The climbing is great in Joshua Tree National Park. Ranger Pam Tripp urges care and respect for the desert while walking to the rocks…
One of the largest concentrations of rock climbing on earth is found on 11 square miles of Joshua Tree National Park. The 8,000 climbing routes, 2,000 bouldering problems, warm winters, and blue skies attract climbers from around the globe. Climbers and other visitors will find a complex and confusing landscape, rocks that tend to look alike, and trails that aren’t always straight forward. Paths to popular climbing areas are marked with brown posts.
Sometimes, climbers will find multiple approach paths, called “social trails,” to a cliff or boulder. Each social trail damages native vegetation, destroys animal burrows, and promotes the spread of exotic weeds. Please take the time to find and use marked paths. If you have to step off the trail, remember to walk on rocky surfaces and in washes rather than trampling undisturbed soil.
For information about social trails and how to help protect lands from being damaged, stop in or contact us at any visitor center, or by phone at 760-367-5500.
