The Black Rocks
Black Rocks in California has 5 traditional climbing routes.
- 5 routes
- 5.10- – 5.10c/d
- Trad
Is Black Rocks, The 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 The Black Rocks
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, 16.3 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.
The Black Rocks are a climbing area within Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. The park charges a fee for visits. 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 and October highs around 80°F, while July and August average about 96°F. That station sits well below the park, so temperatures at the rocks run cooler. Several other climbing spots lie within a short distance, including Bighorn Pass Boulders about half a mile away and Trifling Rock and Dissolution Rock at about 0.6 miles. Barker Dam Nature is a hike just over 0.7 miles off.
Routes (5)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Trifling Rock
~1 min drive
Trifling Rock is a California climbing crag with 3 routes and 3 distinct difficulty grades.
Photo: stevehfung, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Dissolution Rock
~1 min drive
Dissolution Rock in California has 5 trad climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: stevehfung, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Dissolution Corridor
~1 min drive
5 routes at Dissolution Corridor in California, grades range from 5.10 to 5.12a.
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Indian Wave Boulders
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12 bouldering routes at Indian Wave Boulders in California.
Hunk Rock - East Face
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Hunk Rock - East Face in California has 9 climbing routes with 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: stevehfung, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Hunk Rock - West Face
~1 min drive
Hunk Rock - West Face in California has 5 traditional climbing routes on 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Ash Gordon Rock
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Ash Gordon Rock in California has 7 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.
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.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)South Wonderland Approach
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South Wonderland Approach in California has 10 routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
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