My favorite hike in Palm Springs – Araby Trail

Now that it’s finally fall again and a little cooler in the desert, I can hop back on my “work-out” trails here in Palm Springs. My favorite trail starts right behind Vons Supermarket off Highway 111. I refer to it as Araby Trail, but I noticed that the All Trails App calls it Goat Trails. I should mention that the first part of the trail is on private property.

I call it my “work-out” trail as the initial climb is the steepest. The first mile is a challenging up-hill beast (where I usually test out the odd swear word), but the reward – once you get through it – is amazing views of the Coachella Valley.

It’s about 1.2 miles to my first stop:

heart at araby trail

Since the spring someone added the arrow through the heart. When I first discovered the trail, it was just a plain heart.

From here on onward, it always depends on how far I keep walking. Since this is usually an out and back trail for me (you could get off at a different locations as various trails are linking up), I may hike on for another half mile or possibly another two. Always depends on the day and what views I want to see.

The views from up the  mountains are always amazing. You can see all the way to the windmills in North Palm Springs.

Hiking is cleansing for the mind

Being up there feels like I am leaving the city, the traffic, all stress I may have behind. I find that once I am on my way, my mind starts wandering. Not that I need much therapy (well, not more than the average person), the trail is my therapy. I find hiking a mind cleansing activity. Once done, I can tackle any problem that’s in my way. That’s why I so love my weekend hikes. OK, now thinking about it, it may be that shouting out some swear words during the initial ascends may be the cleansing part… But, hey, it works either way!

The trail has moderate traffic, enough to not feel all alone and at the same time it’s not overwhelmed with crowds. You don’t have to constantly dodge other people.

Hike details can be found on my previous post.

If you are in the area and are looking for a bit of a work-out with great views, this is the trail for you. It doesn’t require you to drive far, which is what I like most. It’s always nice to have great trails close by.

Share in the comments if you have a favorite hiking spot.

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18 comments

  1. Hiking is a great way to free the mind! Araby Trail seems like a great hike, have you done the Potato Chip rock hike in San Diego? It’s so steep but very memorable.

  2. Hiking is something I used to love when I was younger. Araby Trail sounds and looks amazing. It really would be the perfect hike. Thanks for sharing the information.

  3. I haven’t been out hiking in Palm Springs aside from going up the tramway and hiking up there. That trail looks great. I will have to check it out.

  4. I love hiking trails. There is just something about them that clear the mind of all negativity. When I hike on my favorite trail, I’m able to just take in all the beauty around me and I forget about everything else!

  5. Hiking is indeed a great way to relax yourself and escape from the worries of your daily life. Love how you called it a therapy (it surely is)

  6. This hiking trail looks amazing! I love the heart photo made of rocks. Hope to visit this soon.

  7. Hiking is my favorite form of exercise. It’s a great way to see the sites and get a workout naturally. I love that random heart you discovered on the trail!

  8. This hike looks incredible! I have done some hiking in nearby Joshua Tree, however I missed out on this region! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  9. This hiking trail looks amazing I’d love to hike it myself one day. I have to agree with you hiking does cleanse the mind, it’d a great time to just reflect and really soak in where you are and not to mention the physical work out you get from them 😀

  10. Hiking is, by far, one of the best things anyone can do. It is great for recharging and escaping from the hustle and bustle of the world, and what a beautiful place you have to go hiking in!