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:

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.