California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Saddle Rocks Area

Saddle Rocks Area in California has 17 climbing routes with 10 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

Photo: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

17 routes

5.4 – 5.13a

Trad · Sport

Is Saddle Rocks Area 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 24, 8:00 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Saddle Rocks Area

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, 17 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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.

Saddle Rocks Area is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park, within the Joshua Tree Wilderness, managed by the National Park Service. It sits in the backcountry of the park, a short distance from trailheads and the Sheep Pass Group campground. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yucca Valley run to highs around 73°F in April and 80°F in October, while July and August average highs near 96°F. A fee is charged for entry to the park. The surrounding area includes the Saddle Rocks - Pommel and Saddle Rocks - Skirt climbing areas, both about 0.1 mile away, along with the Ryan Mountain Trailhead at 0.6 mile and Sheep Pass Group campground at 1.3 miles.