Rock climbing in Joshua Tree is a bucket list experience. Located just 2.5 hours east of Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park is a climbing mecca — famous for its traditional-style crack, slab and steep face climbing. There is nothing like it as you feel the adrenaline rush and live out your Spider-Man fantasies. But first I had to convince my husband Kevin as he raised his eyebrows and asked, “Can we do rock climbing? We’ve never climbed in our lives.” I hate whenever he’s so logical!
Rock climbing in Joshua Tree. We’re newbies and if we can do it, so can you.
One of the best things about rock climbing in Joshua Tree is that the park attracts visitors from around the world — many like us with zero rock climbing experience.
In this article, we’ll take you along our rock climbing adventure and recommend a company that specializes in customized trips for visitors with any experience (even none). We’ll also share some other top picks for outdoor adventures in Joshua Tree. After all, you didn’t come all of the way to Joshua Tree to just sit around indoors. Well, unless you’re exhausted after a day of rock climbing, then you earned it.
Rock Climbing In Joshua Tree: Can A Newbie Really Do It?
Kevin clings to the rock either enjoying the rush or cursing under his breath at me. Maybe a mixture of both?
Can a newbie go rock climbing in Joshua Tree? The short answer is: yes! Our tour company has welcomed kids as young as 5 years old to senior citizens in their 70s. But I’m not gonna lie, rock climbing does require some physical fitness. It’s a full-body workout, and you’ll need the power of your glutes, along with your leg muscles, to push yourself upward. With that said, as long as you have some basic athletic experience, you should be okay. It’s all about having a skilled guide who can help coach you along (and possibly assist with the safety rope to pull you up!).
I’m ready to do this, rock climbing in Joshua Tree. Ready to check this off my bucket list.
What about if you’re afraid of heights? I guess your ability to do this will depend on your comfort level. You’ll get in some higher grounds even on the easier climbs. Kevin, who has been deathly afraid of heights for most of his life, was able to make it through. But these past 2 years I’ve broken him down by doing many ropes courses. So this was a breeze in comparison. He also didn’t really look down too much, so that’s another technique I guess!
What To Expect When Rock Climbing In Joshua Tree?
There will be a lot of grunts and screams when rock climbing. Or maybe that’s just me? But don’t worry, you’ll be in a big desert so only the others in your group will hear (and probably judge you!). We ended up booking our rock climbing adventure on Airbnb Experiences with local tour company Mojave Adventures. They did a fantastic job selecting the best spot for first-time climbers like ourselves. However, they can also scope out more challenging locations for those more ambitious than us.
Yay, I made it to the top.
The total experience takes about 4 hours, with an option to book for either in the morning (at 8 AM) or afternoon (at 1 PM). We opted for the morning tour, meeting our small group at the National Park Visitor’s Center. Best of all? There is a cute café attached to the visitor’s center, called Road Runner Grab+Go, where we picked up some caffeine and breakfast. Okay, fine, and a bag of cookies. I can’t pass up chocolate chips. We needed all the fuel we could get.
Be sure to pick up some snacks from Road Runner Grab+Go before taking off to go rock climbing in Joshua Tree.
After a short ‘meet and greet’, you’ll drive to your climbing destination. The entrance fee to the park is $25, which can be purchased at the visitor’s center.
Another gorgeous day in the park. Driving to go rock climbing in Joshua Tree.
Once on site, we were fitted with some climbing gear and got a quick lesson on basic climbing techniques. Then, we were off to the races! I volunteered to go first since someone had to be the guinea pig. Despite my initial fear, I felt confident as I made my way up the face of the rock.
Our guide was my personal cheerleader and called out tips whenever I got stuck on where to put my foot next (which will happen). If you’re less confident about climbing, go later on in your group. You can watch the other people ahead of you. It’s all about finding the right footing to push off the rock. Before this trip, I always thought rock climbing was an upper body sport. But it’s mostly a lower body workout.
Work it Kevin, work it.
We were able to fit in 3 different rock walls in our 4 hour tour since our group was small (and adventurous). It was hard to believe that the time went by so quickly. We were halfway to the car, when Kevin said, “You know, we should really do this again…” I raised my eyebrows, and could only respond, “Okay, come on Spider-Man!” Someone clearly has found his new favorite sport.
Lowdown:
- To book your tour, go directly to the Airbnb Experiences site here.
- Cost: $200 per person, including all equipment and a trained guide.
- The experience will take 4 hours, but will possibly run over (allow for wiggle room).
- There is an additional $25 fee to enter Joshua Tree National Park. Keep the pass for the entire day so you can park!
Other Outdoor Activities: Post Rock Climbing in Joshua Tree
There are many other fun outdoor activities to do besides rock climbing in Joshua Tree. Here are a few of the other great things we did on our trip.
You’ll have a ball of fun in Joshua Tree, just like our kids in our Airbnb. Okay, I couldn’t help but share this cute photo. That’s all!
Wander Through Keys Ranch
Get ready for a bouncy ride as you follow the dirt road past shrubs, tall grass and strange rock formations along the way to Keys Ranch. We did this tour after our rock climbing experience. But in hindsight, we should have done it on another day since it’s in such a remote section of the park.
The only way to see this spot is by a ranger-guided tour at specific times. We had a 1 PM reservation, which allowed us just 1 hour to get there. The good news is we made it in time with 10 seconds to spare due to my “efficient driving.” Though, I’m pretty sure Kevin thought rock climbing was pretty tame in comparison after seeing his vice-like grip on the door handles.
But why make a trip here? In short, it’s all about the wild history of this land. A place of outlaws and wild west living. You can’t help but wonder what it was like for anyone to live in such a remote place especially back in the early 1900’s.
We made it to Keys Ranch, Kevin. Now you can breathe.
Keys Ranch was built in 1910 and the residence of Bill and Frances Keys along with their children for over 60 years. Having first moved to the desert in search of gold, Bill started this ranch as he built up a life for himself with mining and ranching. Our guide showed us around the place, which hasn’t changed much since Bill died.
A major highlight of the tour was hearing all of the stories, especially about the clash of worlds for Bill’s wife Frances, who came from a well-to-do family in Pasadena. She came here for the adventure and I can’t think of a spot further away from high society Pasadena.
Piles of equipment and tools lie all over the land just like Bill left it.
Most notable though was Bill’s wild shoot out that sounds more like a spaghetti western movie. During a dispute over the Wall Street Mill, Bill shot and killed a guy named Worth Bagley. He just happened to be a former sheriff’s deputy. Bill was found guilty of murder and sentenced to nine years at San Quentin State Prison. Talk about neighborhood drama.
Check out the park’s website for additional information on visiting Keys Ranch. Keys Ranch tours cost $10 per person aged 12 and over and $5 for children 6 to 11. Children under six are admitted free. Advance reservations are required for all visitors.
Enjoy One Of Joshua Tree’s Many Hikes
No trip to Joshua Tree would be complete without doing a hike (or several). Since the pandemic hit, we’ve visited Joshua Tree countless times and even wrote a story about our top 5 favorite hikes in Joshua Tree. You’ll really find it all from the strenuous hikes like Ryan Mountain to a trail that passes right through an old mine site. There is even a trail that takes you through Wall Street Mill, where the big shoot out happened with the owner of Key’s Ranch.
Wall Street Mill Hike Joshua Tree National Park.
On our latest trip, we ended up trying out a few other wonderful short hikes that we’d recommend. The first was Keys View, located a quick 15 minute drive south of Keys Ranch. This easy .2 mile loop is all about the views.
Look for the shining surface of the Salton Sea, located 230 feet below sea level; Palm Springs, and its lush surroundings; and on a really clear day, you might be able to see Signal Mountain in Mexico, although that has become somewhat rare due to the poor air quality of recent years.
Looking for ideas outside Joshua Tree National Park? We got you! On our latest trip, we also hiked the 4.1 mile Sawtooth Trail Short Loop, which takes about 2 hours to complete.
We loved this easy hike with the kids, located just on the outskirts of Pioneertown (an old Hollywood western movie set). The trail is mostly flat, and will pass some of the coolest rock formations and boulders you’ll ever see on this loop through the desert.
Grab a Bite to Eat in Pioneertown
After your hike, you’re just minutes away from the ultra-cool spot of Pioneertown. This spot was founded in 1946 by a group of Hollywood personalities led by cowboy actors Dick Curtis and Russell Hayden as a permanent 1880’s town for filming western movies. Over 200 movies and TV shows were filmed here as were an unknown number of background shots for other productions. TV westerns including the Gene Autry Show, Cisco Kid, Annie Oakley and Adventures of Judge Roy Bean were all filmed here.
Taking the kids around Pioneertown.
Since COVID hit, the popularity of Pioneertown has picked up. And new businesses have been popping up including the very fun spot called the Red Dog Saloon. This place is more of a hipster spot, serving great cocktails and incredible Mexican food.
Enjoying some delicious pork carnitas tacos on the porch of the Red Dog Saloon.
The kids loved just sitting on the porch of this old time saloon, watching all of the hipsters walk by while their dads enjoyed some margaritas. Okay, maybe their dads had more fun.
We’ve been to Pioneertown countless times and it’s always a fantastic time. There isn’t a ton to do here, but we find it so relaxing. The best time to visit is on the weekend when there is the most activity and you can go inside some of the shops on the old time movie set.
Wrapping It Up In Joshua Tree: Lounging At Your Airbnb
Before COVID, we almost never went to Joshua Tree. Whether it was the draw of social distancing or the beauty of the great outdoors, there was just something that kept bringing us back. There are so many wonderful Airbnb’s to stay at — a fraction of the price of places in nearby Palm Springs (and frankly way more artistic at least for our taste).
We can’t wait for our next family adventure. And soon enough, I’m sure our own kids will be rock climbing in Joshua Tree like Spider-Man and giving us a heart attack along the way. Until then, we’ll enjoy these years when they are little. And of course, the many outdoor activities in Joshua Tree that we can experience as a family.
Looking for other travel ideas in Joshua Tree? Be sure to check out all of our coverage for your next Josh Tree adventure. Have a few extra days out in the desert? Consider spending a full day exploring the wild west film set of Pioneertown. Or visiting a hidden llama farm near Joshua Tree where you can put these cuddly creatures to bed. And of course, who could pass up a trip to Palm Springs to see where Elvis went on his honeymoon hideaway?
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