California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Mel's Diner Boulder

Mel's Diner Boulder in California has 8 bouldering routes across 4 difficulty grades.

Mel's Diner BoulderPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
8 routes
V0 – V3-4
Bouldering

Is Mel's Diner Boulder 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 Mel's Diner Boulder

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, 13.7 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 800 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.

Mel's Diner Boulder is a bouldering area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Mel's Diner, Bush Dome and Roadside Rock all about 0.1 mile away. A fee is charged for park use. 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 eight bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale. The easiest are V0 and V0-, and the hardest is V3-4. Pickled Pigs Feet and Flo are among the V0 routes, and Mel's Drive-thru is a V3-4 boulder with a first ascent listed as November 2021 myself. The Quail Springs Historic Trail is about 0.2 mile away, and the Keys West Wilderness Backpacking Board is about 0.9 mile away. Sheep Pass Group campground is about 4.2 miles off.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Mel's DinerPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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