California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

Near East

Near East in California has 15 routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

Photo: Nfrastructure, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

15 routes

5.6 – 5.13d

Trad · Sport

Is Near East 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 Oct 23, 9:00 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Near East

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, 15.8 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.

Near East is a climbing area in California's Joshua Tree National Park, within the Joshua Tree Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and the area sits inside designated wilderness, so it is a backcountry destination rather than a developed park unit. 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 1,100 feet lower than the climbing area, so temperatures up high run cooler. The area has 15 routes, with 10 in trad and 5 in sport. Grades range from 5.6 to 5.13d, with Stingray at 5.13d and Air Crack at 5.6. Laugh Rock - West Face is about 0.2 miles away, and Nomad Dome and Trifling Rock are each about 0.3 miles off. For a hike, the Barker Dam Trail is about a mile away.