Barker Dam Area
Barker Dam Area in California has 24 climbing routes with 18 difficulty grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad.
Photo: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 24 routes
- 5.5 – 5.12a/b
- Trad · Bouldering · Sport
Is Barker Dam Area 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 Barker Dam Area
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, 15.4 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Barker Dam Area is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's own boundaries, about 15 miles from the town of Yucca Valley. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley show April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F, while summer highs there reach the mid-90s. A fee is charged for climbing at this area. Oasis Rock, Escape Rock (Southwest Face) and Rat Rock all lie about 0.1 mile away, and the Barker Dam Trail is about 0.2 mile off.
Routes (24)
Grain Pile Rocks(2)
More Funky than Monkey Rock(1)
Mother Brain(2)
Pud Saddler Rock(1)
Rock of Ages(2)
Scourge(1)
Toad Rock(1)
Trailside Cracks(3)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Oasis Rock
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Oasis Rock in California offers 9 traditional climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Escape Rock (Southwest Face)
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7-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options on the Southwest Face.
Photo: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Rat Rock
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Escape Rock
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Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lakeside Rock - West Face
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9 mixed and trad routes on the west face of Lakeside Rock, facing a lake in California.
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Photo: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Gunsmoke Wall
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Gunsmoke Wall in California has 22 bouldering routes across 11 grades.
Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Room To Shroom Area
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