California · Rock climbing · Desert Center

The Hen House

Hen House, The in California has 9 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

The Hen HousePhoto: jmacthewanderer, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
9 routes
5.6 – 5.10a
Sport · Trad

Is Hen House, The 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 The Hen House

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, 22 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.

Hen House is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park, within the Joshua Tree Wilderness, on land managed by the National Park Service. It sits inside the park's wilderness boundary, about 22 miles from the weather station at Yucca Valley. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from that station show April highs around 73°F and October highs near 80°F, while July and August average about 96°F. A fee is charged for park use. Plan for that before you go. Several other climbing areas are close by, including Dr. Haney's Tool Shed Area at 0.6 miles and Zebra Cliffs East Face and North Face, each about 0.7 miles away. For a walk, Skull Rock Nature Trail is about 1.1 miles off.

Routes (9)

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Dr. Haney's Tool Shed AreaPhoto: jmacthewanderer, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Dr. Haney's Tool Shed Area

~1 min drive

Dr. Haney's Tool Shed Area in California has 9 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Zebra Cliffs East FacePhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Zebra Cliffs East Face

~1 min drive

Zebra Cliffs East Face in California has 12 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades.

Zebra Cliffs North FacePhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Zebra Cliffs North Face

~1 min drive

Zebra Cliffs North Face in California has 15 climbing routes across 9 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

The Whispering WallPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Whispering Wall

~2 min drive

Whispering Wall, The is a climbing area in California with 8 routes.

Teepee RockPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Teepee Rock

~2 min drive

7 climbing routes at Teepee Rock in California, 6 difficulty grades.

Creeper RocksPhoto: clango, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Creeper Rocks

~2 min drive

Creeper Rocks in California has 6 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

Big Bob's Big WedgePhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Big Bob's Big Wedge

~2 min drive

Big Bob's Big Wedge in California has 7 climbing routes.

Live Oak Picnic AreaPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Live Oak Picnic Area

~2 min drive

Live Oak Picnic Area in California has 13 climbing routes ranging across 11 difficulty grades.

Jojoba CorridorPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jojoba Corridor

~2 min drive

Jojoba Corridor in California has 8 traditional climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Jumbo Rock AreaPhoto: Klaus Eltrop, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Jumbo Rock Area

~2 min drive

Jumbo Rock Area in California has 42 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades, featuring bouldering pads, mixed, sport, and trad styles.