Rumney Becomes a Mecca for Rock Climbers

Imagine yourself one hundred and fifty feet above the valley floor hanging from a rope. Below you the winding path of the Baker River meanders through the quaint town of Rumney, NH. Above you the sounds of Hawks and Peregrine Falcons pierce the quiet. Your muscles ache with the exertion of the climb but the adrenaline rushing through your body and the sights, sounds and smells of this place make you feel more alive than you have ever felt before. If you know, or can imagine, this feeling, you understand why hundreds of people make the drive to the cliffs of Rattlesnake Mountain in Rumney every weekend

What began in the 1960's as a few hardy souls playing among the hawks on the cliffs of Rattlesnake Mountain in Rumney, NH, has evolved into one of the Heart of New Hampshire’s most popular natural attractions.

Today, avid climbers head for the cliffs of Rattlesnake in droves for climbing that is easily accessed and among the best in the Northeatern US.

Just 40 minutes north of Concord, NH and only 2 hours drive from Boston, the cliffs of Rattlesnake Mountain are an easy drive for climbers of all abilities and gradually the support infrastructure is growing up to support the growth of this popular pastime.


The Wendall Ascent Begins an Era

The first recorded climbs on the cliffs of Rattlesnake Mountain appear to have been made in the 1960's by the father and son team of George Wendall II and III for whom a route is named on the main cliff of the mountain.

In the1970's more climbers began to explore and document routes and in 1987 writer Ed Webster first included Rattlesnake among the climbs in his "Rock Climbs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire".

Webster's book brought increased interest in the area but also created new tensions between climbers and private landowners who controlled some of the land adjacent to the National Forest where many of the climbs were located. In the early 1990's these tensions reached a high-watermark when the landowner, concerned with liability issues and a dramatic increase in use, posted the land, prompting a dramatic decline in use. This event was the genesis of a new organization . . . the Rumney Climber's Association. The RCA was committed to taking action to see that Rattlesnake remained open to climbers.

What followed was one of the great examples of proactive cooperation between the National Forest and the climbing community as climbers and environmentalists joined together to purchase the land in question and add it to the National Forest holdings. Once again climbers returned to Rattlesnake to rediscover their favorite routes and the National Forest got on board with parking to accommodate the new crowds and ease the concerns of local folks on their weekly "dump runs" to the Rumney transfer station - located along the same road.

The Rock climbing community has shown remarkable persistance in dealing with the challenges of the growing interest in Rattlesnake and the challenges have not only been between people. Rattlesnake Mountain is also the home to the threatened Peregrine Falcon - only removed from the endangered species list in 1999.

Working in cooperation with the New Hampshire Audubon society and others interested in the protecting the nesting falcons, various sections of the mountain are closed off during the breeding seasons to sustain this remarkable comeback from near extinction.

In 2002 the first guidebook to climbing Rattlesnake was produced. "Rumney", by Ward Smith details more than 400 routes up the cliffs ranging from easy to very difficult has been released and is considered the definitive guide for climbing and bouldering in the area.




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Plummers Ledge

Plummers Ledge, Rumney, NH

Off the beaten track in Rumney NH lies a very interesting geological site: Plummers Ledge. Here you will find an area long ago travelled by the Baker River, before it was the Baker River, even before it was the Asquamchemaukee River. Laid down during a period of great geologic turmoil, Plummers ledge features giant P-Holes carved by huge boulders flowing down the river during the retreat of the last glacier.



If you are a student of geology or just interested in the effects of the last glacier, stand here and imagine the retreat of a glacier so large that it covered the summit of Mt Washington by thousands of feet. As the glacier melted, it created massive rivers churning with rocks and debris. Plummers ledge is one of the few areas where a visitor can step back in time, relatively unfetterred by more recent geologic disturbances and witness the power of that river of ice and its flowing waters.

Don't expect a fancy visitors center or even trail guides. Plummers ledge is not a sexy enough attraction to warrant much attention from the State of New Hampshire. In fact until 15 years ago, there wasn't even a sign. Back then Rumney selectman Joe Kent approached then Senator Wayne King and suggested that at the very least the site should be marked because most of the people who even knew about the site had long since died. King and Kent arranged for the signage and today at least the curious have a means to explore...

Directions to Plummers Ledge

Rte 25 Rumney to Sand Hill Rd (approximately 1.5 miles north of the flashing light at Main Street.) Pine Hill Rd becomes Buffalo Road continue straight at the junction with Buffalo Rd for about 1.5 miles. You will come to a lumber mill at a bend in the road and there is a small overgrown parking area on the right hand side of the road with the sign pictured above. Park here and explore.





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Nathan Clifford - Legislator and Supreme Court Justice

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Nathan Clifford (1803-1881)
Nathan Clifford was born on August 18, 1803, in Rumney, New Hampshire. He prepared for college at the Haverhill Academy, and completed his education at the New Hampton Literary Institution. After reading law in the office of local attorney Josiah Quincy of Rumney, for whom the Quincy Road is named, he was admitted to the bar in 1827 and moved to Newfield, Maine, to establish a law practice. Clifford was elected to the lower house of the Maine legislature in 1830 for a one-year term and was re-elected three times , serving as its Speaker during the last two terms. He was then elected Attorney General of Maine by the State Legislature and served in that position from 1834 to 1838. In 1838, Clifford was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served two terms. Defeated in a bid for a third term, he returned to private law practice in 1843. President James K. Polk appointed Clifford Attorney General of the United States in 1846. Two years later, President Polk appointed Clifford United States Minister to Mexico. As Minister, Clifford negotiated the treaty which made California part of the United States. Clifford returned to Maine in 1849 and resumed his law practice in the City of Portland. Six years later, on December 9, 1857, President James Buchanan nominated Clifford to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate confirmed the appointment on January 12, 1858. Clifford served on the Supreme Court for twenty-three years. Clifford was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1858 to 1881. During his tenure on the Court, he wrote the Court's opinion in almost 400 cases. In 1877 he was appointed as President of the electoral commission that was convened to investigate and settle to disputed 1876 election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden and which ultimately gave the election to Republican Hayes. For students of history: guess which state was the controversial and deciding one in this election? You've got it FLORIDA! To make the comparison even more interesting, Oregon was the next questionable state.

Clifford died on July 25, 1881, at the age of seventy-seven. His burial:was at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine. In the town of Rumney there is a plaque noting Clifford's place of birth along the Buffalo Road, just past the trailhead to Rattlesnake Mountain. Clifford studied law in the Josiah Quincy House located along the Quincy Road adjacent to the Baker River State Forest.

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Along Rte 25 in Rumney, the state rest area is named in honor of Nathan Clifford, Rumney's United States Supreme Court Justice


Input from Dean Dexter, Lion Media
10/7/02-According to Dean Dexter of Lion Media the New Hampton Literary Institute, now New Hampton School, was at one time the the "New Hampton Literary and Biblical Institute", founded by Calvinists. It may have gone by that name at the time of Clifford's attendance.

Dean's grandfather and his brothers and sisters all went to New Hampton. One of his grandfather's brother's, Frederick, was headmaster there for many years. All the people sent their kids to New Hampton in those days if they wanted to go beyond the elementary level of the local one-room school house. Our family was from Meredith.

The late Joan Trimbell Smith, of New Hampton painted a portrait of Clifford that now hangs in the U.S. Supreme Court building.

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The Buffalo Road

Scenic Roads The Buffalo Road, Rumney, NH

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 The Buffalo Road begins in the center of Rumney, just north of the Rumney Town Common. Beginning as a paved road it gradually becomes gravel winding along the Baker River valley all the way to the town of Wentworth. Nathan Clifford, a United States Supreme Court Justice during the administration of Abraham Lincoln, was born in a house on this road. Today his place of birth is marked with a bronze plaque on the north side of the road. Also on Buffalo road is the Plummers Ledge Natural Area a glacially carved section of rock far from the water. This natural area is not obviously marked. It can be found by parking in the grassy lot directly across from the lumberyard and walking along the trail leading from the lot. For Road Warriors Most of the road is paved in the town of Rumney and becomes dirt shortly before crossing the Wentworth town line. At several points along the way there are turns leading to the left which allow the driver to return to Rte 25. Keep to the right or straight and you will remain on the Buffalo Road. For Bicyclists Paved & Dirt Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Touring or Mountain Bikes Parking: Parking is availble at the National Forest Lot 1 mile from the center of Rumney (National Forest stickers required) Bicyclists will find the Buffalo Road a wonderful ride for all skill levels. Several nice round trips that reflect the skill level of the riders as well as the length of the route are available. Buffalo Road to Sand Hill Road: This route is mostly flat and paved. Bicycle to the junction with Sandhill Road and return via the same route (8 mile round trip) or take Sandhill Road south to Rte 25 and Rte 25 back 3 miles to Main Street Rumney and thence Buffalo Road to your car. Buffalo Road to Wentworth: This ride contains paved and dirt road and is considerably more rigorous, though the road is quite flat and well maintained. Return via the same route or bear south on Rte 25 to return to Main St. Rumney and thence the Buffalo Road. 26 miles roundtrip. 

Other nearby attractions: Rock Climbing - Rumney Becomes a Mecca for Climbers Buffalo Road - 

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