Explore Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve, California

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Enjoy picnicking, hiking and our rustic visitor Center, the "Palm House." On the northern side of the Coachella Valley, nestled at the feet of the Indio Hills, the Coachella Valley Preserve is "The Old West" just minutes from Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio and other desert cities. Enjoy some of the 20,000+ acres of desert wilderness, wildlife and trails. There are over 25 miles of hiking trails on the Preserve include the following trails: Herman's Hike, Hidden Palms, McCallum Trail, Pushwalla and Horshoe Palms, Willis Palms and Smoke Tree Ranch. Maps are available at the "Palm House" visitor center for a modest donation, or bring your own by downloading at there website. The Preserve contains a rare and fragile habitat type ˗˗ palm woodland oasis and desert wetland. Water from the springs along the San Andreas earthquake fault feed perpetual water features in the form of seeps, creeks, and ponds. A rare resource in the desert, the water feeds the majestic California fan palm which creates a cool and shady respite from the hot summer sun. Wide sweeps of desert wash, dotted with smoke tree and indigo bush, feed into the oasis, and tucked around the oasis lie the rare desert wetlands, lined with arrowweed, willows, cattails, and cottonwoods. There is a Visitors’ Center and a gated parking lot at the hub of the trail system of the Coachella Valley Preserve System in Thousand Palms Canyon. The CNLM Preserve gates are open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from May through September and from 7:00 am to 5:00 p.m. October through April. The parking area at the Visitors’ Center is small, so plan on carpooling or bringing a smaller vehicle. This delightful haven has no user fees, though donations are greatly appreciated.

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