Castle Rock (Jasper) poster-style illustration
Why We WaitWet sandstone breaks. The science, the casualties and one very salty crimp.

Castle Rock (Jasper), TN

Castle Rock TN now
Drying out, but holds are likely still soft; no more rain expected
Rest day. Hit the gym or a rainy-day crag, and let the holds live.
Likely climbable by Thu, Nov 12 around 11 PM.
⚠ This could be a sandbag: shaded, north-facing or seeping rock can stay wet longer than the gauges suggest. Touch the rock and check the ground before you tie in.
Updated · updates hourly
Sun and shade
Chase the sun or hide in the shade?
Live sun and shade map ↗ · ShadeMap
Live radar

Live radar

Updates hourly
Loading radar…

The last hour of rain and snow on radar; the pin marks Castle Rock TN. Green is light, yellow to red is heavy. Radar: NOAA/National Weather Service. Mountains can block radar in parts of the West, so light rain may not show.

NWS radar ↗ · Windy radar ↗

Rain, last and next 7 days
Rain at Castle Rock TNmeasured forecast
Mon, Nov 2: 0.44 in measured0.44MTue, Nov 3: 0.00 in measuredTWed, Nov 4: 0.92 in measured0.92WThu, Nov 5: 0.88 in measured0.88TFri, Nov 6: 0.00 in measuredFSat, Nov 7: 0.00 in measuredSSun, Nov 8: 0.00 in measured•0%Mon, Nov 9: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceM0%Tue, Nov 10: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceT34%Wed, Nov 11: 0.02 in forecast, 34% chance0.02W37%Thu, Nov 12: 0.03 in forecast, 37% chance0.03T2%Fri, Nov 13: 0.00 in forecast, 2% chanceF0%Sat, Nov 14: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceS1%Sun, Nov 15: 0.00 in forecast, 1% chanceS
Last 7 daysNext 7 days
Gauges within 6 mi: COCO-TN-MA-3, AV188 · forecast: NWS
Rain gauges
Updates hourly

Last rain at these gauges: 81 h ago (3 days) · 0.01 in at KI4CGS Jasper, ending Thu 6 AM

Rain in the last 3 days: none <0.10 in 0.10–0.25 >0.25. Tap a gauge for its name and link.

Webcam

No webcam within about 20 mi of Castle Rock TN. Webcams near Castle Rock TN on Windy ↗ · TN road cameras ↗

Thanks and community

Local coalitions and stewards

  • Access Fund ↗For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.
  • Southeastern Climbers Coalition ↗For buying, protecting and caring for climbing areas across the Southeast.
  • Weather data ↗Rain gauges via Synoptic Data (MesoWest) from public and private weather networks. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Model estimates from Open-Meteo when gauges go quiet.

Local climbing community

GroupsChattanooga Climbers ↗Southeast Rock Climbing ↗
OnlineMountain Project Southern States forum ↗Rock Climbing TAG ↗
Local guidance

Local guidance

Access rule Southeastern Climbers Coalition lease on Tennessee River Gorge Trust land: park only in the SCC lot (if it's full, go elsewhere), text your car's make and model to the landowner, keep to 20 mph on the dirt road, and be out by sunset when the gate locks. No dogs, fires or camping. Mountain Project: Castle Rock ↗

  • Rock Sandstone
  • Group Hard sandstone: red for 24 h after rain, caution to 48 h (72 h in winter)

Castle Rock (Jasper) on Mountain Project ↗Southeastern Climbers Coalition ↗
Rain check details

Rain nearby, but it missed Castle Rock TN

The gauges agree: the rain missed Castle Rock TN. There were two rounds of rain, and both mostly fell elsewhere.

What happened

  1. Thu about 3–11 PM: Light rain fell to the east. It dropped 0.07 in at Chattanooga (20 mi east). All of it fell 19 or more miles from Castle Rock TN.
  2. Fri about 12 AM–12 PM: Light rain fell to the east and southeast. It dropped 0.05 in at Chattanooga (20 mi east), and 0.02 in at Rossville (23 mi southeast). All of it fell 17 or more miles from Castle Rock TN.

Where the rain fell (72-hour totals)

AreaGaugesRain
East, 14–25 miChattanooga, Hixson, Raccoon Mountain, Chickamauga Dam Rain0.00–0.13 in
Southeast, 17–25 miRossville, Lookout Creek, Lookout Mountain, Trenton0.00–0.02 in
Castle Rock TN areaJasper 1.7 N, Jasper, Nickajack Dam, Whitwell 1N0.00 in
North, 17–19 miCoalmont0.00 in
Northeast, 18–23 miWhitwell, Dunlap 1SSE0.00 in
South, 24 miFlat Rock Rain0.00 in
Southwest, 17 miAnderson Rain, Widows Creek Steam Plant0.00 in
West, 17–25 miSewanee Rain, Winchester Municipal Airport0.00 in
Northwest, 18–26 miSewanee, Elk River, Bradley Creek0.00 in

Castle Rock TN has dry gauges on 7 sides: north, northeast, east, south, southwest, west and northwest, the closest at Jasper 1.7 N, Whitwell 1N and Raccoon Mountain. Rain would have had to slip between them, and that's unlikely here.

The site shows 🔴 Likely wet. Last rain: 1.03 in at Jasper 1.7 N, ending 81 h ago on rock still damp from earlier rain (about 0.22 in). Drying it out takes about 60 h of good drying weather; at the forecast humidity, wind and sun, the rock is likely still wet. Touch the rock and check for damp sand at the base, especially in the shady canyons.

From 32 gauges out to 30 mi. Farther gauges as of 3:29 PM CST. Red means 0.10 in or more, amber a trace. Storm cells can be smaller than the gaps between gauges.
Local Beta Board

Local Beta Board

Climbers posting what they see at Castle Rock TN: which walls are dry, seeps, closures, approach and trail conditions.

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Rain chance, wind and temperature

Rain chance, wind and temperature

Temperature: 68°F now · next 24 h 39–70°F

Good friction temps (high 70°F).

Wind now: 1 mph from the SSW, gusts 4 · KI4CGS Jasper (AV188), 1.8 mi, 29 min ago

3p64°54p61°3g95p56°3g96p51°2g87p49°2g78p47°1g69p45°110p44°111p43°112a42°11a41°12a41°1
No rain in today's forecast. Wind by hour (mph, arrow shows where it blows; g = gusts) and temperature. Forecast: National Weather Service.

NWS hourly forecast for Castle Rock TN ↗Sun and shade now (ShadeMap) ↗
Rain gauges

Last rain at these gauges: 81 h ago (3 days) · 0.01 in at KI4CGS Jasper, ending Thu 6 AM

  • Jasper 1.7 N
    COCO-TN-MA-3 · 1.4 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 81 h ago (3 days): 1.47 in, ending Thu 6 AM
    One reading a day (a 24-h total), so no hourly bars
    Reports about daily · CoCoRaHS volunteer rain gauge (read daily)
  • KI4CGS Jasper
    AV188 · 1.8 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 81 h ago (3 days): 0.01 in, ending Thu 6 AM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 5 min · Citizen weather station (CWOP), sends over the internet
  • Nickajack Dam Near Jasper 5S
    NKJT1 · 7.1 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 93 h ago (3 days): 0.61 in, ending Wed 6 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 15 min · River and rain gauge (HADS), sends by GOES satellite
  • Whitwell 1N
    WWLT1 · 9.7 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 93 h ago (3 days): 1.52 in, ending Wed 6 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 15 min · River and rain gauge (HADS), sends by GOES satellite

Bars show rain each hour over the last 24 h. "Last rain" looks back 7 days. Tap a gauge to see its full record (on MesoWest, or its own network's site). The site checks every gauge hourly.
Is it actually dry?

Check the rock yourself

Rain gauges measure rain, not rock. Sandstone is weak when wet and holds water long after the surface looks dry, especially on shady or seepy faces. If the ground is damp, the rock is too, and the route will still be there tomorrow if nobody breaks it.

Is it actually dry?

Field checks before you tie in

  • Is the sand at the base dry? It dries before the rock does; damp sand means wet rock.
  • Are the trail and the ground at the cliff base dry? If not, don't climb.
  • Look for dark damp patches, moisture behind flakes and inside cracks, and fresh sand on holds.
  • Shaded walls, spots under trees and grooves that channel water stay wet much longer.
  • Sun and wind dry rock fast; cloudy, calm, humid days slow it down, and winter drying is slow (great friction, bad drying).
  • After long, soaking rain the rock can stay wet inches deep. Give it extra time.
  • If any part of the route, base included, is wet, pick another climb. No send is worth a broken hold.
  • Wet day? These nearby crags aren't sandstone, so rain doesn't weaken the rock (it can still be slick), nearest first:
    1. Lake Nickajack limestone · 7 mi · deep-water soloing; boat or paddle in
    2. Sauta Cave limestone · 44 mi
    3. Blacks Bluff Preserve limestone · 66 mi
    4. Cochran Falls granite · 88 mi
    5. Toxic Wall (Percy Priest) limestone · 92 mi
    Miles are straight line from Castle Rock TN. Links go to Mountain Project.
Thank you

Thank you

  • Access Fund

    For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.

    Access Fund is the national climbing advocacy nonprofit. It works alongside local climbing organizations, like the coalitions thanked on each area page, on access, stewardship and education, including how long to wait after rain.

    How to assess sandstone after rain ↗

  • Southeastern Climbers Coalition

    For buying, protecting and caring for climbing areas across the Southeast.

    Facebook ↗Instagram ↗

  • Weather data

    Rain gauges via Synoptic Data (MesoWest) from public and private weather networks. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Model estimates from Open-Meteo when gauges go quiet.

Local climbing community

Facebook groups and pages

Online: forums and meetups