Pinto Basin Formations

Overview

Note: Joshua Tree National Park is tremendously large and includes thousands of rock formations. The purpose of this page is to bring some sense of organization to many "Mountain & Rock" pages I have posted for the past two years. This particular page may be considered as a mini "Area & Range" page that will be attached to the main Joshua Tree page as a child.

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Pinto Basin is a very large area in Joshua Tree National Park, California. The greatest concentration of the rock formations, however, are located in the vicinity of Split Rocks parking lot. There are some more formations around the Jumbo Rocks Campground, Belle Campground, White Tank and Stirrup Tank areas. In addition, there are some more formations at greater distances from the Split Rocks parking lot area. I have never done any climbing on these outlying formations, and have no first hand knowledge about them. If you have first hand information about any of the areas mentioned above, please feel free to add them to the "Additions & Corrections" of this page.

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Getting to the main area:


From the western entrance to Joshua Tree National Park drive on Park Boulevard, formerly known as Quail Springs Road, for about nine miles to a major rock formation called “Intersection Rock.” Intersection Rock is a major landmark on the north side of Quail Springs Road with ample parking for visitors and climbers alike. This rock, true to its name, sit at the cross roads to “Hidden Valley Campground”, Barker Dam Road and the road to “Day use and picnic” area. From Intersection Rock drive another 9.6 miles on Park Boulevard to it’s intersection with Split Rocks Road. Turn left and drive to the end of the road. This is a “Day Use Area. There is a bathroom just to the south of the parking lot.

Isles In The Sky

Isles In The Sky

	Select Routes of Isles In The Sky
A	Nectar, 5.4, crack
B	dead Bees, 5.9, runout
C	Dolphin, 5.7, crack
D	Bird of Fire, 10a, standard Rack, lots of small to medium
E	Rites of Spring, 5.9, crack

Rubicon Rock

Rubicon Rock

Future Games Rock

Future Games Rock

Kris Solem on Games Without Frontiers, 13a/b

A	Exploding Brown Nodules, 11c
B	Orno-Necro 11c, gear, small to 2.5 inches
C	Theraputic Tyranny, 11a , gear, small to 4 inches
D	The Bendix Claws, 11a, gear, small to 4 inches, one bolt
E	Hang'em High, 12b, gear, thin to 2 inches, 3 bolts and fixed pin
F	Continuum, 5.8, standard rack, gear up to 3 inches
G	Games Without Frontiers, 13a/b, gear, very thin to thin to small, need to be very creative, 3 bolts
H	Invisibility Lessons, 5.9, gear, Standard rack up to 2.5 inches
I	Disappearing Act, 10c, Gear, thin to small, four bolts

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

	select routes of Grand Canyon
A	Midnight Lumber, 10d, 1 bolt, standard rack
B	The Woodshed, 11d, bolt, standard rack, many thin pieces
C	Garnd Canyon Donkey Trail, 10a, bolts
Black line	Every Which Way But Up, 12b, RUNOUT, 4 bolts, thin to medium pro

Split Rocks Parking Lot

Split Rocks Parking Lot

	select routes of Split Rocks Parking Lot area
A	In And Out, 5.9, Off-Width, big pro
B	Big Boy, 5.9, hand crack
C	Unknown, 5.8, bolts
D	Worthy of It, 5.8, crack, standard pro
E	Environmental-Oil President, 10c, bolts and gear

Conan's Corridor 5.8-10d by Dow Williams

Conan's Corridor

Stirrup Towers by Dow Williams

Stirrup Towers 5.8-10a

Images

View Pinto Basin Formations Image Gallery - 17 Images