The CragBaby

Rock Town, GA is known mostly for its bouldering though there is one wall, The Lost Wall, that has traditional lines and easily rigged top-roping. The boulders are sandstone with lines of iron deposits, with the majority of the problems being steep with sloping top-outs.

Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Rock Town is in the in the fall, winter and spring when temperatures range in the 40’s through 60’s (Fahrenheit).  The winter is the rainy season, so expect a handful of stormy days.

How to Get There

The closest town to Rock Town is La Fayette, which is the best city to use for a weather forecast.  True temps in Rock Town will be a bit cooler than La Fayette.

The exact location of Rock Town is in the Crockford Pigeon Mountain Wilderness Management Area.

To get there from Chattanooga, follow Broad Street through the small town of St. Elmo at the foot of Lookout Mountain, toward the Georgia State Line.  At this point, Broad Street becomes Georgia Route 193 south.  Follow Route 193 south for approximately 24 miles until you reach Uncle Jed’s Convenience Store on the left.  Take a right on to Chamberlain Road at this point and then turn right into Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area.  Follow this dirt road via switchbacks up the mountain for about 5 miles to an obvious fork.  Turn right at the fork and continue for 1.3 miles and make a left turn onto Rock Town Road. Rock Town road can easily be missed if coming up the mountain. Look for a silver box with signs signifying the station and something else (I can’t remember, sorry).  The turn on the left is the Rock Town Road.  The road dead ends and this is where you can park your vehicle.

For directions from elsewhere, visit this link.

Guidebook

The only available guidebook is a small Dr. Topo guide.  I found the guide to be just ok, if that.  It definitely only lists a handful of the problems and includes a topo that is not easy to navigate unless you somewhat know the area. I am considering compiling some better information, but not sure if that is taboo according to locals.  Perhaps if you are heading there, jet me an email and I will try to augment the Dr. Topo guide for you.

Camping

About .1 miles past the Rock Town turnoff, there is a turn on the right for SawMill Campground.  After making the right hand turn, the road will fork with a sign for camping and horse camping.  If you merge left towards the camping, there will be a big flat plain where many climbers camp.

Food / Drink

• Restaurants – The closest city of La Fayette has all the usual chain restaurants.  I didn’t eat out much there as there weren’t any spectacular finds.
• Beverage – Beverages (including wine and beer) can be bought in all grocery stores.  However, alcoholic beverages are not prohibited in the Crockford Pigeon Mountain WMA.

Personal Hygiene

• Showers – There is a recreation center in La Fayette with showers.  I don’t know if they usually charge, but they let me in for free.  They also have an air hockey table where I hear you can whiddle away many hours. =)
• Laundromat – There is a laundromat on main street that is open 24 hours.

Sites of Interest

• Chattanooga – Chattanooga is about 45 – 60 minutes away from Rock Town and has many cool sites such as the Walnut Street Bridge, one of the best aquariums I’ve visited and many excellent restaurants.
• Wandering through Rock Town – Rock Town is a maze of cool rocks and trails, perfect for some wandering on a rest day.
• Chickamauga Battlefield – This 5,500 acre Civil War battlefield was the scene for the last major Civil War battle.  The battlefield has a 7 mile road that winds through the battlefield, allowing the tourist to dial in for a mobile tour.

Other

One of the biggest things to note about Rock Town is it is often closed for hunting.  Make sure to call the ranger station prior to making the trip to ensure that climbing is allowed on the days of your visit.  The number is 706-295-6041.  (But to be honest, I have yet to get someone to answer this line and there sadly isn’t a voice recording with information.??)

If any of you readers have additional beta, please feel free to comment or email me.