California · Rock climbing · Desert Hot Springs

Swatchbuckler

Mid-range climb among 16 routes at Ranger Station Rock.

5.8
grade
Trad Gear
style

Is Swatchbuckler 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 Swatchbuckler

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, 13.7 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.

One of 16 routes catalogued at Ranger Station Rock, this climb sits in the middle of the crag's range from 5.4 to 5.11c.

Photo of the crag

Ranger Station Rock — the crag this route is on
Ranger Station Rock, California — this photo shows the crag, not this individual route.Photo: David Balmer, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

S-Crack FormationPhoto: David Balmer, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

S-Crack Formation

~0 min drive

S-Crack Formation in California has 5 trad routes on 4 difficulty grades.

Hill Street BluesPhoto: David Balmer, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hill Street Blues

~0 min drive

Hill Street Blues in California has 10 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Super Heros WallPhoto: If you didn't film it, it didn't happen!, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Super Heros Wall

~1 min drive

Super Heros Wall in California has 12 routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

Outback BoulderingPhoto: If you didn't film it, it didn't happen!, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Outback Bouldering

~1 min drive

Outback Bouldering in California has 42 bouldering routes.

Lost Horse AreaPhoto: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Horse Area

~1 min drive

Lost Horse Area in California has 29 climbing routes across 18 grades.

Tire Tread WallPhoto: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tire Tread Wall

~1 min drive

5-route climbing crag in California with sport and trad options.

Atlantis Wall - RightPhoto: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Atlantis Wall - Right

~1 min drive

Atlantis Wall - Right is a California climbing crag with 12 routes.

Santa's WorkshopPhoto: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Santa's Workshop

~1 min drive

Santa's Workshop in California has 5 routes ranging from moderate to hard, offering sport and trad climbing.

Atlantis AreaPhoto: David Balmer, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Atlantis Area

~1 min drive

Atlantis Area is a climbing crag in California with 3 routes.

Alanis (Morrisette) WallPhoto: cifraser1, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Alanis (Morrisette) Wall

~1 min drive

11-route climbing area in California with mixed 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 (~11 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator