California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

Pernicious Dome

Pernicious Dome in California has 8 climbing routes ranging across 5 difficulty grades.

Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

8 routes

5.7 – 5.10c

Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Pernicious Dome 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, 7:30 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Pernicious Dome

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, 13.3 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.

Pernicious Dome 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 park's designated wilderness, so a fee is charged for access. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley run highs around 73°F in April and 80°F in October, while July and August average about 96°F. That station sits roughly 1,050 feet lower than the dome, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several other climbing areas are close by, including Techulator, The about 0.1 mile away and Middle Kingdom, The about 0.2 mile away. Hikers can reach Willow Hole Trail about 0.6 mile off, and Sheep Pass Group campground lies about 5 miles away.