Johnson Canyon
Johnson Canyon in California has 7 climbing routes with 7 distinct difficulty grades.
- 7 routes
- 5.4 – 5.11c
- Sport · Trad
Is Johnson Canyon 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 Johnson Canyon
Best months: October–April. 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
60° / 38°
3 wet
Feb
63° / 39°
3 wet
Mar
70° / 43°
2 wet
Apr
77° / 47°
1 wet
May
86° / 54°
0 wet
Jun
95° / 61°
0 wet
Jul
101° / 70°
2 wet
Aug
100° / 70°
2 wet
Sep
93° / 64°
2 wet
Oct
82° / 52°
1 wet
Nov
69° / 43°
2 wet
Dec
60° / 36°
3 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Joshua Tree, CA, 8.1 mi away at 2,563 ft. The station sits about 600 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.
Johnson Canyon is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's boundaries, and a fee is charged for access. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Joshua Tree show April highs around 77°F and October highs around 82°F, while July and August average about 100°F. Several other climbing areas lie close by, including Ancient Kingdom about 0.2 miles away and Condor Rock and N00b Rock each about 0.3 miles away. For a hike, Big Pine Trail is roughly 2.3 miles off.
Routes (7)
Euhedral Slab(1)
Split Boulder(3)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Francis Storr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Ancient Kingdom
~0 min drive
Ancient Kingdom in California has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Condor Rock
~0 min drive
Condor Rock in California has 8 climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Wonder Bluffs
~0 min drive
Wonder Bluffs in California has 11 trad climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)King Otto's Castle
~1 min drive
King Otto's Castle in California has 17 climbing routes across 13 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Boortemus Clump
~1 min drive
6-route climbing crag in California with sport and trad options.
Willit Pillar
~1 min drive
Willit Pillar in California has 9 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Varnished Wall
~1 min drive
Varnished Wall in California has 12 climbing routes across 7 grades.
Pixie Boulder
~1 min drive
Pixie Boulder is a bouldering crag in California with 13 routes.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Pixie Rock
~1 min drive
Pixie Rock in California has 12 climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.
Photo: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Indian Cove Campground
~1 min drive
Indian Cove Campground in California has 28 climbing routes across 17 grades, featuring bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
Also worth it near here