Description

Up until this guide, this is (per the author's opinion) the most slept on area of bouldering in the entire New River Gorge region. Despite being within a stone's throw of highly trafficked route climbing, the area had only been visited in passing by boulderers before. What was climbed and when has been lost to the annual rise and fall of the lake, which erases nearly all evidence of prior climbing, other than landing work.

The topo covers a bit over a third of a mile stretch of lake bed with a high density of problems of a wide grade range. The brilliance of lake boulders is that every surface is climbable, where many lines would be overlooked elsewhere due to being covered in impenetrable moss and lichen. We have attempted to include the most obvious lines, and an occasional worthy variation or semi-eliminate, especially on the Seamstress and Pirate Boulders.

This area is full sun and dries and melts out more quickly than anywhere else around the New. An excellent location for cold but sunny winter days, although varied sun exposure and good air movement allow for comfortable shade-chasing in warmer weather. The sunsets are always fantastic here, so bring a headlamp and consider staying long enough to enjoy one.

While the mud is manageable in this area, the lower in elevation towards the lake the worse the mud gets. A tarp and boots are recommended especially for the Treasure Island Boulder and Crescent Boulder.

**Note: Unfortunately all lake bed boulders will need to be re-scrubbed once a year when they come out of the water. Fortunately this is a fairly easy task and you'll be doing a good deed for everyone!

🚶‍♂️ Approach summary - Somewhat rugged. 20 to 25 minutes.
💎 Notable problems - "Operation Stocking Stuffer" V0, "Hemoglobin" V1, "Kaboom, Kaboom, KABOOM" V1, "Gold Doubloon" V2, "The High Seas" V3, "Indian Creek" V3, "Nero" V3, "Seamstress" V3, "Knitting" V3, "The Seven Seas" V4, "Crescent Face" V4, "Calico Jill" V4, "Sail the Seven Seas SDS" V6, "Moonbeam" V6, "Tiberius" V6, "Desert Dreams" V7, "I Cheated On JB" V8, "A.L.O.T.T." V8, "Shuttle Service" V9, "Desert Dreams Extension" V10
💧 Dry time - Hours to 1 day. No additional wait time needed once rock is visibly dry.
🍂❄️🍃 Seasonal Beta - Only climbable mid fall through early April, see water level information below.
🌊 Water Level Beta - *SEE BELOW.
🚗 Drive from downtown Fayetteville - 22 minutes
🚗 Drive from Summersville - 10 minutes
🚽 Bathrooms - There are no bathrooms at this parking lot.
📶 Cell phone service - 5/5, excellent.
🐶 Dogs - Dogs are allowed.

*Water Level Dependent:
Pirate's Cove is only in season in the winter. The US Army Corps of Engineers manages Summersville Lake, and every fall they release the dam (causing the Gauley River to rage and an influx of boaters to the area), and every spring they stop up the dam. The water is at winter pool (minimum level) by December 1st and they begin to refill the lake on April 1st. In the summer, Pirate's Cove is deep underwater, but in the winter the alien landscape of the dry lake bed is yours to explore. And you should explore it. There are many, many more boulders past those in this topo, than documented here, but be warned: due to the fact that it spends lots of time submerged, this sandstone is more porous, and therefore more prone to breaking, than most sandstone in the New River Gorge area.

Routes on Pirate's Cove Boulders
193 boulder 4 Likes
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Stella Mascari
S. Mascari
from New River Gorge
Aaron Schneider
A. Schneider
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Pirate's Cove Boulders

The area is access sensitive!

🔴 This area is water level dependent. It is only climbable from late fall through early spring (except the Shuttle Service and Ropes Are Silly boulders). Most boulders are out by late October, all are climbable by December 1st and the lake begins to refill on April 1st. At 1620' half the boulders are climbable.
https://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wm/?basin/kan/sug

Driving Directions:
From Fayetteville: Turn right and drive on US-19 N for 20 miles, crossing over 2 bridges (the NRG bridge and the Meadow River Gorge bridge), then through 2 stoplights, and over one more bridge over the lake. Take your 1st right onto Farmhouse Lane after the 3rd bridge, and another immediate right into the new state park. Follow the gravel road to the right to the parking lot.

Hiking:
From the parking area, locate the sign toward Pirate's Cove. Follow the hilly road, ignoring turns with 'Keep Out' signs. The road comes around a hill and descends to a drainage (this creek creates the Pirates Cove waterfall). Just before the drainage there is a fork.
-For the Bunker Boulder, Over Under Boulder and Coxsackie through Treasure Island Boulders stay to the right/straight and follow this trail past the drainage as it narrows to single track, hopping over a couple logs across the trail. You will reach a lookout giving you a view of Pirate's Cove. Follow the trail around right and soon there will be a washout on the edge of the lake bed allowing you to drop into the lake. The back of the Bunker Boulder is visible down to your right. Follow the cliff line to the right (towards the giant bridge) for the Over Under Boulder or head to your left as the cliff rises and you descend for the remaining boulders. ❄️This is the safer approach to ALL the boulders during sub-freezing weather due to heavy ice formation on the left fork trail.
-For best access to the When In Rome through the Aquatic Wasp Boulders (farthest boulder of this area), cut left down the smaller trail just before the drainage and cross the creek. Walk up the rocky road and after the road veers slightly left, follow the right fork into the woods. The next important fork is marked on the overview map in this app as "Trail Marker" pin (see images), take a right on the narrow trail to head downhill to the creek. Cross the drainage then head down the staircase next to the waterfall. You will be at the DC Memorial Boulder (these are routes despite the name). Continue on the trail out towards the edge of the lake. This wraps around left, passing the Trailside Boulder, then hits a corner in the cliff line (Under the Milky Way). About 50' past the corner of the cliff line, take a social trail on the right down to the lake bed, you will be at the back of the Madagascar Penguins Boulder. The trail is new but has a steep section. There is a scramble down into the lakebed for the near half of the lines and tiny creek crossing, a rocky, uneven road, and staircase for the far half. The lakebed is rocky and scrambley and has no trail. Total hiking time: 20-30 minutes.