Climb Lake Nickajack

Lake Nickajack has an incredible stretch of 50' limestone that is only accessible by water. The beauty of this wall is that a majority is vertical to slightly overhung, so you can ascend and at any time and just drop into the deep waters below. The limestone is covered in tufas, so plenty of opportunities to exercise that gorilla grip.

The best approach is to float up to the wall in your boat and mount the climb above water level with hands in a semi-dry state. From there you work your way up numerous routes. Either drop from mid-climb when the going gets tough, or top out where you can take in the breathtaking view before going for big air (make sure your buddies are clear below before letting go)!

If you want to make some spectacular cliff jumps but can't make the climbs you can follow the peninsula to the tip where a trail runs along the ridge and takes you to the top where your leap of destiny awaits.

The easiest point of access to the wall is via the Hales Bar Marina. You can paddle down to the wall under your own power or rent a houseboat for the day from the marina and go in style. The limestone wall is south of Interstate 24, so once you pass under the bridge look for the peninsula and wall to your right.

This adventure is best when the mid-summer sun makes much of the Southeastern rock too hot to climb and you just want a day to practice and cool off.