California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Rat Ledge

Among the more accessible climbs at Rat Rock.

5.8+
grade
Trad Gear
style

Is Rat Ledge 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 Rat Ledge

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, 15.4 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.

One of the easier routes catalogued at Rat Rock, sitting near the bottom of the crag's 5.8–5.10b range.

Photo of the crag

Rat Rock — the crag this route is on
Rat Rock, California — this photo shows the crag, not this individual route.Photo: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Oasis RockPhoto: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Oasis Rock

~0 min drive

Oasis Rock in California offers 9 traditional climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.

Barker Dam AreaPhoto: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Barker Dam Area

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Barker Dam Area in California has 24 climbing routes with 18 difficulty grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad.

Escape Rock (Southwest Face)Photo: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Escape Rock (Southwest Face)

~0 min drive

7-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options on the Southwest Face.

Escape RockPhoto: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Escape Rock

~0 min drive

Escape Rock is a California climbing crag with 4 routes spanning 4 difficulty grades.

Lakeside Rock North (aka Oregon Trail)Photo: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lakeside Rock North (aka Oregon Trail)

~0 min drive

7-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options.

Lakeside Rock - West FacePhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lakeside Rock - West Face

~0 min drive

9 mixed and trad routes on the west face of Lakeside Rock, facing a lake in California.

No Falls WallPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

No Falls Wall

~0 min drive

No Falls Wall in California has 8 routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

Gunsmoke WallPhoto: cappellacci, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Gunsmoke Wall

~0 min drive

Gunsmoke Wall in California has 22 bouldering routes across 11 grades.

Rockworks RockPhoto: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rockworks Rock

~0 min drive

Rockworks Rock in California offers 9 climbing routes ranging from 5.10 to 5.12a, with sport and trad options.

The Oven MittPhoto: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Oven Mitt

~1 min drive

Oven Mitt, The in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Local businesses nearby

Outfitters and businesses near Desert Hot Springs. They haven’t set up their Roamze page yet.

Joshua Tree Outfitters

Rock Climbing business nearby (~12 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

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