California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

Surprise Rock

Surprise Rock in California has 7 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

Surprise RockPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
7 routes
5.8 – 5.11a
Sport · Trad

Is Surprise Rock 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 Surprise Rock

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, 15.2 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.

Surprise Rock is a climbing area in Joshua Tree National Park's Joshua Tree Wilderness, managed by the National Park Service in California. It sits among several other climbing spots, so it pairs naturally with a day exploring the surrounding crags. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Yucca Valley weather station run to highs around 73°F in April and 80°F in October, while July and August average about 96°F. Freak Brothers Dome, East Wonderland Valley and Fat Freddie's Cat all lie about a tenth of a mile away, and the Astrodome Approach Trail is roughly 0.8 miles off. For an overnight stay, Sheep Pass Group campground is about 3.3 miles away.

Routes (7)

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

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