Intro Bouldering in Joshua Tree
5 can’t-miss, beginner-friendly bouldering locations
Aside from nearby Castle Rock State Park, my recent trip to Joshua Tree was my first major outdoor climbing venture. Pre-pandemic, I had been climbing indoors with varying consistency for a few years, and more regularly for about a year. My partner and I have always wanted to try climbing outdoors more seriously, and the pandemic gave us a good excuse to make it happen with indoor gyms forced to close to enforce social distancing.
Having heard that Joshua Tree is a bouldering haven but that the routes are notoriously sandbagged (harder than their rating indicates), we spent quite some time scouring Mountain Project for beginner routes. For reference, at our peak my partner and I climbed about V4 and V3 indoors, respectively. Below you will find some spots we were able to enjoy even as complete outdoor climbing novices.
Logistics and General Advice
- There is a $30 entrance fee to get into Joshua Tree, which is good for 7 days (as of 2021). I always spring for the annual America the Beautiful pass, which is $80 and gives you unlimited entries to all national parks and monuments.
- Keep the desert climate in mind when planning your trip. Peak climbing season is October to April to avoid the scorching temperatures and lack of shade during the summer months.
- Make sure to stock up on gas and water before entering the park.
- There is limited to nonexistent cell service inside Joshua Tree, so you will need some way of navigating to the climbs you are interested in. We downloaded offline Google Maps and dropped pins at the GPS coordinates of the routes we had bookmarked and consulted the Mountain Project app. During our research, we heard everyone talking about the Joshua Tree Bouldering guidebook by Miramontes. The book is unfortunately out of print but it can be rented from Joshua Tree Outfitters.
- Lastly, if you (like me) are used to the smooth plastic holds of gym climbing, be prepared for your hands to hurt. The sharp granite rock at Joshua Tree may take some time to get used to.
Illicit Sweetie Boulder
Climbs: Sweetie Pie (V-easy), Sweetielicious (V0-), Illicit Sweetie (V0) | Mountain Project
Location: 33.99802, -116.15351
These were the first problems we attempted and some of my favorites from the whole trip. At 18 feet tall, this boulder is a bit taller than what you might be used to climbing indoors but the scaly cracks offer plentiful hand and footholds.
The Illicit Sweetie Boulder is located in The Hang, part of Planet X. To get to there, you can park at a pullout on Park Blvd (33.996724, -116.163052) and then follow the well-marked climber access trail east for about 10 minutes.
Mel’s Diner Boulder
Climbs: Pickled Pigs Feet (V0-), Chitlins (VB-), Pork Rinds (VB+), Corned Beef Hash (VB-), Blue Plate Special (VB-) | Mountain Project
Location: 34.0283, -116.18199
If I were to do this trip again, I would’ve started at Mel’s Diner. This boulder has tons of really nice, juggy features and is super beginner friendly. Of all the places we climbed, we felt this was the most accessible and closest in difficulty to beginner indoor bouldering. There are many fun lines to explore here and you could easily spend an hour or two trying different variations and making up your own problems. Most of the climbs felt doable without a crash pad and the moves are fairly easy to reverse if you don’t want to commit to topping out.
Mel’s Diner is located in the Lost Horse Area. You can park at a pullout next to the bathroom at the start of Lost Horse Road (34.028907, -116.179051) and walk west for a few minutes.
Pothole Rock
Climbs: Desert Rat Crack (V-easy), various other V-easy to V0 routes | Mountain Project
Location: 34.01626, -116.16212
Pothole Rock looks like a large moonrock or a block of Swiss cheese from afar. There are a good number of climbs here that turned out to be trickier than what first meets the eye. This location provides a good intro to Joshua Tree’s slab and sloper climbing. Desert Rat Crack is a fun little arete and was my favorite problem on this boulder. Topping out required some commitment and/or mantling for some problems but the boulder itself is not very tall.
To get to Pothole Rock, park at Hidden Valley Campground and walk south — you will find it just across the road.
Manx Boulders — Southeast Face
Climbs: Thingamajig (V0-) | Mountain Project
Location: 34.01419, -116.15821
Thingamajig was probably the most adrenaline-inducing climb we attempted on our trip. Look for the high, juggy holds to the right of Meat Substitute (V3) pictured above. The route starts with a neat slabby section that brings you up to the crux, which is juggy but high.
You can get to Manx Boulders by walking a few minutes southeast of Hidden Valley Campground/Pothole Rock. There were a number of other beginner and intermediate climbs in this area that we hope to check out one day on our next Joshua Tree trip.
The Womb
Climbs: The Womb (V-easy) | Mountain Project
Location: 34.01398,-116.16039
We’d heard a lot about The Womb from various Joshua Tree climbing guides and videos and had to check out this unique boulder for ourselves. This problem entails climbing up and left out of the womb-like hole. Neither of us could figure out how to exit the womb but we had fun trying this iconic Joshua Tree boulder nonetheless.
The Womb is also walking distance from the parking at Hidden Valley Campground, just northwest of Thingamajig.
In the few days we spent at Joshua Tree, we were only able to see a fraction of a fraction of all the climbing this massive park has to offer. I’m already looking forward to coming back one day to continue exploring the thousands of boulder problems that make this place a truly awesome climbing destination.
