California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Beetle Buttress

Beetle Buttress in California has 7 traditional climbing routes across 5 grades.

7 routes

5.4 – 5.11a

Trad

Is Beetle Buttress 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 Oct 24, 10:00 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Beetle Buttress

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, 14.4 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,000 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.

Beetle Buttress is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. The nearest town is Panorama Heights, about 8 miles away. The area sits among several other climbing spots and trails, including The Yabo Boulder and Cockroach Crag, both about 0.1 mile away, and Cow Rock, a hike at a similar distance. The climbing here is all trad, with seven routes ranging from 5.4 to 5.11a. The easiest are Beatle Baily and The Beatles, both 5.4, and the hardest is Beetle Corner at 5.11a. Right Beetle Crack and Let It Be are both around 5.10b. The area is a compact cluster of routes rather than a single climb. 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 July and August average about 96°F. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower than the buttress, so temperatures up high run cooler. A fee is charged for park use. Hidden Valley Trailhead is about half a mile away, and Sheep Pass Group campground is about 3.5 miles off.