Colorful Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve sits on the northern edge of the Coachella Valley in the Indio Hills, just a few minutes away from Palm Springs.

Wildflowers

A couple of weekends ago I ventured out to look for the first signs of wildflowers.

I wasn’t disappointed. When I arrived I stopped at the ranger station and asked the ranger what would be a good trail to hike on this marvelous day (a good question to ask any ranger in any park at any given time). I am still thankful to him for pointing me to the wildflowers.

The desert is usually brownish and a dirty faded yellow, so I truly enjoyed the beautiful colors during this visit.

I stopped and enjoyed the marvelous colors and took in the beauty of the desert. I sat down on a rock and just breathed slowly. I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time.

Hiking in Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve has about 30 miles of hiking trails. There is a short boardwalk close to the ranger station for those less able to hike longer distances.

Take the McCallum Trail to the McCallum Grove to check out the pond. Then continue on the Moon County Trail to the Vista Point. The trail continues on, but I turned around here and ended up with about a 3-mile hike.

Looking at the trail map, I need to get back soon. Since Whitewater Preserve is still closed after the heavy rainfall in February that took out the road to the preserve, Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve is a great alternative.

The staff at the preserve offers guided hikes throughout the year offering insights into native plants and birds.

I am so grateful that I live in such a naturally diverse area. My “backyard” (as I like to call the areas around Los Angeles and Palm Springs) is a delightful marvel of nature.

Leave No Trace

We should never take our environment for granted and look after it like we look after ourselves, our families and friends! So, please as you go out hiking to look for wildflowers, always stay on the trails. Follow the Leave no Trace principles:

• pack in, pack it out (take your waste back with you)
• stay on the trails
• leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you find them
• respect wildlife (don’t feed, don’t approach)

This post was mostly inspired by the beauty of nature and a little bit by Nancy Merril’s Photo a week challenge: Colorful, the Friendly Friday Photo Challenge: Climate Change, and Lens Artists Challenge #36: Around the Neighborhood.