California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

The Middle Kingdom

Middle Kingdom, The in California has 18 climbing routes.

The Middle KingdomPhoto: TheArtificer, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
18 routes
5.2 – 5.10c
Trad · Sport

Is Middle Kingdom, 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 Middle Kingdom

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, 13.2 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,000 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.

The Middle Kingdom is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park, within the Joshua Tree Wilderness, on land managed by the National Park Service. It sits in the heart of the park's backcountry, where several named climbing areas cluster close together. 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. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower than the wilderness, so temperatures up high run cooler. Pernicious Dome and Techulator, The are both about 0.2 miles away, and West Mongolia is about 0.4 miles off. For a walk, Willow Hole Trail is about half a mile away.

Routes (18)

3 Little Pigs(1)

First Little Pig5.3

Clean Crack Rock(1)

Clean Crack5.10a

Vulture's Roost, The(1)

Vulture's Roost5.9

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

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