California · Rock climbing · Desert Center

Shark Fin Area

Shark Fin Area in California has 12 bouldering routes across 9 grades.

Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

12 routes

V0- – V6

Bouldering

Is Shark Fin 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, 6:30 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Shark Fin 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, 21.7 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 900 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.

Shark Fin Area is a bouldering area in Joshua Tree National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Little Europe just 0.1 mile away and Diamond Clump at 0.2 mile, so it works well as one stop in a day of exploring the park's bouldering. The area has 12 bouldering routes, all rated on the V scale from V0- to V6. The hardest is Pebble Without a Cause at V6, and Shark's Fin Arete is at V2. The routes are close together, so it's easy to move from one to another. 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. A fee is charged for park use. Sheep Pass Group campground is about 4 miles away for anyone planning an overnight stay.