We had just started our trip in Palm Springs and made a stop here. It is very unique building at…read morethe beginning of the road to the aerial Tramway. Tons of parking, and a great view of the mountains from the parking lot. They even have a cool art display on one wall outside by the bathrooms for photo opportunities. The center itself is not large, and is filled with your typical T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, Christmas ornaments, etc. We did pick up a really cool Palm Springs Christmas ornament that was very unique and I didn't see anything like it when shopping downtown. The people at the desk have a large map that they draw on to show you how to get to certain places as they were giving us information which was helpful. I did buy a map that showed homes of past celebrities such as Doris Day, Elvis, etc. We did try to drive around and identify some of these homes, but it's not as easy as you would think. House numbers are not very apparent, and some of these streets are quite narrow, and with traffic behind you, you don't really have the opportunity to go slow and or stop to look. So we eventually gave up and just drove around to observe the unique architecture ourselves. I would say this is definitely worth a quick stop!

Late Nov, 2025. Palm Springs (PS), CA…read more *Location. Conveniently-located at the intersection of N Palm Canyon Dr and the road that goes up to the aerial tramway. *Exterior. Sufficient parking, even on a weekend, with EV charging stations available. Views of the San Jacinto Mountains from the parking area. Outdoor rest rooms available without having to go into the Visitor Center. A few outside photo opps. Architecturally-interesting building. It was apparently a former gas station but, with its update, has the feel of a mid-century modern building. *Interior. (1) There were two manned information desks, with friendly and somewhat helpful staff who offered maps and recommendations of things to see and do in PS. The young man who helped us pulled out a map that had PS proper on one side, and the greater PS (to Coachella) area on the back. He went through a seemingly rehearsed spiel about what we should see/do without first ascertaining what type of activities we were interested in. It was helpful that he informed us that VillageFest, a weekly downtown event with artists, artisans, entertainers, food vendors, and more, would not be held that week because of Thanksgiving. But, we were disappointed that he couldn't answer some of our basic questions about the San Jacinto National Monument area. Also, in asking if the Visitor Center had a map for a self-guided walking tour of attractions, we were directed to a brochure of (paid) walking tours offered by the local historical society. (2) There was a separate desk run by the Agra Caliente Band of Cohuilla Indians, offering tickets that allowed access to hikes in their ancestral lands, including Indian Canyons and/or Tahquitz Canyon. The woman at the desk was very friendly and helpful, and we bought tickets for Indian Garden (valid for one year). Tickets are normally $12 (adults) and $7 (seniors 62+), but a $1/ticket discount is given if purchased at the visitor center. (3) there is a small gift shop with books, maps, and souvenirs. (4) locally-relevant exhibits and brochures to local attractions.

One of four visitor centers for Joshua Tree National Park, each having a slightly different name,…read morethis location is in downtown Joshua Tree, surrounded by other city buildings. It is the one fronting the West entrance to the Park, which is the more popular of the two. It is located before having to pay the park entrance fee. It was manned by two friendly, quite busy volunteer rangers, answering any questions about your visit. We didn't have time to visit the park itself, so took the opportunity to learn a bit more about the park from displays and presentations. As I learned, it is crowded inside (shoulder to shoulder). There is a dedicated parking lot, along with street parking, and a small gift shop. My wife's mom ended up buying a tote bag (or two) to take back home. We didn't get to go inside the park this time, but was able to see plenty of Joshua trees real close, which are only endemic to this area.

Drove from Las Vegas to Joshua Tree and I recommend it. It's a 3 hour drive and scenic. You drive…read morethrough the Mohave Desert and see landscape, and vegetation, existing only in that area. This should always be your first stop. You'll be able to speak to a Park Ranger, pick up a park map, see examples of wildlife that you might encounter, and even pick up food at their small eatery called, Roadrunner grab & go.

As California's largest State Park, Anza-Borrego is another spot everyone should have on their…read morebucket list. They have some great trails, camping, star gazing, and a bunch of giant statues that are fun to check out. The visitor's center was fun with a friendly staff. Don't forget to ask about the Junior Ranger Program. We saw two coyotes outside the visitor's center. We did the Palm Canyon Trail. It was an easy and short trail that was perfect for kids. We walked past 4-5 bighorn sheep. That was very cool. Keep in mind there are certain areas that can only be reached if your vehicle has AWD. The town of Borrego Springs is nice with a couple restaurants, shops, and places to stay. Looking back, it would have been nice to spend the night to stargaze. Don't forget to hiking smart: sun protection and plenty of water. Stay on the trials. Leave no trace. And have fun.

Spectacular desert views just a short drive from San Diego or Los Angeles yet it feels like you're…read moreon another continent. Try a late March trip to see the desert floor ablaze in springtime flower colors, or the "secret" Dinosaur Trail, or searching for ancient Pictographs in the Blair Valley section of Coyote Canyon. Anza Borrego never disappoints for those seeking adventure right here in Southern California!

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.

We've been to this National Park before, but it was our first chance to try some of the hikes, and…read morethey were really beautiful. If you just do the drive, you might not really see everything this park has to offer, so it's worth doing the hikes, even if only the easier ones. We did the Hidden Valley hike, which is only around a 1 mile loop. It can get pretty crowded though and the parking gets filled fast, so it's better to go early. We also went on the Barker Dam hike, which is also just a bit over a mile. This one was my favorite of the two and you get to climb some nice rocks on this hike. We did the other typical stuff like see skull rock, but didn't do this hike, and saw keys view, which is also really nice, but if you do go, it's definitely worth to do some hiking since it makes the experience of this park so much better.

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Joshua Tree National Park was one of the most playful and surprising. My husband came up with what may be the park's most accurate unofficial name: "Amazing Boulders National Park... with a few Joshua trees." After spending a couple of days there, I had to admit he had a point. Yes, the Joshua trees are fascinating. These unusual plants are actually members of the yucca family rather than true trees, and they give the landscape a wonderfully whimsical character. But what completely captivated us were the enormous granite boulder formations scattered throughout the park. They seem to have been dropped from the sky by a giant child building a playground. Hiking here is simply fun. Around every corner, another incredible rock formation appears, and before long you find yourself spotting shapes in the rocks: an elephant, a skull, faces, animals, castles... your imagination takes over. Climbing on the boulders brought out our inner children. Unlike many hikes where you simply follow a trail, Joshua Tree encourages exploration and curiosity. One of the most fascinating aspects of the park is that it lies where two distinct deserts meet: the higher, cooler Mojave Desert, home to the Joshua trees, and the lower, hotter Colorado Desert, creating remarkable diversity in both plants and wildlife. We were fortunate to visit while many of the cacti were in bloom, adding splashes of color to the desert. We also enjoyed watching the abundant wildlife, including desert iguanas, ground squirrels, Gambel's quail, and countless birds that make this seemingly harsh environment feel surprisingly alive. The scenery constantly changes, from forests of Joshua trees to giant rock piles, hidden valleys, cholla gardens, and wide-open desert vistas. It is easy to understand why artists, photographers, climbers, and stargazers have been drawn here for generations. Joshua Tree National Park is one of those rare places that makes you smile while you're exploring it. It is beautiful, quirky, imaginative, and incredibly fun. Whether you come to hike, climb, photograph, or simply let your imagination run wild among the boulders, this park is unforgettable. Highly recommended, and if you find yourself calling it "Amazing Boulders National Park," don't worry... you're probably not the first.

This review is long over due however, very necessary for me to write about Big Bear Lake Visitors…read moreCenter. Big Bear at large is close to my heart because its easy for me to get to from LA County proper. I ski at Big Bear (Or Snow Valley or Snow Summit) when the snow permits. It's an easy drive for me to and from LA. But lately, over the past 3 years, I've been so in love with Shadow and Jackie, the Bald Eagle celebrity natives. OK- here is my story: My travel buddy and I drive from LA and made a couple stops along the way (One was in Ontario for a party we attended) and the second was Snow Summit to check out the ski conditions. However, my main purpose was to visit and get a real live view of Shadow and Jackie, the bald eagles. The Big Bear Lake Visitors Center was the place to gather your information. They gave us the best times to look for Jackie and Shadow but more important, they have their volunteer rangers who set up long range telescopes over at Fawn's to view the magnificent birds. There is a board at the entrance which lists all activities around the area; for hikers, bikers, eagle viewers alike. Merch for sale Informative with respect to the native animals, birds and the li,e Ample parking Clean restrooms

We just popped in to see what was inside as we were visitors in big bear and were pleasantly…read morepleased with what we found! That was neat. They had a display on the eagle nest, as that is such a popular thing with people, that included a live feed. The folks behind the information desk were very friendly and helpful. We really enjoy the photo area, you can have your picture taken and put over three different backgrounds, with choice of emailing or having the picture printed out right there for you to take with you. Kind of nice to have a physical picture for a change as everyone seems to just provide digital these days. Great place for information for any visitor to big Bear!

Great place to grab some souvenirs on your way to Joshua Tree. There's technically a closer welcome…read morecenter but this had a better selection of souvenirs. They also feature local artists. You can purchase your Joshua Tree passes here. Also good to know: clean bathrooms.

This is a great Welcome Center and the staff are more than willing to help out as needed. They have…read moreclean bathrooms, free coffee and tea as well as plenty of brochures and magazines. They have a gift shop of some items. This place is a must place to stop to get an idea of places to see.

Although this place was closed due to COVID, the outside of the visitor center was still very…read moreinformative. There are some signs that give more of the Salton Sea history along with a petroglyph rock. There were restrooms nearby which were actually very clean. I was very impressed with the restrooms here. They also have social distancing signs and mask protocol signs all over this area. Luckily, nobody was here and we were able to walk around at our own pace and take pictures.

Surreal ...Salton Sea,Mecca Beach and Bombay Beach. Had a chance to go out to Salton Sea State Park…read moreand Bombay Beach to have a look and take some pictures. Salton Sea State Recreation Area was interesting with the huge lake.Just a few miles south was,Bombay Beach."Post apocalyptic" as one story I read called it and I gotta admit it was a fascinating place-I left a review and more pictures at my IG account "seetheusa" for more info. A great place for photo ops-its really hot out there currently (about 109!) So bring water,hat and sunscreen if you go!

29 Palms,located in Southern California's inland desert area,is a terrific community for a great…read moreexperience for families,singles,teens and senior citizens! A great adventure awaits you as you travel down long peaceful expanses of desert roadway surrounded by scenic mountains,ghost towns,historic sites and wild life! We started our adventure at Joshua Tree National Park drove to 29 Palms to see all the sites there including the city's collection of wall murals on many of the towns buildings! We then headed north to the town of Amboy and Roys Motel and Cafe and beyond to Afton Canyon. There are trails and slot canyons to hike,places to camp,sand dunes to climb,a crater to see,old mining areas to check out and places just to stop and breathe in clean desert air! 29 Palms is proudly home to the largest US Marine base and also features many stores,shops,restaurants and areas to explore! . . . . . #visit29palms #ilove29palms #usmc #murals #wallmurals #29palms #29palmscalifornia #mojavetrailsnationalmonument #trails #camping #californiadeserts #amboy #roysmotelandcafe #route66 #aftoncanyon #visitamboy #visit29palms #shop29palms #cadizdunes #sanddunes #29palms #29palmsmurals #getyourkicksonroute66 #nationaltrailshighway #marinecorp #joshuatreenationalpark #joshuatree #marinecorp #29palmscalifornia #waynesalvatti #seetheusa #marinehaircut #photografxworldwide ##goseejoshuatree

We visited a number of visitor centers - natl. park, city, chamber of commerce etc. in the area…read morewithin a couple of days; this one was the nicest. It's a clean, attractively landscaped building with a lovely mural and a free WIFI spot on the outside. There was a good selection of relevant materials, a charming local art display, and a friendly and informative staff member. We bought metal water bottles (good price for them, btw) and had them filled with chilled water from their refrigerator. How nice is that? :)

Jennifer was very helpful setting up our honeymoon trip to the Riviera Maya Mexico. We got a deal…read moreat the Vidanta Grand Luxxe Hotel. It was a beautiful property with beach and jungle. The staff was amazing and helped us with everything we needed. We booked our flights with Expedia and definitely will use another company next time. Overall, our trip was perfect and we are planning to go again soon.

We booked our honeymoon, a cruise through Annette back in March 2017. She was very good and always…read morereturned emails and calls even the day we departed and missed our flight due to bad traffic getting to LAX she returned our call and made suggestions. I'm trying to reach out to them again to book another trip, but can't get an email returned, I hope they are still around and the Palm Desert location is still in business.