Great hikes in the Coachella Valley, California

The Coachella Valley offers a great variety of things to do, one of which is the vast hiking opportunities in this area.

Joshua Tree National Park has many hikes – both in the north part of the park and the south part. We went on some short, accessible hikes such as the Arch Rock hike through beautiful rock piles and the Hidden Valley hike through desert wash with beautiful views of area cacti and striking Joshua Tree forests.

Some longer hikes we took in Joshua Tree National Park included Fortynine Palm Oasis which leads hikers to a remote oasis and Mastadon Peak which offers hikers expansive views of the area.

Painted Canyon is where the unique Ladder Canyon hike is found and this is a fun hike for hikers of all ages. If climbing up and down ladders isn’t for you, then this area also offers some nice level walks along the canyon floors.

Thousand Palms Canyon is in the Coachella Valley Preserve and is a beautiful, somewhat accessible hike to a lush desert oasis. This is only one of many hikes in the Coachella Valley Preserve.

Two popular hikes we did not go to, but have heard good things about are the Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon trails. Both are on reservation land and are a bit expensive for our taste (especially with so much free hiking in the area) – Indian Canyon costs $8/per person and Tahquitz Canyon is accessible only by ranger-led hikes and costs $12.50/per person.

Photos of Ladder Canyon, the Coachella Valley Preserve and the Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center (our post yesterday) have been posted ~ enjoy!