscarora Sandstone or Tuscarora Quartzite — is a mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Allegheny Mountain</span>

Back Allegheny Mountain is a long mountain ridge in eastern West Virginia. It is part of the Shavers Fork Mountain Complex in the Allegheny Range of the Appalachians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Gorge</span>

Franklin Gorge or just Franklin or Cranklin Gorge is a small sport climbing area near Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area located near Franklin, WV. This rock climbing spot was first discovered and developed by John Burcham and friends during the early-mid 90s. The site contains mostly sport and top rope climbing as well as some traditional climbing, and is located on private land. The rock is layered sandstone and some limestone which create horizontals, and the site has pockets and huecos for the majority of the holds. This site is the first place many Mid-Atlantic climbers cut their teeth on bolted rock climbing routes before going on to challenge the New River Gorge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germany Valley</span>

Germany Valley is a scenic upland valley high in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia originally settled by German farmers in the mid-18th century. It is today a part of the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest, although much ownership of the Valley remains in private hands.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 33 in West Virginia</span> Segment of American highway

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champe Rocks</span>

Champe Rocks are a pair of large crags in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. Easily visible from West Virginia Route 28, they are situated within the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. They are — along with the nearby and more celebrated Seneca Rocks — the most imposing examples in eastern West Virginia of several formations of the white/gray Tuscarora quartzite and are a popular challenge for rock climbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spruce Mountain (West Virginia)</span> Highest point in the state of West Virginia

Spruce Mountain, located in eastern West Virginia, is the highest ridge of the Allegheny Mountains. The whale-backed ridge extends for only 16 miles (26 km) from northeast to southwest, but several of its peaks exceed 4,500 feet (1,400 m) in elevation. The summit, Spruce Knob, is the highest Allegheny Mountain point both in the state and the entire range, which spans four states.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hörst, Eric J. (2001). Rock climbing Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland (1st ed.). Guilford, Conn.: FalconGuides. ISBN   1560448121.
  2. 1 2 "Nelson Rocks Climbing Area - West Virginia Explorer". 29 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Pricing at Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center". Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Nelson Rocks". Mountain Project. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Nelson Rocks - Home". www.nrocks.com.
  6. 1 2 3 "Nelson Rocks - History". www.nrocks.com.
  7. ↑ Mozier, Jeanne (2010). West Virginia Beauty: Familiar and Rare. Quarrier Press. p. 79. ISBN   978-1-891852-66-4.
  8. ↑ Dolges, Daniele (August 18, 1999). "Rock of Ages". Washington Post. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  9. ↑ Tim Toula (1 November 2002). Rock 'n' Road: An Atlas of North American Rock Climbing Areas. Globe Pequot Press. p. 532. ISBN   978-0-7627-2306-5.
  10. ↑ "Via Ferrata". www.nrocks.com. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  11. ↑ "Zip Lines Open North Fork Vistas". The Pendleton Times . West Virginia. May 12, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Private Guiding at Nelson Rocks, WV - Seneca Rocks Climbing School". Seneca Rocks Climbing School. Retrieved 24 October 2016.

Notes

  1. ↑ Multiple sources, including the website for NROCKS itself, instead give the length and height of the footbridge as 200 feet and 150 feet, respectively.
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