California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

Bighorn Mating Grotto

Bighorn Mating Grotto is a 6-route climbing area in California with traditional climbing.

6 routes

5.9+ – 5.11c

Trad

Is Bighorn Mating Grotto 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 23, 7:30 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Bighorn Mating Grotto

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, 14.8 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.

Bighorn Mating Grotto is a climbing area in the Joshua Tree Wilderness, part of Joshua Tree National Park in California. The land is managed by the National Park Service, and a fee is charged for entry. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley show April highs around 73°F with lows near 46°F, and October highs around 80°F with lows near 50°F. That station sits well below the grotto, so expect temperatures up high to run cooler. Several other climbing areas sit right around the grotto, including Diarrhea Dome and Central Wonderland, each about 0.1 mile away, and Inauguron Dome at about 0.2 mile. For a hike, Barker Dam Trail is about 1.5 miles off.