Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most unique national parks in California. Unlike Yosemite National Park which is filled with verdant big trees, Joshua Tree is a distinctive desert. It’s famous for its central location as the crossroads between the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert, offering spectacular views of the lanky “Joshua Tree” and gigantic boulders to climb. If you’re planning on visiting this national park, adding bouldering in Joshua Tree is must for any avid hiker.
Believe it or not, some boulders in Joshua Tree offer expansive views of the Coachella Valley. Others are shaped like faces with easy maneuvers to scale to the top, while some are excellent for rock climbing and take a bit of problem solving to find the best way up.
No matter your skill level, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of bouldering in Joshua Tree! It gets hot in the desert, so make sure to pack extra water, sun protection, snacks, and create some downtime to rest in any shaded areas.
Below you’ll find a list of the the top four places to scale the giant boulders or to go rock climbing in Joshua Tree. If it’s your first time in this national park, make sure to check out a neighboring city Palm Springs, as it’s a Socal favorite for its wellness amenities and vegan food scene.
How to hike and go bouldering in Joshua Tree
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Besides the bizarre giant rocks and gorgeous Joshua Trees, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when exploring this national park. First off, whether you’re adventuring for the day or camping — you’ll be road tripping into the park. This is important because you’ll want to pack road trip essentials such as blankets, road trip snacks, comfy shoes (slippers, sandals), car entertainment, etc.
Next, it’s important to over-pack water as it gets extremely hot in the park. There’s actually signs throughout the park and at trail heads saying don’t die. While its may induce some chuckles and a grin, take it seriously because hikers have died from heat stroke or exhaustion. Bring a bottle like a Hydro Flask which keeps your water cold and store up to 40 oz, and bring a larger bottle to refill your smaller bottles with.
Don’t go bouldering in Joshua Tree during the hottest part of the day, especially during summer. Instead relax at your campsite, go swimming if you’re at a hotel or play games. Besides bouldering at sunrise and sunset offers some spectacular colorful views over the Coachella Valley.
Lastly, have fun!
Jumbo Rocks Trail Loop
Boulder highlights: located in the best campground in Joshua Tree, located centrally in the park, giant rock formations, flat and easy loop
One easy loop to experience the infamous Joshua Tree boulders is Jumbo Rock. This trail loop is about 0.8 miles, flat with pebble wash and has an easy hiking difficulty. Along the loop you’ll also find giant rock formations great for bouldering and witnessing the beautiful desert wildlife.
Since the trail offers both bouldering and hiking, I think it’s one of the best hiking trails at Joshua Tree. It’s quiet popular anytime of year and offers stunning vistas to watch the rosy sunset or sunrise.
The loop is located at the Jumbo Rocks Campground, which is also arguably one of the best campsites in the park. At night, the stargazing is truly dreamy here with no light pollution. Pack a blanket, climb on top of Joshua Tree’s boulders, and relax beneath the dark moonlight sky.
Keep in mind, this area is central to this national desert park, and Jumbo Rocks Campground is a great starting point for other Joshua Tree bouldering expeditions.
Other nearby hiking at Joshua Tree includes: Skull Rock Nature Trail, Skull Rock, Discovery Trail and Face Rock Trail.
Skull Rock
Boulder highlights: short hiking trail to Skull Rock, boulders shaped likes skulls, shaded areas, easy climb
Skull Rock in Joshua Tree is a popular stop. Whether you’re bouldering, hiking in Joshua Tree, or wanting to just snap a couple of pictures — add this spot to your hiking itinerary. Upon entering the area you’ll find three of the giant granite rocks that resemble a skull. The first is the most accessible and looks the most like a face as it has two sunken eye sockets.
Otherwise, the other two rocks you may have to squint a tad to see the skulls. Trust me, they’re there, just less noticeable. Crawl around these jumbo rocks to get a closer look at the other skulls, or venture further to test your climbing limits. This area does have the most shade since the bouldering rocks have funky formations.
Cross the road for even more hiking trails such as Discovery Trail and Face Rock Trail.
Also there are two areas to park. The easiest is at Jumbo Rock Campground. It’s great if you’re planning on camping at these grounds and it gives you access to the Skull Rock Nature Trail.
However, if you’re not camping the parking lot is extremely small. There’s about five spots for non-camping vehicles to get access to this trail via the campgrounds. If you’re not able to park here, continue driving toward the Skull Road area and you can park along the side of the road.
Hall of Horrors
Boulder highlights: a flat walking trail, expansive views of Coachella Valley, small and big rocks, easy climb
Located between Sheep Pass Campground and Ryan Campground is the Hall of Horrors. It’s one of my favorite stops to go rock climbing in Joshua Tree because the level is easy to moderately easy. The rock formations are large and mostly flat, but not too steep, so climbing here is a fun little jaunt! Plus, the higher you climb the more twist and curvy rocks you’ll find.
There’s a couple trails leading up to the rocks, so if you don’t feel like bouldering, hike around the area. From the parking lot, this is a flat 0.6 mile trail to the main rock formations and caves that give Hall of Horrors it’s enticing name. Those rock caves can be pretty spooky! Meander the pebble walking trails up to the large granite rock formation, witnessing Joshua Trees in full bloom.
If you decide to climb to the top you won’t be disappointed. The views here are by far the best, showcasing panoramic views of Coachella Valley!
The Real Hidden Valley
Boulder highlights: rock climbing, scenic views, bigger parking lot, campsite nearby, mixture of flat and steep boulders
Another prime spot for bouldering in Joshua Tree is The Real Hidden Valley. This area is super accessible and has a much bigger parking lot than Skull Rock. It’s also located near Hidden Valley Campgrounds where you can sleep next to Joshua Trees, rocks, and towering boulders.
A short distance away you’ll even find the Wonderland of Rocks.
It’s common to find both rock climbers and boulders here as this area is part of the larger Hidden Valley Circuit Area and the Turtle Rock Circuit. The bouldering level ranges from easy to moderate, but as you ascend the rocks expect climbing maneuvers to get more challenging.
In addition, a couple of miles away there’s a charming picnic area — Hidden Valley Picnic Area — to enjoy lunch or munch on some snacks. If you need a snack list or easy lunch ideas, here are popular guides to help when adventure traveling.
Lastly, make sure to over-pack water while visiting the park. It’s gets extremely hot!
Best bouldering shoes for Joshua Tree
When you’re bouldering in Joshua Tree you want to make you have supportive shoes. While I’ve seen someone climbing in flip flops, I don’t recommend it. Keep in mind the rocks are granite and hard so one miss step could cause an injury if you don’t have at least an ankle strap on your shoes. However, I’m not a doctor so if have specific need, always talk with them first.
At the end of the day, choose comfort over fashion when hiking and climbing. However, they are plenty of shoes that fit both descriptions. Here are couple of shoes I love to hike and climb in.
Chacos sport sandals
- Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5
- Pros: athletic hiking sandal, various colors, can dress up or dress down
These are my go-to sandals for almost any occasion. Whether I’m hiking of backpacking through Singapore, any chaco design is versatile. After hiking, rinse of the dirt and let them air dry, so you can wear them for any nicer travel occasion you may have.
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus
- Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5
- Pros: athletic footwear, various colors, close toed shoes, can use for running too
I’m a huge fan of Nike and recently the Pegasus line has been my go-to for heel and arch support. They’re super supportive, so if your a fan of Nike, I highly recommend grabbing a pair for hiking or bouldering.
Merrell Women’s Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot
- Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5
- Pros: hiking shoes, waterproof, removable sole, various colors, close toed shoes
If you’re wanting even more support, consider buying hiking shoes. While you won’t find areas to splash around in, these shoes are waterproof and shock absorbent.
Happy hiking!
More hiking and California resources
- The Most Coziest Stays Near Yosemite National Park
- These Nature Quotes Will Channel Your Inner Explorer
- The Best Trekking Quotes to Inspire You
- Here’s The Best Hiking Trails in Big Bear
- Where to Find the Most Beautiful Hikes in Santa Barbara, California
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