Popular hike with sweeping views at the top by the cross. This is a moderate hike, steep in…read moresections but relatively short, and it's very dog friendly with many leashed dogs on the trail. Free parking is at Cap Homme / Ralph Adams Park at the end of Thrush Rd in Palm Desert. From the lot, you walk through the gate and follow the Homestead Trail signs up to the cross, so it's very straightforward to find the route. Start as early as you can because the sun makes you feel warm quickly and there's not much shade on the trail. Distance: approx. 2.2-3 miles total Elevation gain: about 600-700 ft It took me and my friend about 1.5 hours to complete the loop

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.

What a spectacular experience. So much to learn about the Indians that lived here and why. From a…read morenice cool walk under the trees next to the natural water flowing up through the ground then to some fabulous hiking with glorious views of the mountains to all the creatures that live all around it. Keep your eyes open for all of them and especially for the dangerous ones hiding around rocks. Stay away from the selfies with them. Shouldn't have to say it but.... Well worth the $12.00 entry fee per car. Come here when it's hot for a cooler experience under the trees or winter for some good hiking. This is Palm Springs after all.

Nov, 2025. Palm Springs, CA. "The Indian Canyons are the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band…read moreof Cahuilla Indians. These canyons are especially sacred to the Cahuilla people today and are historically important to scientists and nature lovers. The Cahuilla people have thrived here for thousands of years. Ancient trails, rock art, house pits, foundations, irrigation ditches, dams, reservoirs, and food preparation areas still exist in the canyons." While there are many hiking trails in the Indian Canyons, our preference was to hike one of them that offered some shade. (While Palm Springs was only expected to reach 81 degrees today, it feels hotter when you're hiking in direct sun!) We spoke to a friendly ranger near the Trading Post, and he suggested that the two trails with shade are: (1) Palm Canyon, which is described as a moderated-graded footpath that winds down into the canyon for picnicking near the stream, meditating, exploring, hiking and equestrian trails. (2) Andreas Canyon, a tranquil setting with a one-mile walking loop and a year-round flowing stream showcasing magnificent palms and more than 150 species of plants. We chose the Palm Canyon hike as we were already close to its trailhead. The trail was mostly wide, well-maintained, and dry. It's an out-and-back trail that's 0.9 miles in each direction. Total elevation change is 224'. At the 0.9-mile mark, it intersects with other trails that allow you to lengthen the distance of your hike. For instance, there was an option to return via another route that would be 2.0 miles (rather than 0.9), but it appeared that it would be mostly in the sun so we decided against it. A few general observations: *this is a family-friendly trail, and there were quite a few kids on the trail. It is NOT stroller-friendly as there's a fairly steep descent at the beginning from the parking lot down to the palms. *the trail was crowded on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 10:30 am, but many hikers turned after the first 1/4 to 1/2-mile. *there is an entry fee to enter Indian Canyons, but you're allowed to hike as many trails as you'd capable of doing during operating hours. Adult admission is $12, seniors (62+) and students are $7, children (6-12): $6, and U.S. military, and first responders are free. HINT: we purchased our tickets at the Palm Springs Visitors Center and got a $1 discount per ticket. *there are regularly scheduled ranger-led interpretive hikes and ranger talks. *there are three parking areas, all with port-a-potties. *some concessions, including water and Gatorade, are available at the Trading Post, but there aren't any public fountains so make sure to bring a lot of water for this desert environment. *we didn't see any creatures, but you need to careful of where you step or place your hands as there are rattlesnakes in the canyon. *signage is good, but it's also easy to unintentionally go off-trail as there are quite a few unofficial trails. We enjoyed our visit to the Indian Canyons, and will return to do some of the other hikes.

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.

Great place for a hike in the desert! My husband and I are beginners, but it's a great place to get…read morea workout! It does get crowded so if you get there late, they will be lots of people. Parking runs up and down the street and it will be difficult to find a spot. The views are beautiful, the climb steep, but it makes it a lot easier if you have a hiking stick.

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.

Nice little gem of a place. Good for kids to run around. Nice little trails. Docents are…read morethere to answer questions and teach about the tectonic plates and underground water.

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.

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.

Great short hike and dog friendly. It is a rocky trail but not hard at all. Once we got to the top…read morethere is another short trail that is pretty flat. We enjoyed this hike with our dogs.

Nice little hike on our vacation. This is a small trail but has a few other nearby trails and we…read morejust kept walking around until we couldn't. I would return for a mini work out and to get some steps in.

My husband and I are in the practice of decolonizing thanksgiving. We call it ThanksLiving…read more We thought it would be a good day to hike in Tahquitz Canyon. We learned about the indigenous Cahuilla people that inhabited this beautiful desert land. We thought of them as we did this moderately challenging, beautiful hike. The creek was flowing and the waterfall was gorgeous. The canyon is so peaceful. There are plenty of rock steps, so good hiking shoes with traction are essential. The park rangers in the visitor center make sure you have enough water with you, as there's no shade and the sun can be brutal. On this day, temps were cool and we hiked early so the sun was still shining on the other side of the mountain, but we still brought along our reusable water bottles, and sunscreen of course. This is truly a special place. There wasn't any trash along the trail, which was good to see that people are respecting the space, and/or staff is cleaning up after any littering occurs. This really was a great way for us to spend this day, my heart is full and my body is happy for the movement and exercise.

This is a really family-friendly hiking trail with well-marked, interconnecting trails throughout…read morethe park. The falls are the highlight, but I found fun views throughout!

I decided to drive out to this visitor center and find out about campgrounds in the area. They are…read moreonly open a few days of the week. The center has spacious parking and the ADA spot is close to the entrance. The bathroom was just outside the main doors and very clean. Upon entering the center, there are free map and brochure displays. There are also some display areas for educating visitors on the different types of wildlife in the area and how to identify their footprints. The staff was friendly, knowelegable and helped me in my camping decision-making. I bought a sticker for my car and exited the building. I would say this is a very nice, friendly environment and I feel like I know more now about the area. I would definitely recommend visitors in the area to stop by.

CA 01-2024 Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Visitors Center in Palm Springs California. This is…read morea National Monument Park with many hiking trails. There are many of those Rams here but we didn't have time to hike. I wish we had more time. You really need to visit out here with no time constraints. Places are too far a part and need time to enjoy. I'm only able to hit and miss and not thoroughly enjoy the way it needs to be done!!! I highly recommend you enjoy this Free park if given the opportunity.

Wow! What a park!…read more The grass is so manicured that I thought I was on a putting green. The bathrooms were immaculately clean. My kids loved playing on the shaded playground in the heat of the day.

Very cute and serene Little Park. I've never seen it until the reviews here and we've lived here…read morefor five years.