Ellsmere Island
Ellsmere Island in California has 15 climbing routes across 10 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Umnak, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 15 routes
- 5.4 – 5.11a
- Trad · Sport
Is Ellsmere Island 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 Ellsmere Island
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, 13 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 900 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.
Ellsmere Island is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's network of climbing crags, with several other crags and a trail just steps away. 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. The area has 15 routes, with 12 in trad and 3 in sport. Grades range from 5.4 to 5.11a. Among the routes are Fright Night (5.4), Gail Winds (5.9) and Arms Are For Hugging (5.11a). A fee is charged for park use. Mary Ann's Face, Gilligan's Island Crag and Ginger's Face are all about 0.1 mile away, and the Willow Hole Trail is just as close.
Routes (15)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Umnak, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Mary Ann's Face
~0 min drive
Mary Ann's Face in California has 5 routes ranging from moderate to hard, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: Umnak, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Gilligan's Island Crag
~0 min drive
Gilligan's Island Crag in California has 6 trad climbing routes across 2 difficulty grades.
Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Hidden Dome
~0 min drive
Hidden Dome in California has 8 traditional climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Looking Glass
~0 min drive
Looking Glass in California has 7 traditional climbing routes across 6 grades.
Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Seitch
~0 min drive
Seitch, The in California has 5 climbing routes on 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Outward Bound Slab
~1 min drive
Outward Bound Slab in California has 16 routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Mustang Ranch
~1 min drive
Mustang Ranch in California has 12 climbing routes across 10 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: TheArtificer, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)The Middle Kingdom
~1 min drive
Middle Kingdom, The in California has 18 climbing routes.
Photo: TheArtificer, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)The Techulator
~1 min drive
Techulator in California has 14 traditional climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.
Photo: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)West Mongolia
~1 min drive
West Mongolia is a California climbing crag with 13 routes, 8 grades, and trad style.
Also worth it near here
