Joshua Tree National Park - Climbing

Arete by Sam Roberts Climbing Management
Guided by the provisions of its Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan, the park is working with the climbing community to implement a comprehensive approach to climbing management. The park’s goals are to restore to a natural condition those areas already impacted by climbing, to mitigate future impacts, and to prevent the cumulative impacts of climbing from increasing to unacceptable levels. A committee comprised of members of the climbing community, conservation organizations, and interested individuals is providing recommendations to the park on a variety of climbing-related issues.

Under the provisions of the Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan, climbers may replace existing unsafe bolts, and new bolts may be placed in non-wilderness areas through a monitored process. You may obtain a checklist of bolting guidelines for non-wilderness areas at entrance stations and visitor centers or download a copy in PDF format (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free from the Adobe website). You must obtain a special-use permit to use a power drill in non-wilderness. Bolting in wilderness is currently prohibited. A permit system is being developed for installing new bolts in wilderness with the goal of ensuring that the cumulative impacts of climbing in wilderness not exceed 1998 levels. Placing bolts in wilderness with power drills will not be allowed.

Wilderness and Non-Wilderness Climbs
Whether a particular climb is in or out of wilderness is not always easy to determine. Click here for our current list of what is in and what is not, but remember that it could change as we are able to locate climbs with ever more accurate GPS coordinates.

General Climbing Regulations

• It is prohibited to initiate or terminate a climb in an occupied campsite without prior permission of the occupant of that site.

• The use of any substance, such as glue, epoxy, or cement, to reinforce hand or footholds is prohibited.

• “Chipping” or enhancing hand or footholds is prohibited as is removing vegetation or “gardening.”

• Climbing within 50 feet of any rock-art site is prohibited.