California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Cap Rock - North Face

Cap Rock - North Face in California has 17 climbing routes across 11 grades.

Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

17 routes

5.2 – 5.11b/c

Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Cap Rock - North Face 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, 6:30 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Cap Rock - North Face

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, 16.1 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.

Cap Rock - North Face is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among several other climbing areas on the Cap Rock massif, and a fee is charged for activities here. 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 climb into the mid-90s and winter nights dip to about 34°F. The North Face has 17 routes, 14 of which are traditional, with two sport routes and one mixed. Grades range from 5.2 up to 5.11b/c. Circus is the easiest at 5.2, and The Ayatollah is the hardest at 5.11b/c. The Cap Rock - Southeast Face and Cap Rock - South Face climbing areas are each about 0.1 mile away, and the Cap Rock hike is also close by. For an overnight stay, Sheep Pass Group campground is about 2.7 miles away.