Escape Rock (Southwest Face)
7-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options on the 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.
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, 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.
Routes (7)
Facts about this crag
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