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    Whitewater Preserve

    4.7 (121 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Whitewater Preserve Photos

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    Gus F.

    Whitewater Canyon view loop trail. Great easy hike; starts and ends along whitewater river. Trails are marked, signs. Incredible views from up top. Plenty of parking and restrooms available.

    A view
    Tom E.

    A great facet of our USA national DNA is preservation of Great public spaces. This is a Great Public Space. Whitewater started infrastructure life as trout pond recreational fishing, thrilling generations of children, and adults, with Trout Fishing glory. Now it is a public preserve. More than 10 square miles, the ponds, Ramada and ranger station in the heart of it's cottonwood, alder, sycamore and canyon ash oasis at it's heart. A place to connect with a less-developed world and get nature in one's heart.

    Ray M.

    I noticed the whitewater running under the 10 fwy as my family and I left Palm Springs. I decided to exit the freeway at the Whitewater off-ramp and discovered this amazing and cool place. The fast moving water is so clear and clean (but I probably wouldn't drink it) and the entire area is sooo peaceful with the only sound being that of running water over rocks and boulders. The weather was perfect as there was a nice breeze and the weather was not too hot. Many other families had the same idea and were simply enjoying the sounds of nature on the Sunday afternoon while several kids could be seen playing in the water This was a very nice and pleasant discovery before driving home and sitting in traffic for over two hours

    Ed T.

    This review is for the Whitewater Canyon View Loop Trail. This was a ~3.7 mile round trip that took about 2 hours to complete. Surprisingly popular and somewhat crowded during the weekday. The trail was mostly flat until you start steadily climbing up the side of the mountain. The views at the top were rewarding. The last ~0.8 miles of the trail was washed out so ended up walking along the road. Short video of the hike for those interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TaMVE8o8FI

    My Patty
    Patty P.-N-Levi B.

    White water preserve we stumbled into this beautiful place with my GF Patty "PattytOH" P. for the Labor Day wknd 2024. We were amazed how beautiful this place is.We look forward to going back and doing some hiking in the near future here,aince we both LOVE nature.Love you since 1902 (As you always say) Bebi.

    Brenda C.

    Beautiful place, I absolutely loved it! You have the options of a light walk, short and/or long distance hikes.

    Entrance
    Isobel L.

    If you're like me, you may have seen the "Whitewater" exit off the 10 between Palm Springs and Cabazon and thought to yourself: "What a silly name for an exit in the desert, there's no water here." And you would be wrong (like I was.) I have literally driven by this exit hundreds of times and had absolutely no idea that this gorgeous wilderness preserve with a year-round river existed. Thank goodness for the internet. Whitewater Preserve is a stunning 2,851 acres of wilderness which includes the year-round whitewater river (see pictures) and miles of gorgeous trails. Parking is free and there is no admission fee. There are many different hiking trails and you can devise the hike of your dreams (short, long, by the river, not by the river, etc.). It's pristine; no trash or graffiti whatsoever. It is somewhat puzzling to me why there is no sign for the Whitewater Preserve on the 10. Are they hiding it from the masses? Not sure but I am certainly glad that I found out about this hidden gem on a hiking website. If you're lucky, like I was, you may even spot a bighorn sheep high up in the mountains (take your binoculars.) There are park benches with tables and restrooms. The parking lot is fairly ample but you can also park alongside the road if the lot fills up. This is the perfect excursion for solo hikers, hikers with dogs, and family hikes. There is one spot where you have to climb up some steep steps, so make sure your shoes have good tread. Learn more about this stunning location here https://wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/whitewater

    Lorri D.

    The Preserve and its surrounding areas are a great way to get out and enjoy some fresh air and hiking. There are a few trails, plus the riverbed. I love to go when the water is trickling through. The snow melts and works its way down, so the water is icy cold, I love the sound of it. Canyon Loop is typically my trail of choice because it is not too rigorous and you still get to enjoy some great shots of nature. Great for just about all ages and is just over 2 miles. There is no fee to get in the Preserve area and parking is dotted along the road. Whitewater is close to the Cabazon outlets and Palm Springs.....so when you are in need of something other than shopping and casinos, this is your place. Make sure you stop at Dowling Fruit Orchard for some yummy treats too! And, of course, say hi to Mr. Rex and Dinny at the Cabazon Dinosaurs! CHEERS!!

    Chandra F.

    Very easy walk/hike with a beautiful stream....I'm sure it's even more amazing in late spring/early summer when snow has melted and makes its way down. Trails are easy to follow and signs are posted so you know where you're going and distance to destinations. Young kids will find this trail easy and the stream fun. If you're coming here in the summer, there's no shade so be prepared. In the winter (today 12/29/20), I was comfortable with a sweatshirt and yoga pants in the sun, but once I got near the water and under some shade, I was freezing! Ranger guy was so nice! Waved to everyone leaving the park. ***Note***When you make that first left headed into the preserve and as you drive along the road, you will see some red signs saying CLOSED...it is not closed. Don't know if the signs weren't taken down or meant for something else, but the preserve is very much open.

    Entrance to hiking trails
    Kris L.

    The picnic grounds and ponds here are very nice, quiet and with plenty of shade. The hike up the stream bed to red dome was a pleasant walk in November with a bit of water in the stream, though the vegetation was a bit dry this time of year. This is likely best with spring wildflowers.

    River crossing

    We just had the most amazing weekend at Whitewater Preserve! We came to section hike, the PCT. The preserve was quiet and was closed for a private event this past weekend. It was one of the cleanest campgrounds I've ever stayed at. It also felt safe because there are Rangers on site. Every Ranger we encountered was knowledgeable and friendly. To correct a previous review, the preserve is not closed on weekends, but does require reservations. Two baby bobcats even wandered through the campground! We will definitely be back!

    Madeleine L.

    Great place to hike. Restrooms at the trailhead by the ranger station. Easy to follow trail signs, and beautiful scenery. We did the Canyon View Loop Trail which is 3.5 miles. If you don't like uphill climbs, you won't like it but the view at the top is worth it. Be a bit careful going down because it is easy to loose your footing. I will definitely come back and do a longer hike.

    Irina V.

    Here you'll be walking for 3.7 miles. This is a loop. We parked at the visitor center and had to walk a little bit before we got to the trail. Before you get to the visitor center you will see a trail sign to your left. You can actually park not far from the start of the trail and start hiking if you'd like. We took the loop clockwise but you can do it counter clockwise so parking near the visitor center would be a better choice if you hiked it counter clockwise. No matter which way you choose to start the hike you will be going uphill both ways. We started hiking early in the morning. It was sunny on the way up going clock wise but on the way down it was shady. There are some narrow spots on this trail and at times while we were walking down the path I worried about my children's safety. The thought of one of us loosing our footing worried me. In the middle on the trail you will have a 360 view of the 2,851 acres preserve. It is absolutely gorgeous here. A must hike for sure. While most hikes we have been on don't allow dogs on trails. This one was dog friendly.

    White water preserve

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    Beautiful place to hike or picnic. Doesn't open till 8 am, so don't be early. Gets hot in the summer but still has a beauty its own.

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    2 years ago

    It's a beautiful seen! The water feels amazing! Very rocky. They close at 5 but you can go around and still enjoy the water!

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    3 years ago

    My only complaint is can't fish anymore. I used to take my kids there camping and fishing back before it was a preserve.

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    2 years ago

    Beautiful picnic and hiking area with stream and pond- saw big horned sheep on the rock side behind area

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Whitewater Preserve

    I have a question is there any trail or in the river that I can ride my atv?

    Hello there, ATVs and other OHV vehicles are not allowed on any of our trails or along the river.

    Is the park open yet? Or is there an opening date?

    Hello! Whitewater Preserve is currently closed due to flash flood warnings. We are taking it day by day. Once it is safe for the public, we will re-open our modified access to the preserve. You can learn what our modified access looks like by… Read more

    Is it open during Covid outbreak?

    Temporarily closed

    Does anyone know if there is a charge for parking?

    Free parking on site. There is also street parking too!

    Is it open as of now? Or is it still closed to the public

    It's open now 2020

    Is the water possibly contaminated with Giardia? Should our dogs avoid drinking water near Whitewater?

    No, there is no Giardia at Whitewater. I drink the water all the time when hiking & backpacking. Typically, Giardia is transmitted by pack animals. There are no pack animals in the area and there is zero horse traffic on the trail system there.

    How deep is the river right now?

    Not very deep but the last time I was there was two months ago.

    Is the terrain stroller friendly?

    Hello Yesi A. We have an easy, paved walking path that beings in our parking area and takes you around our ponds, picnic area, and campground. This paved walking path is stroller friendly.… Read more

    View All 12 Questions

    Review Highlights - Whitewater Preserve

    We went up the pacific crest trail going south and hiked up 5 miles up and saw the windmills !

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Indian Canyons - Another spot before a hike through the trees up the mountain.

    Indian Canyons

    4.4(314 reviews)
    16.7 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Indian Canyons - On the way up the mountain. Road towards the top is narrow.

    On the way up the mountain. Road towards the top is narrow.

    Indian Canyons - It's bloody G O R G E O U S  ! !   #BritAccent #ThiccPalmTrees #TreeBeard

    It's bloody G O R G E O U S ! ! #BritAccent #ThiccPalmTrees #TreeBeard

    Indian Canyons - Andrea's Canyon Trail

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    Andrea's Canyon Trail

    Black Mountain Trail

    Black Mountain Trail

    5.0(4 reviews)
    13.1 mi

    Clear day hike to the summit. There was still Ice on the…read moreway up. The trail is really nice for a small 8.5 mile hike. Loved every minute of it. Please come and create your own adventure.

    I hiked this for the first time on 3/20/22. I had never heard about it or seen anyone post this…read morehike on Instagram and I follow a lot of hikers. I had a fellow hiker suggest this hike for a group hike and researched it a bit and got excited to try it. Location/Parking- it is a long drive for most people...nearly 2 hours for me coming from the SE part of LA county and pretty much everyone in our group had anywhere from about an hour to 2 hours just getting to this place (people coming from Rancho Cucamonga, Oceanside, and San Diego). It is easy to miss the small dirt road off HWY 243 that leads to the trailhead (especially in the dark since we were trying to start the hike at 5 AM). The narrow dirt road will take you about 400ft away from the road to a small parking lot that will allow for about 10-15 cars to park at the trailhead Trail- it is just under 4 miles to the top and almost 8 miles RT with every mile being at least 500ft of elevation gain which makes it pretty steep for a hike. The first mile or so is also hard because the trail has a big rut in the middle and you are not able to walk on a flat surface and your feet are always at an angle. The hike starts at just over 5K ft elevation and we didn't see any snow during th first mile, but in the 2nd mile we saw some clumps of snow off the trail from a recent storm, and during the 3rd mile we began seeing more snow that was on the trail, and during the last mile we got lucky to experience snow falling as we reached the 7K ft elevation. It was cold, a bit windy, and the snow was coming down pretty good at the top but we still spent about 30 mins at the top. On the way down we were able to find a few spots to take shortcuts by sliding down the snow on our butts...lots of fun! This was my first experience hiking while it was snowing. We saw no one on our way up or our way done. I think this hike is not on people's radar and I love hikes that are not crowded. Peak- There is a fire lookout tower at the top and stairs that you can go up but the top is closed off; there is a tank with the peak name and elevation and large rocks that allow you to spread out a bit at the top while you are eating a snack and taking pictures

    Photos
    Black Mountain Trail
    Black Mountain Trail
    Black Mountain Trail

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    Big Morongo Canyon Preserve - Cotton wood tree

    Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

    4.6(69 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    I'm always up for a new hiking spot. First time here which I didn't even know about. No one in my…read moregroup has even heard of it either. It's a good half hour from Palm Springs just along the 62 leading you towards Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. The road which is somewhat residential at the beginning lead you to a park. We actually parked and started to walk around which found out later that it wasn't the right part. Drive up a little further till you enter a spot where there were some campers and a parking lot. I'm assuming camping is somewhat available from the looks of things. Don't quote me on that as I'm not sure. It's a decent size parking lot available. Before the trail, there's a little introduction information station where you should pick up the map. There's also pamphlets about the area. Billboards explaining how the area came about and the nature of it. The different animals you'll like to see and so on. A nice little helper before you hike. The main trails breaks down and connects to each other. They're not hard and pretty easy. Some are in dirt but guided trails while the others are on wooden planks. The map helps you connect from trail to trails and they're pretty reasonable with difficulty level. Majority are very easy but they also have the trail that wraps around which is about 8 to 9 miles roundtrip. We started off with the trails that go from the dirt path that connects you to the marsh land which mainly is on the wooden planks. Pretty nice seeing what nature has to offer. We did find out that a lot of the places did get destroyed by wildfires a while back and slowly started to make a comeback as well as the tropical storm a couple years ago which I happened to be in Palm Springs as well. The whole trail is pretty easy and mainly on flat land. You will encounter some hills at certain parts of the trail but they're pretty moderate. It's like going from the desert to an oasis and back out to the mountain and desert. The way the trails connect is pretty easy with trail marks and sign posted whenever you come to a connection. They also have free guided tours I believe the first and third Saturday of the month. In the middle of the trail is a visitor center where's there's a little garden area. Nothing too major but something worth checking out. It's nice to see what nature has to offer. The trail is actually well maintained as some parts you could tell that they were manicured for your safety. Overall, it's an easy hike. Main part isn't much of a hike but I'm sure if you do the whole trail, it'll be more of a strenuous hike. Would I go back, yes.

    I love visiting this beautiful preserve. This visit was extra special since we had both of our…read moredaughters along! The cottonwood trees are truly majestic as they sway and flutter with the breeze. The preserve is an internationally recognized birding site. Over 247 bird species have been recorded here. National Geographic features the preserve in their guide to bird watching sites. The preserve is 31,000 acres. Home to one of the largest Cottonwood and Willow riparian habitats in California. There are many trails to choose from and various benches to enjoy the wildlife along the way. The restrooms are near the entrance and are well maintained.

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    Big Morongo Canyon Preserve - Cotton wood tree

    Cotton wood tree

    Big Morongo Canyon Preserve - A lizard.

    A lizard.

    Big Morongo Canyon Preserve - View from marsh trail

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    View from marsh trail

    Lost Creek Canyon Ranch - Fringe the goat, one of many ranch animals you'll meet.

    Lost Creek Canyon Ranch

    5.0(10 reviews)
    4.9 mi

    I visited Lost Creek Canyon Ranch with a group of friends and my six year old son. I was not sure…read morewhat to expect, but my goodness, our experience was incredible. This ranch is absolutely breathtaking and the rich history Linda shared with us was fascinating. I could've spent days exploring the area! I was a little nervous that my six year old would get restless as he was the only child in our group. Linda did an amazing job of finding ways to include him and even gave him a little activity bag to keep him busy while my group did yoga. The thoughtful ways she made him feel special and included really made the day for us. We really enjoyed meeting all of the animals- I know this was by far the best part for my son. I appreciated that my son was allowed to interact with the animals and was taught how to do so in a way that prioritized his safety and the safety and well-being of the animals. I can't say enough about our experience. Lost Creek Canyon Ranch will be a go to for me whenever I have visitors in town and I look forward to going back. Thank you to Linda and her team for such a wonderful experience!

    Fantastic experience. Linda, the owner, gave us a fabulous tour. We saw the ranch animals, mountain…read morescenery, the historic buildings, and their citrus grove. Linda shared stories of the ranch's history and explained the water system still in use where water can run uphill! Linda was friendly and happy to answer questions. We got to pick as much citrus as we wanted to take home and were even given a couple dozen fresh farm eggs. A beautiful place and a fun tour if you want to do something a bit different and still be a short drive from downtown Palm Springs.

    Photos
    Lost Creek Canyon Ranch - Pinta, our silkie fainting goat, is such a ham.

    Pinta, our silkie fainting goat, is such a ham.

    Lost Creek Canyon Ranch - Nothing better than fall on the ranch.

    Nothing better than fall on the ranch.

    Lost Creek Canyon Ranch - There are beautiful buildings all around the ranch

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    There are beautiful buildings all around the ranch

    Whitewater Preserve - hiking - Updated May 2026

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