California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

Desert Queen Dome

Desert Queen Dome in California has 5 climbing routes on 5 difficulty grades.

Desert Queen DomePhoto: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
5 routes
5.7 – 5.10c
Trad · Sport

Is Desert Queen Dome 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 Desert Queen Dome

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, 20.1 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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.

Desert Queen Dome is a climbing area in California's Joshua Tree National Park, within the Joshua Tree Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and the dome sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, including Morongo Man Cliffs, Fraggle Rock and Queen Crimson Dome, all within a few tenths of a mile. 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 1,400 feet lower than the dome, so temperatures up high run cooler. The area has five routes, four of which are trad and one sport. Grades range from 5.7 to 5.10c. Face Race is the sport route at 5.10a, and Dweeb is the easiest at 5.7. The Split Rock Trail and Desert Queen Mine Trail are both hikes about a mile away, and Sheep Pass Group campground is about 3.4 miles off.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive