Things to do / Travel Guide
What do you get when you mix two huge and world-famous deserts, California's largest lake, a park sharing a name with a U2 album, and some of the U.S.' greatest golf courses? The answer, of course, is the California Desert region. However, if you answered a fantastic region for variegated outdoors fun, we certainly won't take off for it. The two deserts are the Mojave and the Sonoran, the lake is Salton Sea, the park is (of course) Joshua Tree, and the golf courses are those located in that venerable resort cities like Palm Springs and Palm Desert. Between these, all lovers of the outdoors are welcome for some of the hottest, coolest locations at which to hike, bike, climb, kayak, fish, and golf.
Land-based Activities in the California Desert
Right outside Palm Springs, that beautiful mosaic city of the stars, you'll find numerous hiking opportunities within the canyons and up the ridges of the San Jacinto Mountains. Seek out the picturesque Indian Canyons for dozens of miles of hiking and equestrian trails. Another favorite of the area is the Palm Canyon Trail, which accompanies Palm Canyon as it traverses the rough desert mountains.
North of Palm Springs in the two deserts you'll find hiking galore. A favorite in Death Valley is the Golden Canyon, which, you'll be interested to know, is where the Tatooine scenes in Star Wars were filmed. Expect moon-like desert landscapes as far as the eye can see, with rock formations appearing like they just, well, came out of an awesome movie.
A word about these deserts: don't go in August. A nice hike or bike ride in November or December will do nicely, thank you. And always, always, bring lots of water. And don't forget sunscreen (cue song). By the way, 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 Technicolor wildflowers, like desert stars, evening primroses, and desert poppies.
Back down in Joshua Tree National Park, you'll have another good selection of hikes, but where J-Tree really shines is in mountain biking and rock climbing. The park offers some of the West's best when it comes to rocky and unpaved trails, where you can really pull out all the stops for some fantastically-scenic desert riding. There are rides requiring varied levels of expertise, but one of the most popular for all riders is the Black Eagle Mine Road, which carves the rim of Pinto Basin and a number of wide desert arroyos before cutting through the canyons of Eagle Mountain. Another popular ride is Pinkham Canyon Road, for the more expert rider.
When it comes to climbing, J-Tree delivers like almost nowhere else in the country. The multitude of boulders, cracks, and random cliff faces require a great deal of technical climbing, even though most climbs aren't higher than 100 feet. There are more than 4,500 established routes, some of the most challenging of which are in the Wonderland of Rocks and Hidden Valley. Great views abound of the myriad Joshua trees, which are glorified yuccas that can live to be hundreds of years old.
There's more biking in the area of Big Bear Lake. How does this sound? Bike through the San Bernardino Mountains on an unpaved trail that twists around boulders, up sand- and rock-covered climbs. The destination is the Artic Canyon Overlook, for a view that spans all the way through the Mojave Desert far to the east. For the experienced rider in search of a fun challenge, this must be heaven.
Water Activities in the California Desert
Big Bear Lake boasts some other activities you may not want to miss either. You can fish these waters for abundant catfish, trout, and bass, and you can kayak along the lake's coves and bays. The lake is over seven miles long, and with 22 miles of shoreline, so there's plenty to explore. Another great place for these pursuits is the Salton Sea, which will yield prize tilapia when fishing, and awesome kayaking on a sea that's saltier than the oceans. The Salton Sea, just south of the Palm Springs settlements, is bookended north and south by amazingly verdant and picturesque farmland.
North of the Salton Sea you'll find the Palm Springs settlements, which include Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and some others. All these settlements are buttressed-in by plenty of great golf courses, probably some of the best you'll ever see and play on. A true golf aficionado (you know who you are) has nothing less than a personal and cosmic obligation to try these, in any combination, but at least including PGA West - Stadium Course, and La Quinta Hotel Golf Club - Mountain Course. Moreover, with the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the views rock.
The California Desert from Above
Hole in one! You, not the ball! Surprise your friends by parachuting onto the green. There are skydiving opportunities near the Salton Sea and the San Bernardino Mountains, as well as in the areas of the California Desert northeast of Palm Springs. Wear your best khakis!
The California Desert may be called barren, desolate, and so on, but you know the truth! It blooms with things to do, no matter what your preferred means of outdoors fun may be. So, with a bow to U2, the boys who (really didn't) put the Joshua Tree on the map, this is the region to find what you're looking for, in God's country.
Outdoor Recreation in Palm Springs, Death Valley and the California Desert
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
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