California · Rock climbing · Twentynine Palms

Willow Hole Area

Willow Hole Area in California has 9 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Willow Hole AreaPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
9 routes
5.10a/b – 5.13c
Trad · Sport

Is Willow Hole 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 · Source: NPS · Joshua Tree National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Willow Hole 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.

  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, 14.4 mi away at 3,249 ft. The station sits about 700 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.

Willow Hole Area is a climbing area within Joshua Tree National Park, inside the Joshua Tree Wilderness, on land managed by the National Park Service in California. It sits among several named climbing areas that lie within about half a mile, so it works well as part of a cluster of destinations rather than a single stop. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Yucca Valley weather station show April highs around 73°F and October highs around 80°F. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the area, so temperatures up here run slightly cooler. The National Park Service charges a fee for activities here. For more time on foot, Willow Hole Trail is about 2 miles away, and Barker Dam Trail is under 3 miles off. Sheep Pass Group campground lies roughly 5 miles away for anyone planning an overnight stay.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

The Flying FortressPhoto: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Flying Fortress

~1 min drive

Flying Fortress, The in California has 8 climbing routes on 6 difficulty grades.

The FortressPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Fortress

~1 min drive

The Fortress in California has 12 traditional climbing routes across 9 difficulty grades.

Grey GiantPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Grey Giant

~1 min drive

Grey Giant in California has 10 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

The TombstonePhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Tombstone

~1 min drive

Tombstone, The is a 6-route trad climbing crag in California with 6 difficulty grades.

Hooter RockPhoto: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hooter Rock

~1 min drive

Hooter Rock in California has 7 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Atom Smasher BouldersPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Atom Smasher Boulders

~1 min drive

Atom Smasher Boulders in California has 22 climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Boortemus ClumpPhoto: Kathi Epping and Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Boortemus Clump

~2 min drive

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

Ancient KingdomPhoto: Francis Storr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ancient Kingdom

~2 min drive

Ancient Kingdom in California has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.

West MongoliaPhoto: Lukáš Lalinský, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Mongolia

~2 min drive

West Mongolia is a California climbing crag with 13 routes, 8 grades, and trad style.

SiberiaPhoto: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Siberia

~2 min drive

Siberia in California has 23 climbing routes across 8 grades, featuring sport and trad styles.