Drivers, please drive below the 45-mph recommended speed because there are pedestrians. Visitors:…read morethe Preserve is only open some days per week. The parking area is closed. Park across along the road, look before opening a door on the left side of your vehicle, and cross the road carefully. As you enter the parking area, a trail to the left leads to a hill overlooking the Preserve. The entrance area has two toilets, two picnic tables, information signs, and a helpful docent. The McCallum Trail and San Andreas Trail are open for a short way. Some trails are partly closed and as a result you cannot reach some of the informational signs. I have read those signs in the past when those trails were still open. FYI, the Mission Strand of the San Andreas Fault blocks the flow of underground water. The water rises to the surface creating a small oasis with native California fan palm trees and bird life.

About 20 minutes away from Desert Hot Springs. My mother in law and I were awake way before the…read morerest of the family and both of us like exploring and nature so I asked her if she wanted to go hiking with me at 6:30 am. Both of us got ready in 10 minutes and were out the door. The gate is closed and there is even a sign that says "parking lot closed" but we saw other people parking on the street and walking over so we did the same. The RV/campsite you can see from a distance is for the staff that works there, don't be alarmed by it! If you head on the trails toward the RV its very short but brings you into the giant palms and a wooden staircase that goes down to water and palms growing out of it. You can finish this very quickly. When you head out and head to the right there are branching paths here that lead to more hikes in palms, along the river oasis, and more into the mountains. The visitor center looked excellent and had a home made log cabin vibe, we could see some interesting artifacts inside but because the entrance was chained we didn't want to go in without permission even though it would have been easy to just duck under the chains.

If you haven't explored La Quinta Cove Trail yet... go…read more We randomly stumbled on this little oasis tucked right into the mountains and it felt like such a cool surprise. Concrete Flintstones-style chairs and a table, palm trees, picnic spots, even a water station... like WHAT?? The perfect place to pause, recharge, and just take it all in whether you're solo or with a crew. Such a neat find. Will absolutely be back!

Absolutely stunning hike in the Palm Springs area! The parking lot opens at 5:30 am, so you can…read morecatch the sunrise and get your workout in before it heats up. The views are absolutely stunning and the trails are very well maintained. Dogs are welcome up to a certain point; due to protection for Bighorn Sheep, they are prohibited on the longer trails into the mountains. This is a wonderful spot because you can hike as far as you like (one trail is 8 miles round trip), or as little as you like. The picnic area is shaded and clean. The scenery is spectacular and post-card worthy. Don't forget sunscreen, water, and a hat. Admission and parking are free. Highly recommended!

Ooh there's something for everyone here- a super wide bike trail, mountain bike paths up in the…read morehills, paved areas to explore, and lots of hiking. It's even all-ages and dog-friendly. I actually started at the Cove trail around the way from here, but it was much too crowded. This one was an unexpected find while driving and quite empty. There's several access points all along Avenida Motezuma, and parking in the neighborhood is plentiful. If you want to hit the beaten path, someone made stairs on both sides of the creek so you don't have to climb the steep gradient. Overall, a very beautiful area. I look forward to returning. Pros: - super clean - wide paths - dog-friendly (even a doodie bag station and pet-friendly water fountain) - all levels of expertise - lots of parking Cons: - didn't see restrooms

So an avid hiker and have been on this trail about 10 times over the years. Went today at 3 pm and…read morewent up and back in 5 hours. Drank my whole two liters. It was hard because there are a lot more loose rocks and the trail isn't maintained like it was in the past. There are a couple switchbacks where if you slip on the loose gravel you only have about 3 feet and then it's 300 feet to your death. Last 2 miles very steep. Good views just before the dead end at the Palm grove. Just be careful. May 16 2024 and it was 99 when I started.

This was a quick hike with some steep parts to get the heart pumping. Pretty panoramic views and…read morefree shaded parking at the civic center at the bottom of the hill.

I loved this trail. It was a fun and easy and scenic hike. It is pretty easily marked but got a…read morelittle confusing when it connected up with other trails. There are a few over looks that you can walk out and see the view. It kind of just ends at the top at the Ritz hotel and then you aren't really sure where to go. If the Ritz were open it would have been a nice place to stop and geta little bite to eat or a drink, but it was still closed due to COVID 19. We were thankfully that it was a nice walk down the road back to the parking lot at city hall. Not for little kids as there is quite the dropoff and is no guard rails.

I always kept this trail to , I'll eventually get around to it. Since my friend from out of town…read morecame I decided to take them on this hike because from what I read it was an incline all the way but fairly straightforward trail. Which it is. Another reason why it wasn't on the top of my list is because I figured it's a popular trail so there would be more people. Which there were but not overwhelming but you can tell this is a popular hike. Either way you will get a sweat and if you from out of town, this is definitely a hike to check out. Granted there are plenty of simple hikes like this with a good view of the valley but I say it definitely is a good one with a nice view and great to get blood flowing without killing you. If you aren't from the area. This should be one of those to check out and it's a quick hike depending on what shape you are in. You just need a water bottle and good workout shoes and you are good to go. Nothing crazy but a nice simple hike for a quick exercise outside of the gym.

The Trail to the Cross is an AOK hike; it's dog friendly, but it's not linked to the other trails…read morein the area. Tip: It's difficult to find dog-friendly hiking trails in the Palm Springs area, but this is a nice one :-) You'll get to enjoy some nice views of the valley when you hike here, though be careful - you'll be fully exposed to the desert sun and there isn't a whole lot of shade out here. Need less to say, where proper hiking shoes and bring along lots of water.

If you are out inexperienced this entire hike is a challenge. Almost all rocks. The canyon leg is…read moreall boulders, 843 yards. You are challenged to find footing, get over large boulders going uphill. Once done, another 1.25-1.4 miles to the top. Narrow rocky incline. DO this side first. The other leg, ridge leg is narrow, gravel and rocks with sun hitting it hard in late morning and early afternoon. Steep inclines on both sides. Need good hiking shoes..we met several experienced hikers who only go up and down ridge leg and skip boulder canyon side because it is difficult. Views at top spectacular. Go early. Take LOTS of water. Trails not clearly marked and easy to take wrong turn. Do not underestimate the entire loop. We did, survived, loved it but next time will skip the canyon boulder side.

What a great hike located in the Indian Wells mountains right behind the Palm Desert living desert…read morezoo. The complete hike is closer to 5.5 miles and is no joke. Very rocky terrain and no shade. It's not too steep at any point and you are mostly following the watershed trail off the mountains. You have to pay admission to the living desert to get access to the trail. Can't wait to go back and do it again.

This is the perfect place to get the ole heart pumping. One doesn't have to drive too far to get…read morehere. There is ample street parking. The trails are clearly marked. It's very popular though not too crowded to enjoy. There are some spots that can be tricky, especially if you do not like being "on the edge". The views from the various areas is pretty nice. That golf course by Larry Ellison is magnificent! I was impressed by the 2 mountain bikers we saw. Props to them!

We decided to hike bump & grind one early morning for a sunrise view of the city. What an…read moreincredible area, beautiful views, and really wonderful people along the way. Many even trail running in the dark, way to go!!! I would call it moderate, and I could see it being quite difficult if we started when the sun was already up. They have decent parking on the road where the trailhead starts.

Gorgeous and challenging to access mountain. You will be one of the only people summiting, whether…read moreyou come on a weekday or weekend. It's just not easy to access and there are no trails going up this mountain. It's a rock scramble that you'll have to navigate yourself. This past weekend, I ended up going up Martinez Mountain and Sheep mountain. We started at the Cactus Spring Trail and hiked to Horsethief Creek. We were able to filter a good amount of water at the creek with a decent water source and from there hiked to Cactus Spring (about 5 miles from the start of the trailhead). Martinez Mountain was about 8 mile round trip back to Cactus Spring. It was quite a feat to traverse and required some class 3 moves to get up to the summit. Quite a thrilling adventure. Coming down the backside of the gully was not for the faint of heart; I definitely got some injuries I wish I didn't get...if I do this mountain again, it would probably be an out and back, although you can hit Sheep the same day (I ended up doing Sheep the next day). All in all; it's quite a challenge and you probably won't see a soul up here, but it's worth it for the adventurous-minded!

On April 27th, 2014 Lindsay, Kate and myself set off to climb Martinez Mountain. We drove up the…read more74 and parked the truck near an old mine. We started about 8 am, and the hike lasted almost 12 hours. All of us are in great shape but this turned out to be a brutal day hike. Starting point is located up the 74. Make a left on the dirt road right after the sugarloaf cafe. Then after the cactus spring trailhead sign, drive down and to the left to get the closest start. Exact location: Latitude: 33.5767109413 Longitude : -116.4422111493 The elevation was 3922 ft The hike starts off descending and you go cross a small stream about a half mile in. At 1.7 miles in and 3400 ft, we crossed Horse Thief Creek, which surprisingly had a good amount of water flowing. No water after that. After 1 mile of good grade it leveled out and we followed a wide wash, making out way to the mountain. We met another hiker who knew the area well and told us where the trail we needed connected to the wash. At 4.97 miles from our start, we took the trail to the right and headed to the saddle just west of Martinez Mountain. It could easily be missed without keeping an eye out. 1.35 miles after leaving the wash, we made it to the saddle and stopped for lunch. We could see Jacinto, Santa Rosa Mountain, and the south side of the Martinez. From here, there is NO TRAIL to the top. Making out way up the ridge was a scramble. It was a lot of work, and there are large boulders and overgrown bushes. Its steep and you will need to be in great shape. At 7.64 miles from the start, and 6543 ft up, we summited! The summit is a group of large boulders and you will need to be able to lift your own bodyweight to get up. We found the summit sign in ammo box, which only had about 100 signatures in the last ten years. On our way down we decided to go a more direct way down, which was very steep and slow moving. Our knees really took a beating jumping down rock to rock. We then got back on the trail in the wash and headed back to the start. In total, we hike 14.8 miles. We had a great time and want to explore this area more!

My family and I came to Joshua Tree for the first time and since we were unfamiliar with the area,…read moreI hired Ethan from Joshua Tree Adventures to be our guide inside the Joshua Tree National Park. It was the best decision I made!! The first day he took us on an amazing 4-hour hike inside the park, he showed us all of the extraordinary sites and also educated us about the very complex geological history of the park. On the 2nd day, he took us mountain climbing, which was the highlight of our trip!! Ethan's kind, encouraging and wise nature helped my son and I accomplish mountain climbing feats we thought were impossible! I HIGHLY recommend Ethan's services for anyone visiting Joshua Tree! The guided tours we took with him really made our trip adventurous, fun, educational and very memorable! Ethan has been guiding for many years and has a real passion for what he does! He's one of the BEST guides I have worked with!

Ethan was knowledgeable and thoughtful in taking our group to a truly beautiful part of the park…read more This was an experience that we would never have had if it were not for him. I also want to add that I was especially thankful for Ethan's guiding our group because I have a fear of heights and the areas in which we explored, I did get a little nervous. Ethan was amazing, talking me through every step of the way and I felt such a sense of accomplishment to be able to join the others on the journey.