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.

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.

I love this particular location for easy to moderate day hiking. It's *way* out in Thousand Palms…read more(literally at the end of Ramon road when it changes names). There is a small but informative visitor center (that is almost always looking for volunteers, so if you live out here full time consider volunteering!) and rest rooms at the parking area, and then a number of hikes out from there. The preserve sits directly on the San Andreas fault, so some of the hikes follow it for a bit. My favorite hike so far has been out to McCallum Oasis, where a permanent "pond" sits under a grove of huge palm trees. The trails are usually well marked, though sometimes you might have to go scrambling. The terrain is mostly flat, though, with the exception of a few major hills. Do note that this is 'middle of the desert' hiking - there is not much to see if you are not looking to walk/admire the natural beauty of a desert landscape. Also it *is* out in the desert - with the exception of some of the oases (oasi?) there is not a lot of shade either. Bring lots of water, and avoid the high heat of the mid-day. Also I noted that it 'feels' like you do more walking/hiking on softer sand here than other places that I have been (Indian Canyons, Big Morongo, municipal trails, etc.). That makes some hikes take slightly longer as I find walking on soft sand to be more strenuous. The preserve is free though $5 donation for parking is asked for (but not insistently - the first few times I went I didn't see the sign asking for the parking fee, didn't pay, and wasn't harassed about it). Also one other tip - the Circle K gas station just up the road (at the corner of Ramon and I think Monterey) always has the absolute cheapest gas, and does not charge you extra for using a credit card. I always make it a point to get gas when I'm leaving after my hike.

This is a pleasant walk. My husband and I spent about an hour walking two miles through an oasis,…read morethen desert, then more oasis. We were amazed by the temperature difference under the palm trees. I almost gave this four stars because it was fairly crowded. We went on a Tuesday, and it was still busy. The parking lot was filled so we had to park on the road. Which may have been a positive because the parking lot was dirt. Definitely not a good choice for a weekend afternoon. On the positive side they do have two porta potties available.

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.

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.

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!

Nice place for a walk and the scenery was great. I will admit I didn't follow all the posts showing…read morethe trail, I ended up walking an extra 2 miles. I'm not complaining though. The walk is well marked, slot canyons and all. I'm glad I did it early morning, used 1.5 liters of water. I'd like to walk it again

This is a great hike that is not very challenging but offers tremendous views of the Coachella…read moreValley and a very different geological perspective from the surrounding area. This hike was 80% sand pathways and 20% maneuvering through the slot canyons with a few switchbacks. I'd recommend this as a must do hike if you're in the area and have 90-120 minutes. It's approximately a 5 mile loop hike.

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.

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.

Easily accessible But can be challenging…read more Make sure you wear the right shoes as the trail is steep. Great views Could be marked a bit better Coming down is actually harder than going up!

Wha a wonderful trail to hike! We found a herd if mountain goats crossing our trail and stopping to…read moreeat dried leaves. They're so close to us and seem comfortable with us taking photo of them. It was worth the hike as it is quite a difficulty level of rocky trail to get to the top. Tip- bring extra water and wear proper hiking shoes! Long and steep trail. Hiking sticks would be great to save some energy too!