Things to Do in Palm Springs, CA-Great Outdoors

THINGS TO DO IN PALM SPRINGS -THE CALIFORNIA DESERT

Things to Do in Palm Springs, CA-Great Outdoors

Things to Do in Palm Springs, CA-Great Outdoors

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Things to Do in Palm Springs, CA-Great Outdoors

Things to Do in Palm Springs, CA-Great Outdoors

Palm Springs Desert Resorts, CA-Tucked away in the folds of the San Jacinto Mountains and foothills of Joshua Tree National Park, nearby, yet worlds away from any city, one can find quiet beauty and enchantMent in canyons that were once the summer home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Nearly 9.000 feet atop Mount San Jacinto itself, a towering national monuMent that keeps a Watchful eye over the village of Palm Springs that lies along its base, more than 50 miles of hiking trails await the adventurous, in the midst of an evergreen forest and temperatures averaging 30 degrees less than the desert below.

These are but a few of the outdoor journeys one can find in California's greatcountry, where exploring the natural beauty, history, and geology of this heavenly paradise gives visitors good reason to return, again and again.

If hiking is to one's liking, Palm Springs, Indian Canyons are a great place to start. Owned and operated by the descendants of early Native American settlers, Indian Canyons includes Palm, Andreas, Murray and Canyons, which are open to the public for hiking, picnicking, horseback riding, and exploring. About one mile from Indian Canyons lies a fourth desert gem: the sacred Tahquitz Canyon, which provides guided tours deep into the crevices of Mount San Jacinto where one will find a cascading waterfall that served as "Shangri-La" in Frank Capra's 1937 film Lost Horizon.

Several of the gorges still contain evidence of earlynative inhabitants, including bedrock grinding tools and pictographs etched on rock walls in isolated areas. The canyons are also home to the official plant of Palm Springs, the Washingtonia filifera palms, found only in Arizona and Southern California.

If off-roading is your style, the desert offers tours to outlying areas in California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's favorite mode of transportation: The Hummer.

Outdoor Activities/California Desert

Custom hiking and nature walks into Joshua Tree National Park, Borrego Springs, Indian Canyons, The Big Morongo Preserve and all other points of interest in the Coachella Valley. Over 200 miles of hiking trials in Coachella Valley's scenic mountain backdrop covering 272.000 acres from sealevel to 10.834 feet atop Mt. San Jacinto.

To experience a desert sunrise or bask in the wonder of its brilliant star and moonlit nights, climb aboard one of Desert Adventures ' famous red jeeps, the desert's original eco-tour which also operates a 1.000 acre private preserve on the San Andreas Fault.

Two favorite tours are offered during warmer summer months: the Cool Morning San Andreas Fault Adventure, which gives a first hand look at the world famous San Andreas Fault Line, as well as the flora, fauna, and natural wonders of the Colorado-Sonoran desert. For night owls, the Cool Night Watch Adventure provides guests the best of both worlds, beginning with an exploration of the desert at dusk turning to a nocturnal voyage among surreal shadows and darkness on acooling desert landscape. Guides bring halogen lamps to light up the canyon walls and the occasional desert animal.

There are also on or off-road biking tours with local companies like Big Wheel Tours and high off-road adventures (hot-Air ballooning) with Fantasy Balloon Flights. Special flights include champagne or group discounts.

Things to Do in Palm Springs, CA-Great Outdoors