Ancient Kingdom
Ancient Kingdom in California has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: Francis Storr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 5 routes
- 5.7 – 5.10
- Trad · Sport
Is Ancient Kingdom open right now?
Alert in the area
The National Park Service lists 3 alerts for Joshua Tree National Park.
Partial Trail Closure of West Side Loop
Park alert covering Joshua Tree National Park · NPS · Joshua Tree National Park
Inaccurate Third-Party Apps
Park alert covering Joshua Tree National Park · NPS · Joshua Tree National Park
Oasis of Mara Trail Partial Closure
Park alert covering Joshua Tree National Park · NPS · Joshua Tree National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Ancient Kingdom
Best months: October–May. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
58° / 38°
4 wet
Feb
61° / 39°
3 wet
Mar
67° / 40°
3 wet
Apr
73° / 46°
2 wet
May
82° / 52°
1 wet
Jun
91° / 59°
0 wet
Jul
96° / 66°
2 wet
Aug
96° / 68°
2 wet
Sep
89° / 60°
2 wet
Oct
80° / 50°
1 wet
Nov
66° / 41°
2 wet
Dec
58° / 34°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yucca Valley, CA, 13.6 mi away at 3,249 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Ancient Kingdom is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among several other named climbing spots, including Johnson Canyon, Wonder Bluffs and Condor Rock, all within a few tenths of a mile. Spring and fall bring the most comfortable conditions. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley put April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F, while July and August average highs near 96°F. The area holds five routes, four of them trad and one sport, with grades from 5.7 to 5.10. Babylonia is the easiest, and Duel in the Sun is the sport route.
Routes (5)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Wonder Bluffs
~0 min drive
Wonder Bluffs in California has 11 trad climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Condor Rock
~0 min drive
Condor Rock in California has 8 climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)King Otto's Castle
~1 min drive
King Otto's Castle in California has 17 climbing routes across 13 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Willit Pillar
~1 min drive
Willit Pillar in California has 9 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Kathi Epping and Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Boortemus Clump
~1 min drive
6-route climbing crag in California with sport and trad options.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Varnished Wall
~1 min drive
Varnished Wall in California has 12 climbing routes across 7 grades.
Photo: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Indian Cove Campground
~1 min drive
Indian Cove Campground in California has 28 climbing routes across 17 grades, featuring bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Pixie Boulder
~1 min drive
Pixie Boulder is a bouldering crag in California with 13 routes.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Pixie Rock
~1 min drive
Pixie Rock in California has 12 climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.
Photo: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Clump Canyon
~1 min drive
Clump Canyon in California has 8 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Also worth it near here
