California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Crystal Skull

Crystal Skull is a bouldering crag in California with 6 routes and 6 distinct difficulty grades.

Crystal SkullPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
6 routes
V0 – V2-3
Bouldering

Is Crystal Skull 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 Crystal Skull

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.

  1. Jan

    58° / 38°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    61° / 39°

    3 wet

  3. Mar

    67° / 40°

    3 wet

  4. Apr

    73° / 46°

    2 wet

  5. May

    82° / 52°

    1 wet

  6. Jun

    91° / 59°

    0 wet

  7. Jul

    96° / 66°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    96° / 68°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    89° / 60°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    80° / 50°

    1 wet

  11. Nov

    66° / 41°

    2 wet

  12. Dec

    58° / 34°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yucca Valley, CA, 17.5 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.

Crystal Skull is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among the park's bouldering and cliff areas, which are scattered across the surrounding landscape. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Yucca Valley weather station put April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F, while summer highs climb into the mid-90s. A fee is charged for climbing at Crystal Skull. The closest climbing areas are Bighorn Pass Boulders, about 0.8 mile away, and Small World Cliff, about a mile off. The Queen Valley Trail and Black Rocks, The are each roughly 1.1 mile away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Small World CliffPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Small World Cliff

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Wailing Sax WallPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wailing Sax Wall

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Cave Corridor Area

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Trifling Rock

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Indian Wave BouldersPhoto: Robb Hannawacker, while working for Joshua Tree National Park, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Indian Wave Boulders

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Junk ClumpPhoto: stevehfung, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Junk Clump

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Dissolution CorridorPhoto: stevehfung, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Dissolution Corridor

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Hunk Rock - East FacePhoto: Robb Hannawacker, while working for Joshua Tree National Park, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hunk Rock - East Face

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