Bouldering in maryland

depends on how far you wanna drive.. i spent 4 years in Baltimore and here's what i can tell you.. there's a place about 1.5 hrs from baltimore called schaffer rock.. it's in PA, just past gettysburg. i think you can actually find info online about how to get there.. but it's mainly top rope and trad, but at the base of the cliff there are a lot of boulders, or boulder problems on the cliff that do top out on a low ledge.and then you can hike off.. i'd say if you're a v6+ climber, you could do pretty much everything there (as far as pure lines). there are two roofs that have a few boulder problems on them each. and i'd say it's worth 2 or 3 full day trips.. closer to baltimore... Morgans run (small state park). about 50 west of bmore. not many problems. but if you go into the park, cross the river and up on the other side there's a large prow that sport probably about 3 pure lines, a lot more eliminates, but can be really steep.. there's a v4ish that crawls out a 70+ degree roof before pulling out of it.. and there's a V7ish also that has a scary finish (boulder behind you) but it's really good. Gun Powder Falls if you're on US 1, going east out of bmore from the beltway, you'll go through city/suburb stuff for a while, and eventually get into the woods, go downa big hill to a river which will be labeled gun powder falls state park, park there on the right side in a parking lot, and walk south (right) for about 10-15 minutes. you'll see two cliff bands up on the left, the one on the left is okay, has some low problems, but it goes pretty high (30ftish?) with a bad landing. the one on the right has at least 3-4 pure problems (v5 and up) but tons of eliminates.. it's about a 60 degree roof to a vertical wall, pretty good landing ..the classic one is on that starts at or just below where someone has written "trix" on the roof, and just pull straight out of the roof.. Rock state park not much here... but there are a few really good lines. directions should be online somewhere.. basically when you find directions to the park (i think you can also use mapquest and find "rocks, md".. ) .. the road that you will be on just goes all the way through the park.. keep your eye out for a gravel parking lot on the left, there's also a small little shed there.. so don't go to the main entrance or take any side roads... there will be a trail that leads out of the parking lot, just follow it for about 5-10 minutes.. and you'll see the classic problem. the trail goes right past it.. it's anywhere from v11 to v3, depending on where you start.. the lower the harder.. it's just a big boulder, really steep, and narrow.. so you're hugging two aretes.. .. but then all along that ridgeline going down hill are boulders.. the next one down has a v7/5(sit start is 7) called up on blocks. really good.. also. check out boulderin in wilmington, De.. i think that can be fould online. also. if you need harder stuff. i know there are a few boulder problems at great falls near DC.. if you want beta on that, find a guy named geoff brittan.. i would check the gyms.. i know some of the guys at Earth treks know him. he knows the beta for that stuff. last one, there are like 3 boulders IN baltimore. if you're in baltimore, find falls road and go north on it (it parralels I-83 out of the city). the easiest way to describe where to park is this.. take falls untill you go into some woods, you'll hit a shart left corner and then go under an overpass (I-83). stop, turn around, and go back and park at that sharp corner.. if you hike back south on fall road, you'l see a small cliff with some v0's and stuff on it.. pretty crappy though,.. if you go over the gaurdrail from the parking lot, and to the right, hike for about 3 minutes. you should see a boulder up on the left ( you may have to take a left at a split in the trail pretty early on). there are two problems, one with a sit variation... if you traverse the lip, and top out at the top, it's like v2, maybe.. if you add the sit, it's like v3 or 4. and then there is one line at the left side of the face that is pretty hard.. there are two ways to do it ( i know, it's kinda an eliminate).. if you start R and L hand on different holds (side pullish thing and small crimp) and you use this little frosted flake looking thing for your right hand out on the face its like v6+ (hard), if you start matched, and just go up left hand to a slopey side pull right away it's like v5(easy).. if you keep hiking past this boulder, about 5 min or more later, theres a third boulder way up on the hill side, that has a few medium hard stuff. well. thereyou have it.. email me if you need more beta.. for some pics.. http://home.comcast.net/~cruxphoto/boulders.html 4th pic - the boulders off Falls Rd. 6th pic - schaffer rocks, Pa 10th pic - gun powder falls, of US 1. good luck nate