California · Rock climbing · Indio

Pinto Basin

Pinto Basin in California has 3 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

Pinto BasinPhoto: aboutmytripdotcom, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
3 routes
5.7 – 5.10c
Sport · Trad

Is Pinto Basin 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 Pinto Basin

Best months: November–April. 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

    66° / 40°

  2. Feb

    67° / 42°

  3. Mar

    75° / 46°

  4. Apr

    83° / 51°

  5. May

    89° / 58°

  6. Jun

    99° / 66°

  7. Jul

    103° / 74°

  8. Aug

    101° / 75°

  9. Sep

    96° / 68°

  10. Oct

    86° / 56°

  11. Nov

    74° / 46°

  12. Dec

    64° / 40°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Chiriaco Summit, CA, 6.3 mi away at 1,706 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.

Pinto Basin is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the national park's boundaries, and a park fee applies to visits. The climbing here is a compact mix of sport and trad routes, with three routes listed in total. The sport routes are Love Bubbles at 5.7 and Babaloos at 5.9, and the trad route is Baby Pillows at 5.10c. The grades range from 5.7 to 5.10c. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Chiriaco Summit weather station show April highs around 83°F and October highs around 86°F, while July averages about 103°F. Several trails and a campground lie close by. Mastodon Mine Loop Trail is under a mile away, Cottonwood Spring is about 1.3 miles off, and Cottonwood Group campground is about 2.4 miles away. Lost Palms Oasis Trail is about 1.7 miles away.

Routes (3)

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

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