Stone Fort, located in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, is one of the most popular bouldering destinations in the Southeast, and maybe even the country. The Stone Fort area is located just about 30-40 minutes outside of Chattanooga, and is unique in that the boulders are located just past a well-manicured golf course. I first learned of Stone Fort about four years ago when I was living in Georgia and working at a rock-climbing gym. It soon became a frequent destination for myself and my group of climbing buddies, where we would endure bugs and humidity in the summer or freezing cold rock in the winter to send our climbing projects. It’s been almost two years since I’ve made my way back to Stone Fort, so this past weekend my husband and I hopped on a redeye, landed in Atlanta at 6am, and met up with a friend to make the 2 hour drive to Tennessee. I didn’t bring my climbing shoes this time around, but it was still so fun to wander around and cheer on my husband and our friend as they worked on some awesome boulders.

There is a $9 entrance fee which is a bit annoying, but the parking lot is well-maintained and the area is generally safe which is a perk. The boulders are also located just past the clubhouse which makes it easily accessible. I would definitely recommend picking up a guide book, as Stone Fort is massive and can be confusing to navigate if you’re unfamiliar with it. You can also reference Mountain Project for lots of helpful information.