Southeastern Climbers Coalition and Access Fund Partner with The Lyme Timber Company to secure an Access Agreement for Little Brushy Climbing Area
Photo credit: Nathalie Dupré
BOULDER, Colo. (July 14, 2025) – Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC), the local climbing coalition, and Access Fund, the national advocacy organization for sustainable access and conservation of climbing landscapes, are thrilled to announce that a long-term agreement has been signed with Lyme Timber Company opening access to a new climbing area in Sequatchie Valley, TN, Little Brushy. The area opens access to 409 acres of single pitch sport climbing to the climbing community.
“This is a huge win for climbers in the southeast,” says Ben Lowe, Executive Director for the Southeastern Climbers Coalition. “Little Brushy is one of those hidden gems that gets whispered about, but most thought it may never be brought out of the shadows. This has been a long-term effort to reach an agreement and we are extremely fortunate that the folks at The Lyme Timber Company were open to sharing this area with our community. Now all that's left is to adventure on this land together and fulfill the promise to be exemplary stewards of this newly opened area!”
The Little Brushy Climbing Area is located in Sequatchie Valley just outside of Dunlap, TN about 40 minutes from Chattanooga, at a middle point between Nashville, Chattanooga, and Huntsville. It is located on the south side of Highway 111 as it climbs up the Cumberland Plateau adjacent to Little Brush Creek.
“Securing access to Little Brushy has been a multi-year priority for climbers in the region,” says Daniel Dunn, Eastern Regional Director with Access Fund. “I’m excited to open this new climbing area to the public, and thankful to The Lyme Timber Company for their partnership with the climbing community. Wins like this highlight the value of Access Fund’s regional presence in key areas such as the Southeast where private land agreements can be critical for access.”
The cliff-laden Sequatchie Valley in southeast Tennessee has long been an area of interest for local and visiting climbers. While the vast majority of rock is located on private property with little to no public access, the SCC and Access Fund have been successful at securing access through land purchases and partnerships with landowners—some of the many tools the SCC and Access Fund have in their toolboxes to help create sustainable access to climbing—in turn, connecting people to nature and inspiring them to protect and conserve the lands they love. Other climbing areas in Sequatchie Valley that we have secured access to include classic venues such as Castle Rock, Woodcock Cove, and the recently announced Pond Creek. Little Brushy is the latest win and helps continue to establish the region as a world-class climbing destination.
“When I first saw this cliff, I knew it would be the home to some stellar routes,” recalls Bradley Webber, who came upon the area years ago. Now, he looks forward to sharing the cliff's magic with others. “Brushy has brought me many golden memories and contains the climbs I am most proud of. I am beyond excited and grateful to see access for this area opened so I can share it with more people.”
This area is full of steep routes offering mostly sport climbs ranging from 5.11-5.14. The north-facing cliffline offers shady afternoons, perfect for warmer days. In addition to the cliffline, the property hosts numerous established boulders along the Little Brushy Creek.
Recent studies have shown that rock climbing can be a major economic driver for rural communities in Tennessee with over $14.3 million being spent annually in the state by visiting climbers. This is especially true in places like Sequatchie Valley where outdoor tourism is a burgeoning scene. Little Brushy offers an opportunity for visiting climbers and local residents alike to get outdoors just a mere 5 minutes from downtown Dunlap.
“As a large landowner in the region, we recognize the important values these lands provide to the local community,” says Sean Ross, Managing Director at The Lyme Timber Company. “Our company has a long history of developing creative partnerships that allow the public to gain access for recreation on private lands, and we are excited to partner with the Access Fund and SCC to expand access for climbing and outdoor recreation in East Tennessee. We are happy we could find a way to make this arrangement work and look forward to welcoming the local climbing community onto our property and working together to protect and enjoy this natural resource.”
Support Access:
Get an exclusive first look at this new crag by signing up for one of our trail days at Little Brushy. Come prepared to sweat it out with us and On the Road and Off, and win merch at our official Trail Daze of Summer while doing it. Your work on the trails helps us to expeditiously improve the area and get this crag into tip-top shape so we can officially open access for all.
Trail Daze of Summer – 7/26 | SCC
This access agreement was only possible because of the hard work of the SCC; consider supporting this work by becoming a sustaining member today: SCC Membership | SCC
To support this work locally and across the country, become an Access Fund member: Access Fund
Little Brushy is currently closed to the public as we work to tackle some critical infrastructure projects. We plan to open before the fall season, but please check back in for updates at seclimbers.org
About SCC
The Southeastern Climbers Coalition is a local 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to preserve climbing areas in the Southeast. SCC currently owns and manages seven climbing areas and works with 30+ public and private landowners to protect access to climbing and steward climbing area resources throughout Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. SCC mobilizes its member base of 2,500+ climbers to recreate responsibly on public lands and works with 400+ volunteers annually on stewardship projects at climbing areas across the region. SCC works with local, state, and federal agencies to consult on climbing access concerns and support natural resource protection projects. For more information, visit www.seclimbers.org.
About Access Fund
Access Fund is the national advocacy organization whose mission is to lead and inspire the climbing community toward sustainable access and conservation of the climbing environment. Founded in 1991, Access Fund supports and represents millions of climbers nationwide in all forms of climbing. Access Fund works to protect America's climbing at the national and local levels by protecting public lands, restoring climbing areas, buying threatened climbing, protecting private land access, inspiring climbing advocacy, mentoring responsible climbers, and replacing aging bolts. Since 1991, Access Fund has supported 76 land acquisitions by land trusts, public entities, and local climbing organizations, protecting more than 3,000 climbing routes and 17,323 acres across 27 states. For more information, visit www.accessfund.org.
