This canyon has lots of hiking trails and is home to a 60-foot-tall waterfall. Tahquitz Canyon is another protected canyon area, also tribal land, located near but not within the Indian Canyons space. There are many hiking trails in the park, and many of those trails take you into multiple canyons. In the same vicinity is Murray Canyon, with a less frequented hiking trail and better opportunities for spotting deer and other wildlife. The Indian Canyons park has a trading post selling souvenirs, Indian art, and other tribal-related items.Īndreas Canyon, another canyon area within the Indian Canyons park, is also worth checking out and is known as a good place to see birds. The canyon is home to a range of hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties. In fact, the canyon is home to the world's largest grove of California fan palms. This 15-mile long canyon, complete with a creek and waterfalls, is lined with large palm trees. The area is part of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation and is a great place for hiking and exploring some beautiful desert scenery.īe sure to start with one of the main areas, Palm Canyon. The Indian Canyons, located at the south end of Palm Springs, is a popular protected nature sanctuary comprised of three unique canyon environments. It's fun to go swimming in Palm Springs in the heat of the desert, then drive to the tram, take it up the mountain and play in the snow, all within an hour.Īddress: One Tram Way, Palm Springs, California From here, 50 miles of hiking trails run through the pine forests of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, including a trail to the summit of Mount San Jacinto (11 miles round trip). At the top, called the Mountain Station, there are observation decks, two restaurants, historical displays, and videos on the construction of the tram. In less than 10 minutes, the tram will take you up Chino Canyon to an elevation of 8,500 feet. During the winter, there is snow at the top. From the top, the view out over the desert is fantastic, and on hot days, the cool air (sometimes 30 to 40 degrees lower than that at the desert floor) can be a refreshing treat. The cars are suspended from cables, like a ski lift, and the cables are strung atop metal towers installed on the mountainside. The tramway, which opened in 1963, has the world's largest rotating aerial tram cars. Standing on the edge of Palm Springs, Mount San Jacinto rises more than 10,000 feet above the desert floor and can be easily accessed with a ride on the scenic tramway.

The city is also crowded in April during the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, held in Indio about 30 minutes from downtown.įor sightseeing ideas, see our list of the top attractions and things to do in Palm Springs.Įscape the heat of the desert with a quick ride into the mountains on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The city is home to a serious lineup of Hollywood celebrities each January during the annual Palm Springs Film Festival, and draws architecture and design fans from around the world during February's Modernism Week. When it's cold in most other parts of North America (approximately November through March), that's the high season for Palm Springs, and the population swells with visitors and snowbirds. You can take your pick from a wide range of activities downtown like shopping dining touring museums or exploring the surrounding desert, mountains, and canyons. Beyond the golf resorts and swimming pools there are still plenty of tourist attractions, things to do, and places to visit.

Known for mid-century modern style, its plethora of championship golf courses, warm weather, and a fun and welcoming vibe, the city, along with several surrounding communities known collectively as the Coachella Valley, is a popular winter destination. The resort city is just a three-hour drive from San Diego and a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, making it popular for weekend getaways. Palm Springs is a vacation destination set in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by four different mountain ranges.

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