California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Escape Rock (Southwest Face)

7-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options on the Southwest Face.

Escape Rock (Southwest Face)Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
7 routes
5.9 – 5.10b/c
Trad · Sport

Is Escape Rock (Southwest 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 · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Escape Rock (Southwest 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.

  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, 15.3 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.

Escape Rock (Southwest Face) is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park, managed by the National Park Service in California. The park has a fee, so plan on paying to enter before you start climbing. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley run from highs of about 73°F and lows of 46°F in April to highs of about 80°F and lows of 50°F in October. That station sits well below the park's higher ground, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several climbing areas sit right next to this one, including Escape Rock, Barker Dam Area, Oasis Rock and Rat Rock, each about 0.1 mile away. Barker Dam Trail and the Astrodome Approach Trail are both about 0.2 mile off. For an overnight stay, Sheep Pass Group campground is about 2.8 miles away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Escape RockPhoto: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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