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Climb On! in the Mountains of Adventure

If rocks are your thing — especially if they’re vertically-stacked, sandstone cliff faces — then the Mountains of Adventure is your kinda place.

Southeast Tennessee, as a whole, is already well-known in rock climbing circles as a mecca for those seeking world-class vertical challenges.  In particular, Tennessee’s South Cumberland has two climbing areas that are attracting a lot of attention: Foster Falls and Denny Cove. Less than two miles apart as the crow flies, they’re both located in Fiery Gizzard State Park, seven miles south of Tracy City. What they have in common are soaring sandstone cliff lines, with hundreds of sport routes of every level of difficulty, just waiting for you to conquer.  


What they also have in common is public access. As climbers know, many of the most choice climbing locations are on private land, and continued access to them is never guaranteed.  So it’s also worth taking a moment to tell the somewhat unique tales of how ‘Foster’ and ‘Denny’ (as they are known to the climbing community) came to be publicly protected and accessible to all.


Foster Falls


Foster Falls and an adjoining 178 acres were purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1973 and was designated a TVA “Small Wild Area”.  A 60-foot vertical drop waterfall — yes, the actual “Foster Falls” — is the centerpiece of this area, which includes the southern end of the nationally-recognized Fiery Gizzard Trail, a great overnight hike.  In 2017, TVA transferred management of the area to Tennessee State Parks, and it became a part of what is now Fiery Gizzard State Park.


To access the Foster Falls Climbing Area, climbers follow a picturesque path. After enjoying an overlook above the waterfall, they follow the Climbers’ Access Trail as it descends the Cumberland Escarpment on stone steps. From there, they cross Little Gizzard Creek on a fairytale-like suspension bridge. Turning right leads them to the base of the falls; the pool below the waterfall makes a perfect swimming hole, and a great place to return after a warm day of climbing. Turning left, however, brings them to the well-maintained climbing area, recently rebuilt with help from the Access Fund, whose mission is to obtain — and maintain — permanent public access to the nation’s most valued climbing sites. 


Now that we’re here, let’s talk rocks. Climbing rocks. Steep, highly featured, solid Cumberland Plateau sandstone with horizontal breaks, crimps, pockets, and occasional overhangs. 

Foster features single-pitch sport climbing, though some traditional and mixed routes exist. Bolts are generally well-placed, but spacing can feel run-out on older or easier routes.


Although Foster does have a handful of lower-graded routes that are beginner friendly, there isn’t any way to access the top of the cliffs. This means that top-roping isn’t an option and all climbs must be anchored by leading. But the lengthy 60-foot routes are worth the downside, testing technicality and endurance on sun-kissed sandstone walls.


The crag is fairly easy to navigate since almost all climbing is along the same main access trail.  Because Foster has more than 100 sport routes, having a guide will come in handy for locating routes and determining their difficulty. Consult the Dixie Cragger’s Atlas or Chatt Steel for route specifics.


There are twelve defined climbing areas at Foster Falls, with whimsical names like “So What”, “Gutbuster”, “Red Light District” and “Wall of Useless Conflict”. The site offers nearly 50 routes between 5.9 and 5.10; thirty or so 5.11s; and another twenty-five rated 5.12 to 5.13c. Among climber favorites are Bear Mountain Picnic (5.8+); Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (5.10d); Rollo (5.11a); Wristlets (5.11c); and Ethnic Cleansing (5.12b/c).


Foster "Need to Know"

  • No rappelling allowed in climbing areas.

  • Absolutely no top roping directly off fixed anchors.

  • The Foster Falls campground has 26 rustic campsites ideal for tents or small trailers and some back country sites. Reservations are required; use the Fiery Gizzard State Park website to reserve and pay for your site.

  • Visit the Tennessee State Parks website to get your free daily use climbing permit.


Denny Cove


Denny Cove’s route to public conservation was a bit more circuitous than Foster’s. Local climbers began exploring the Cove area around 2011. Excited by the quality of the cliff line’s stone, and the quantity of potentially good climbing routes, they brought the property to the attention of Access Fund and the Southeast Climbers Coalition (SCC). They, in turn, joined forces with the Land Trust for Tennessee, Friends of South Cumberland State Park and The Conservation Fund, and began working on a long term plan to purchase the property from a private timber company for permanent protection and climbing access.


With loans from its conservation partners, SCC closed on purchase of the 685-acre parcel in 2016. With additional help from the Access Fund, a coalition of volunteers spent four months building trails, parking and access road improvements. Once infrastructure projects were complete, SCC transferred the property to Tennessee State Parks, which added it to what is now Fiery Gizzard State Park.


Even if you’re not a climber, Denny Cove is worthy of a visit. Its two-and-a-half mile (round trip) trail system takes you below the massive sandstone bluffs. Watching the climbers ply their trade is inspiring entertainment. Beyond the climbing area you’ll come to Denny Falls — technically a cascade, not a waterfall, but nevertheless a beautiful, serene spot in this rock climbing paradise.


Denny Cove currently offers more than 150 established sport and traditional routes, spread across its nearly three miles of multi-colored sandstone cliff line. The Denny West sub-area has dedicated traditional (“trad”) climbing stone and bouldering. Denny East is where the highly regarded (and more challenging) sport routes are found.


Denny Cove is highly regarded for having fair, accurate climbing route grading, but it’s not a beginner’s “crag”.  There are very few routes available below the 5.10 range; only a handful of 5.9-and-below, though moderate face climbs exist here, primarily located at sites like the Salad Bar. A solid selection of 5.10 to 5.11 technical faces and introductory roofs exist across the crag, offering fair movements for intermediate climbers.


5.12 and above is the premier tier for the area. The famous Buffet Wall alone serves as a massive destination for this grade, packing in over 20 distinct 5.12 routes. Denny Cove is best known for its exceptional 5.13 to 5.14, expert-level testpieces. Famous lines include Little Tokyo (5.13d), Rockstar (5.13b), Lucid Dreaming (5.14a), and the wildly steep Cobra Pimp (5.14a).


Denny "Need to Know":
Foster Falls

Tracy City

Foster Falls
Denny Cove & Falls

Tracy City

Denny Cove & Falls
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