North Cave Rock (South Face)
North Cave Rock (South Face) in California has 6 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Photo: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 6 routes
- 5.10+ – 5.11c/d
- Trad · Sport
Is North Cave Rock (South 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 North Cave Rock (South 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.
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, 16.9 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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.
North Cave Rock (South Face) is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing and hiking destinations, with South Cave Rock and the North Cave Rock (North Face) climbing area each about 0.1 mile away, and the Ryan Mountain Trailhead and Sheep Pass Connector Trail also within a tenth of a mile. The area is a trad and sport climbing destination with six routes, five of which are trad and one sport. Grades run from 5.10a to 5.11c/d, with the hardest route being Pox on You at 5.11c/d. Happy Meal is the sport route, and it was first climbed by Todd Gordon, Dana Adler and Cyndie Bransford in May 1996. 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 1,200 feet lower than the park's higher ground, so temperatures at the climbing area run cooler. A fee is charged for park activities. Sheep Pass Group campground is about 1.1 miles away, and Ryan Ranch Trailhead is about 1.3 miles away.
Routes (6)
Facts about this crag
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