Climbing Forecast › Red River Gorge › Red River Gorge — The Motherlode

RED RIVER GORGE · CUMBERLAND SANDSTONE

Red River Gorge — The Motherlode climbing conditions

Poor — wet, too windy or closed

Right now

Temp76°F
Wind4 mph
Gusts7 mph
Humidity78.9%
Rain 48h0.01 in
Last rain1h ago

Assessment

1.1mm rain forecast
Cumberland sandstone — wait until fully dry

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Friday 21 August
Poor
Temp79°F
Rain0.04 in
Wind4 mph
Gusts7 mph
Humidity71%
1.1mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dry
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
  • Hot — Southern humidity and heat make holds greasy
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
14:00 76° 0.01 in 4 — 78.9%
15:00 79° 0.00 in 5 — 69.7%
16:00 81° 0.00 in 4 — 63.4%
17:00 83° dry 3 — 60.4%
18:00 84° dry 3 — 57.6%
19:00 85° dry 3 — 55%
20:00 84° 0.03 in 4 — 56.2%
21:00 81° dry 6 — 69.6%
Sat Saturday 22 August
Poor
Temp72°F
Rain0.03 in
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity81%
0.8mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dry
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 68° dry 2 — 90.7%
07:00 67° dry 2 — 92.2%
08:00 66° dry 1 — 95.9%
09:00 65° dry 2 — 98.3%
10:00 64° dry 2 — 98.8%
11:00 64° dry 2 — 98.9%
12:00 66° dry 3 — 96.2%
13:00 71° dry 2 — 86.1%
14:00 77° dry 4 — 73.6%
15:00 80° dry 6 — 60.8%
16:00 82° dry 7 — 54.8%
17:00 84° dry 7 — 51.6%
18:00 85° dry 8 — 49%
19:00 86° 0.01 in 9 — 46.2%
20:00 83° 0.01 in 11 — 50%
21:00 82° 0.01 in 9 — 53.8%
Sun Sunday 23 August
Caution
Temp68°F
Raindry
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity79%
Should be dryCumberland sandstone — recent rain, give it more drying
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 67° dry 6 — 90.3%
07:00 65° dry 7 — 93.7%
08:00 65° dry 7 — 95.3%
09:00 64° dry 6 — 96.5%
10:00 63° dry 6 — 96.2%
11:00 62° dry 4 — 94.8%
12:00 64° dry 3 — 90.9%
13:00 68° dry 2 — 80.7%
14:00 72° dry 3 — 68.9%
15:00 74° dry 6 — 61.7%
16:00 76° dry 6 — 56.9%
17:00 78° dry 6 — 52.3%
18:00 79° dry 7 — 48.7%
19:00 80° dry 8 — 45%
20:00 81° dry 8 — 42.3%
21:00 81° dry 8 — 41%
Mon Monday 24 August
Good
Temp63°F
Raindry
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity85%
Should be dry
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 63° dry 4 — 78%
12:00 63° dry 4 — 85.1%
18:00 79° dry 6 — 44.5%
Tue Tuesday 25 August
Good
Temp61°F
Raindry
Wind5 mph
Gusts—
Humidity81%
Should be dry
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 61° dry 5 — 73.1%
12:00 60° dry 5 — 80.7%
18:00 83° dry 2 — 35.1%
Wed Wednesday 26 August
Good
Temp64°F
Raindry
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity78%
Should be dry
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 67° dry 6 — 68.4%
12:00 65° dry 4 — 78%
18:00 88° dry 2 — 31.4%
Thu Thursday 27 August
Good
Temp68°F
Raindry
Wind2 mph
Gusts—
Humidity80%
Should be dry
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 69° dry 4 — 71.2%
12:00 68° dry 2 — 80.4%
18:00 91° dry 3 — 33.6%
Fri Friday 28 August
Caution
Temp70°F
Rain0.01 in
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity93%
Should be dryHumidity 93% — potential fog
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
  • Humid but Cumberland sandstone tolerates it better than soft sandstone — expect greasy slopers
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 71° dry 4 — 94.8%
12:00 71° dry 4 — 93.1%
18:00 91° 0.01 in 5 — 43.9%

About Red River Gorge — The Motherlode

The Motherlode is the RRG's flagship overhanging sport crag — five distinct sectors including the iconic Madness Cave, with the highest concentration of hard routes in the Gorge. The overhang shelters much of the wall from direct rain, and roof lines like Ale-8-One (5.12b) and Tuna Town (5.12d) can stay dry through short showers, but Cumberland sandstone still needs full drying before climbing. Sectors read morning-to-evening: Buckeye Buttress and Warm-Up Wall catch morning sun; Madness Cave and Undertow Wall come into afternoon/evening light. RRGCC owns the land beneath the cliff line (2017 purchase); the Ventura Family (Miguel's Pizza) owns above. Dawn to dusk only; a completed liability waiver is mandatory — climbing without one is criminal trespass. October–April is prime.

Region
Red River Gorge
Rock type
Cumberland sandstone
Aspect
mixed-facing
Altitude
1063 ft
Exposure
medium
Seepage
low

Other crags in this region

Red River Gorge — Miller ForkRed River Gorge — Muir ValleyRed River Gorge — PMRPRed River Gorge — Roadside Crag