I have been climbing outside in Rhode Island and the surrounding states for 6 years since I started working with Rock Spot at our Peace Dale gym. In those 6 years, I’ve visited almost every major crag in the Northeast; from Farley, Pawtuckaway, and Smugglers Notch to Great Barrington, Bradley, and the Gunks, as well as many smaller zones and areas. Without a doubt, I can safely say that I have climbed at Lincoln Woods more than all of those other places combined. Does this show a lack of willingness to drive more than 30-minutes? Perhaps, but it also shows that Lincoln Woods provides!
Lincoln Woods is often looked at by locals as somewhat of an outdoor gym with a very large portion of the local outdoor community convening in droves throughout the week. The majority of the boulders are dry all the time, they are easy to access, and they are filled with boulders packed with problems of every grade. For instance, Warm-Up cave is probably the most heavily trafficked boulder in The Woods even though the cave only has about 8 direct lines. However, if you take into account all the link-ups and eliminates the cave has to offer though, which are variations on thos lines, that count goes up to 30 problems in the range of V0 – V12+. Try Again, Sit Down Area & Druid Circle and Pond Cave are all similar to the Warm-Up Cave in this regard, these four areas combined house 179 problems (almost 1/3rd of what The Woods has to offer) of all grades.
One of the most supreme advantages Lincoln Woods has to offer the climbing public is its relative dryness year-round. Whether it is the depths of mid-winter in February or the sweltering heat of August, unless there has been some sort of rain, snow, or massive tidal wave in the past 24-48 hours there will be dry rock for you to find and climb on, full stop. Now some may not actively seek out the sub-freezing temperatures of February and March for their bouldering sessions and others might be keen to avoid the exasperation that arises from greasing projects in 80° weather, but the fact that Lincoln Woods is open to the public and full of accessible climbing 100% of the year has been a true boon to Rhode Island climbers and the New England Bouldering community as a whole and we can’t wait to share every secret with you in the coming weeks.
Check back here as we continue to produce our series of articles focused on the greatest climbing resource we have in Rhode Island, Lincoln Woods! We’ll be covering everything from outdoor ethics, organizations to follow, crag recommendations and navigation, while also providing links to useful resources and pro tips so you don’t look like a newb at the crag. The links below will be your guide as articles are added so check back every week for new content!
Right side of the Main Wall
Upcoming Articles
- Navigating the Woods
- Classic Boulder Problems
- Lincoln Woods Tours & NEW Outdoor Meetups
- Lincoln Woods Climbing History
A climber and her dog watch Stef on the Peace Dove boulder
image by Eric Zhang
