Main Gate Rock
Main Gate Rock in California has 6 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: blachswan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 6 routes
- 5.3 – 5.10c
- Trad · Sport
Is Main Gate Rock 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 Main Gate Rock
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, 8.1 mi away at 3,249 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Main Gate Rock is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots and trails, with the closest neighbors just a few hundred yards away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley show April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F, while July and August average about 96°F. The area has six routes, five of which are trad and one is sport. Grades range from 5.3 to 5.10c. Left Swain Crack is the easiest at 5.3, and Right Swain Crack is the hardest at 5.10c. Liquid Edge is the sport route at 5.10b. Lonely Stones 1 and Dream Sequence Boulder are both about 0.1 mile away, and North Canyon Trail is about 0.3 mile off. Black Rock Campground is roughly 8 miles away.
Routes (6)
Facts about this crag
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