"Coachella Valley Preserve" Top 5 Page for this destination Palm Desert Things to Do Tip by nyc10025

This preserve in Thousand Palms is not very well publicized but is well worth a visit. The preserve has a one mile walking trail (fairly easy walk but has some soft sand and some wet areas so wear appropriate shoes). The trail starts at the Thousand Palms Oasis which has hundreds of closely packed large Desert Fan Palms (60 feet high with leaves over 6 feet wide). These palms have been providing food and shelter since before the last ice age. The water from this oasis and those nearby came from the San Andreas Fault which you walk across on the trail. The Fault causes underground dams that bring the water to the desert surface. At the end of the trail is a grove with a small pond surrounded by more palms. Right behind the grove are large sand dunes.

Directions: Take Montery Avenue away from Palm Desert, after passing Interstate 10, turn right on Ramon Road to Thousand Palms Canyon Rd. and make left turn (you can only go left). Look for Coachella Valley Preserve sign on Ramon Rd.