Rat Rock (Central Park)

The outcrop is located near the southwest corner of Central Park, south of the Heckscher Ballfields near the alignments of 62nd Street and Seventh Avenue. It is officially named Umpire Rock, due to its proximity to the ballfields, but is commonly known as Rat Rock after the rats that used to swarm there at night. It measures about wide and is tall at its highest point. The rock has striations caused by glaciation. ==Climbing usage==

Boulderers congregate at the outcrop, sometimes as many as 50 per day. more experienced outsiders may be disappointed as the quality of the stone is poor, the setting is gloomy, and the climbs present so little challenge that it has been called "one of America's most pathetic boulders". The park police formerly ticketed climbers who climbed more than a few feet up the rock. The City Climbers Club approached the park authorities and, by working to provide safety features such as wood chips around the base, they were able to legalize climbing there. ==References==