Carderock Recreation Area
| Carderock | |
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| Location | Montgomery County, Maryland |
| Nearest city | Bethesda, Maryland |
| Coordinates | 38°58′34.61″N 77°12′19.01″W / 38.9762806°N 77.2052806°WCoordinates: 38°58′34.61″N 77°12′19.01″W / 38.9762806°N 77.2052806°W |
| Climbing type | top-rope crag, bouldering |
| Height | 50 feet |
| Pitches | 1 |
| Ratings | 5.0-5.12 with majority of climbs in 5.6-5.10 range |
| Grades | I |
| Rock type | Wissahikon Mica-schist with quartz crystals |
| Quantity of rock | days worth (over 150 climbs and boulder problems) |
| Development | very well developed |
| Cliff aspect | South west facing |
| Season | spring to fall |
| Ownership | National Park Service |
| Camping | none |
| Classic climbs |
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| Stars |   |
Carderock Recreation Area is a 100-acre park in Carderock, Maryland, part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Area is well known as a destination for its outdoor activities like rock climbing, hiking and biking. It is bounded by Potomac River on the South and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on the North border and it is accessed from Clara Barton Parkway from the same exit as Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.
The recreation area has a picnic shelter, the C section of Billy Goat Trail, convenient access to Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and popular rock cliffs with long history of climbing. The area is notable for being the closest significant climbing area to Washington, D.C., and as such it is one of the most climbed cliff in the eastern United States. There is no fee to enter the park.
Carderock name is first recorded as a 1,705 acre tract registered in 1802 with state of Maryland by Robert Peter of Georgetown.Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was built between 1828 and 1850 and closed in 1924. The canal was purchased in 1938 by US Government and eventually made into the park.
The rock cliffs are made of Wissahikon Mica-schist and range from 25 to 60 ft. with the majority of the climbs about 35 ft. They pack over 100 established climbs within approximately 200 yards of the cliff. The rock has form of friction slabs, overhangs, and cracks. Most of the routes are easy and moderate top-rope routes, with a few harder climbs as well as numerous eliminate routes and boulder problems. Traditional climbing is not recommended since protection is often difficult to place and the schist has a reputation for being friable and breakable if a piece of gear is subjected to a leader fall. The area known for its esoteric bouldering, often very different in character from other bouldering areas and relying heavily on delicate footwork between quartz crystal knobs and nubbins imbedded in polished schist wall.
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Wikipedia