California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

King Dome - East Face

King Dome - East Face in California has 11 climbing routes with 8 difficulty grades, offering bouldering and trad.

King Dome - East FacePhoto: Bryan Pocius, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
11 routes
5.6 – 5.12a
Trad · Bouldering

Is King Dome - East 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 King Dome - East 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, 16.2 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.

King Dome - East Face is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park, California, managed by the National Park Service. The nearest town is Pinto Wye, about 7.5 miles away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley show April highs around 73°F and October highs near 80°F, while July and August average about 96°F. That station sits roughly 1,100 feet lower than the dome, so temperatures up high run cooler. The East Face has 11 routes, mostly traditional climbs with one boulder problem. The grades range from 5.6 to 5.12a. Among them are The Watercloset at 5.6, Magic Kingdome at 5.8 and Friction Impossible at 5.12a. Trashman Roof is the boulder route at 5.9. The King Dome Area and the Lynn Hill Memorial Boulder both lie about 0.1 mile away. Hikers can reach Ryan Mountain Trailhead at about 0.8 mile, and Sheep Pass Group campground is about 1.8 miles off.

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