I’ve gone camping and exploring out in Joshua Tree numerous times, but can you believe I’ve never tried rock climbing? A few weeks ago, my brother and his family were in town visiting, and being the Joshua Tree rock climbing maniac he is, we planned a 4 day trip out to Joshua Tree so he could get his desert fix.

It was spring break, but we were lucky enough to find a nice, big site at Ryan Campground. We camped at site #2 and there was plenty of room for three big tents. Camping costs $10 per night at Joshua Tree, it’s all first-come first-served (no reservations), there’s no running water and  restrooms facilities are pit toilets. It’s not fancy, but you can’t beat the desert views. We were able to hike around the campground and go bouldering with the kids around Headstone; plenty to do and see right within walking distance.

My brother, John, took us out to a climb called “Barney Rubble” to try out our climbing skills. John has been trekking out to Joshua Tree to climb since the 1980s, so he has a good grasp on the climbs and difficulty levels he was introducing us to. I gave it a shot, and wow, it was challenging and adrenaline pumping. Watch my video below to check out the climb we tried and how my niece and nephews did.