Things to do / Travel Guide
Expect the unexpected - you may think that the landscapes of the California Desert harbor little wildlife, but, upon further review, you'll find that a wonderland of plant and animal life will spread out before your eyes. Most desert flora appears very desolate and sparse as you're passing through. In order to survive the harsh climate, desert plants develop thin spikes (what passes for leaves in these parts), which retain the bare amount of moisture received, and deter predators wary of taking a bite and leaving with a spike impaled in their cheek.
California Desert Flora
Many of these stubborn tough desert plants, like cacti and yucca, sprout flowers annually during brief periods of moisture. From February-June, Death Valley National Park is a great place to see wildflowers. The area in and around Panamint Valley is the best spot to take in dozens of types of multicolored wildflowers, like desert stars, evening primroses, and desert poppies. Throughout most of this area, a quick turn off the road in early springtime will surprise you with tucked away Indian paintbrush flowers clinging to the red rocks against the brisk Mojave Desert wind.
Each year in the springtime Anza-Borrego Desert State Park blooms with a flurry of wildflowers from daisies to goldfields, even at high elevations. Throughout the park, blooming cacti and agave plants dot the desert landscape, providing many great photo and picnic opportunities.
Small mountain streams run through the arroyos (dry creek beds) of the California Desert and form small oasis ecosystems shaded by tall palm trees, a symbol of the region. The soil of the desert itself is actually quite fertile, so, due to irrigation, citrus groves and many crops such as dates and cotton can actually be raised in the area.
California Desert Fauna
The wildlife of the desert is also quite varied and quantitatively numerous. Due to the blazing hot weather, most animals don't typically move around much during the day. These mainly nocturnal animals prefer the “nightlife,” when it's cooler outside and much easier to move around.
A variety of lizards and snakes make the desert their home, and have adapted well to the climate. These tough reptiles cruise the rocks and sand of the desert floor both night and day. Roadrunners (no, not the Looney Toons kind), the swift and ubiquitous speedsters of the American Southwest, are very common in the California Desert. You probably shouldn't get your hopes up of witnessing a dual with their legendary adversaries, coyotes. These desert canines are awfully sneaky and are typically only spotted at nighttime. The howls and late-night baying of these desert hounds make for classic background music of the desert. Other four-legged creatures, like foxes and jackrabbits, make their home in the region as well.
In the oases of the desert, many species of birds are commonly found. The most popular spot in the region for bird watching (by far) is Salton Sea. Considered one of the greatest bird watching spots in the country, Salton Sea is home to over 375 different species of birds that flock there in the cold winter months. In particular, bald eagles are known to make appearances from time to time, as do multitudes of geese and cranes that inhabit the wetlands of the Salton Sea.
Nature Spots in Palm Springs, Death Valley and the California Desert
Nature-Wildlife
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