The park's Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan (2000) guides climbing management, but it falls short when considering that visitation has more than doubled and many bolts and anchors currently need to be replaced or will need to be replaced soon.
Previous plans are not sufficient to protect sensitive park resources and respectfully consider sacred landscapes of traditionally associated tribal communities.
The official park trail system does not include trails to climbing and bouldering areas making it difficult for the park to fund trail improvements.
Current management practices are not consistent with new agency guidance on fixed anchors in wilderness.
Lack of delineated trails to rock formations and bouldering areas has negatively affected vegetation, cultural resources, and soil crusts. Open desert terrain makes it very challenging to manage trampling from foot traffic.
A transparent and repeatable process for evaluating the appropriateness of recreational climbing or related activities around cultural sites is needed to better inform management actions.
A Climbing Management Plan is needed to address the park’s unique resource challenges to find an appropriate balance between recreational use and the preservation of cultural and natural resources.
Bouldering, highlining and slacklining activities have not been evaluated for their appropriateness at the park. This is required by agency policy for any new forms of recreation in parks.
Purpose of the Plan
The purpose of this plan is to guide the management of rock-based recreation activities for the protection of cultural resources, natural resources, and wilderness character, and to support the public’s desire to enjoy the park through climbing and related activities.
Objectives
This plan would establish management actions related to rock climbing, bouldering, and related activities, in order to protect cultural and natural resources, comply with the Wilderness Act, and provide for a breadth of quality rock-based recreation experiences. Objectives include:
Identifying access routes for heavily used formations and ensure approaches to climbing formations avoid sensitive cultural sites and natural resources;
Ensuring fixed anchors in wilderness meet the provisions of Section 4(C) of the Wilderness Act;
Clarifying the process for installing, replacing, or removing fixed anchors, including issuance of permits when necessary;
Clarifying the roles and expectations of professional guides and special use permit holders, including a determination of necessity for their operation in Wilderness;
Establishing a framework for resource protection closures and specify where those initial areas may be; and
Developing strategies that improve incorporation of traditionally associated Native American community values.
StoryMap for the Climbing Management Plan
Learn more about the why the park is developing a climbing management plan, proposed actions, and more in this StoryMap.
Climbing Style Categories and Style Categorization by Treatment Area
Climbing style categories would inform decision making on the installation or replacement of fixed anchors on routes in wilderness. In the menus below are descriptions of the climbing style categories and the proposed style categorizations for the North Astro Dome, South Astro Dome, and the Geo Tour treatment areas.
Defining Characteristics
Involves only removable climbing gear for anchors and intermediate protection. Bolts are not present.
Descent by walking off, scrambling, or rappelling from non-fixed anchors.
These climbs are generally crack climbs.
MRA Concern
None– No prohibited uses, no MRA required, entirely policy consistent, involves self-reliant and adventurous qualities that appear highly consistent with wilderness recreation values
Example Climbs
Invisibility Lessons
Defining Characteristics
Removable protection is the primary method for protecting the route, for both intermediate protection and anchors. However, bolts may be present in some locations.
Bolted anchors at the top of the route and between pitches are only placed if there are no opportunities to build an anchor with removable gear, or if rappelling is necessary due to a lack of a practical walk-off or scramble
Common Characteristics
These climbs are mostly crack climbs but may have intermittent sections of face climbing, or crack climbing that one cannot protect without using bolts.
Bolts are uncommon and placed at infrequent good stances or to protect crux climbing moves on the route where no removable gear placement in possible. There may be long sections of the route where no protection is available, especially in easier sections of the route.
Safely climbing these routes requires careful risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies by the climber. A potential climber cannot assume that falls will be short and fixed anchors will be closely spaced throughout the route.
Descent is typically accomplished by walking off, scrambling, or rappelling.
MRA Concern
Low – Involves infrequent prohibited uses requiring an MRA, policy consistent if justified by MRA, involves self-reliant and adventurous qualities that appear consistent with wilderness recreation values
Example Climbs
Bird of Fire
Mental Physics
Defining Characteristics
Bolts are the primary method for protecting the route, for both intermediate protection and anchors. However, removable protection may be possible in some locations.
Bolts are spaced such that the potential for injury during a leader fall may be significant. Climbers may feel uncomfortable due to lack of available protection.
Common Characteristics
These climbs are either completely face climbs, or face climbs with intermittent sections of crack climbing. The face climbing on these routes requires high technical proficiency for safe ascent and often relies on specialized friction climbing techniques.
Bolts, as intermediate protection or anchors, are not typically present where there is an obvious opportunity to place removable protection1 .
Bolts are used sparingly and placed at infrequent good stances or to protect crux climbing moves on the route. There may be long sections of the route where no protection is available, especially in easier sections of the route.
Safely climbing these routes requires careful risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies by the climber. A potential climber cannot assume that falls will be short and fixed anchors will be closely spaced throughout the route.
Descent is typically accomplished by walking off, scrambling, or rappelling.
MRA Concern
Medium – Portions or all of the climb may be bolt dependent, requires MRA, not explicitly identified as inappropriate in wilderness in policy, but requires a case to be made that these are valuable recreation opportunities that are that are appropriate given the nature of Joshua Tree’s climbing formations, perhaps represent an important or “classic” style of climbing at Joshua Tree.
Example Climbs
Figures on a Landscape, North Astrodome
The Official Route of the 1984 Olympics (non-wilderness example)
Solid Gold (wilderness)
Final Furious Farsi Dazed and Confused (Lenticular Dome)
Walk on the Wild Side (non-wilderness)
I Can’t Believe It’s a Girdle
Defining Characteristics
Lead protection involves only quickdraws placed on bolts for intermediate climbing protection.
Bolts are spaced such that the potential for injury during a leader fall is relatively low
Common Characteristics
Climbs of this type are generally steeper face climbs, but any climb may fall into this category depending on the frequency of bolts that are placed.
Potential climbers are primarily concerned about having enough quickdraws to be able to clip every bolt. There may be some bolts that are difficult to clip, or longer spaced sections between bolts, but generally careful planning for protecting the lead climber is not necessary.
Descent by lowering off rings, chains, or another fixed anchor. Anchors are primarily designed for convenience of climbers.
MRA Concern
High – bolt dependent, bolt intensive, identified as inappropriate in wilderness in NPS policy.
Toprope Anchors
Toprope anchors allow climbers to climb sections of rock without leading the climb, and therefore without the need to use intermediate protection. Toprope anchors may be constructed with slings around natural features, but in many cases Toprope anchors are comprised of two or more bolts, sometimes augmented with chains and rings to simplify the use of the anchor. Toprope anchors may have a singular purpose in allowing for the toproping of a section of rock, or they may have multiple purposes, such as for use as a rappel anchor or top anchor for a leadable climb. Generally, a top anchor on a leadable climb would be analyzed as part of a route according the Leadable Climbs matrix.
Rappel Anchors
Rappel anchors are used by climbers to descend from the tops of climbs or formations when a descent by walking or scrambling is not possible or practical. Like toprope anchors, rappel anchors may use natural features, but in many cases are comprised of two or more bolts, possibly augmented with chains or rings to simplify the use of the anchor. And rappel anchors may also be for the singular purpose of descent, or may also serve as toprope or top anchors on a leadable climb.
Slackline and Highline Anchors
A slackline is a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors to allow for walking in balance across the slackline. A highline is simply a slackline suspended high above the ground; highliners will typically attach themselves to the suspended webbing with a harness and an additional length of webbing. Slacklines and highlines require rock features with clear spans in between the anchors, and such anchors are not typically used for other climbing purposes.
Virtual Public Meetings
JTNP has held two virtual public meetings. Visit the links below to view the recordings from these meetings.
Virtual Public Meeting was held on February 8, 2022 from 6–8 pm (pst).
On January 13, 2022, the park began a 45-day public scoping period requesting public input on potential management actions to improve the management of rock-based recreation at Joshua Tree National Park. The park held a virtual pubic meeting on February 8, 2022 where park staff explained the basis for management action and proposals being considered. The comment period ended on March 13, 2022. During the public scoping period the park received 4,184 correspondences. Click on the link below to view the Public Comment Scoping Report and the Scoping Newsletter that was provided to initiate public scoping.
Joshua Tree National Park held a civic engagement period during Pre-NEPA activites for the climbing management plan. Learn more about the methods of engagement and summary of comments received from this period on the CMP Civic Engagement Summary webpage.
