Franklin Gorge is a small canyon near Franklin, West Virginia, close to the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, and it has long served as a regional destination for accessible rock climbing. Discovered and developed for climbing in the early to mid-1990s by John Burcham and friends, it became especially known for sport climbing and top-rope routes, with some traditional climbing as well. Its layered sandstone, mixed with some limestone, creates horizontal breaks, pockets, and huecos that shape many of the holds. Because it lies on private land, access has remained an important issue for local climbers. For many in the Mid-Atlantic, it has been an early training ground before tackling larger cliffs such as those at the New River Gorge.