Page 64 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to California

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, top; wild
coyotes, Death Valley National Park, above;
vintage car show during Modernism Week in
Palm Springs, opposite upper; The Palm Springs
Aerial Tramway moves through Chino Canyon
in the San Jacinto Mountains, opposite lower.
INSIDER’S TIP
Escape the desert heat by hiking
TAHQUITZ CANYON just minutes
from downtown Palm Springs. This
short but stunning trail leads to a
40-foot waterfall—a rare sight in
the desert! Arrive early in the
morning for cooler temperatures
and fewer crowds. BONUS: Keep an
eye out for ancient Native American
rock art along the way!
Fabulous winter weather spells nirvana
for hikers, rock-climbers, cyclists and other
outdoorsy folk. Incising the slopes of the
San Jacinto Mountains, the three Indian
Canyons tempt hikers with 30 miles of trails
and picnic sites. Fed by natural springs,
stands of desert fan palms crowd the canyon
floors, providing sheltering oases for kit fox,
bighorn sheep and coyotes. Ancient petro-
glyphs can be seen while hiking Andreas
Canyon and Tahquitz Canyon, with its spec-
tacular 60-foot-tall waterfall.
Cultural Connections
Culture vultures will be delighted to find
that the desert is far from dry. The Native
American Agua Caliente occupied the Palm
Springs region long before Europeans
arrived. The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza,
which opened in 2023, features a museum,
gathering plaza, lush gardens, an immersive
walking trail, and The Spa at Séc-he. History
buffs also delight in the Palm Springs Air
Museum, which features World War II-era
warplanes such as a P-51 Mustang and a B-17
Flying Fortress. The monied elite that pours
into Palm Springs for the winter is a huge
patron of the arts. The late Hollywood star
Kirk Douglas was a major donor to the Palm
Springs Art Museum, one of California’s top
regional art venues. Its plein air, Mesoamer-
ican and contemporary glass collections are
outstanding.
62 2025-26 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
Down valley, more than 150 unique
works of art decorate the streets of Palm
Desert, grouped for four self-guided tours.
Colorful murals grace historic downtown
Indio, painting a big picture of the city’s
past. And visitors can explore the vast Sun-
nylands Estate in Rancho Mirage, where
billionaires Walter and Leonore Annenberg
hosted President Richard Nixon after he
resigned in 1974, and President Ronald
Reagan on a score of New Year’s Eves.
Festivals to Casinos
Palm Springs has festivals to please every
taste. The season kicks off in January with the
Palm Springs International Film Festival,
when Hollywood’s finest hit town. In March,
the world-class Indian Wells Tennis Garden
fills to overflowing for the annual BNP
Paribas Open. And in April, be there or be
square for the Coachella Valley Music & Arts
Festival, hosted in the warm open air
of neighboring Indio. Over 150 performers
across multiple genres take the stage, making
it one of the hottest tickets of the year.
Higher culture? Palm Desert’s McCallum
Theater resounds to laughter and cheers of
delight with a lineup that can range from
Itzhak Perlman to Rosanne Cash and jazz
trumpeter Chris Botti.
Since the valley’s Cahuilla Indian terri-
tory is a sovereign nation, it’s exempt from
California’s state ban on gambling. Try your
hand with Lady Luck at one of the many
casinos in the region. And shopaholics are
in for a treat; Art galleries, haute couturiers
and boutique stores specializing in retro
modernist décor offer a dash of retail
therapy between your spa treatments.
Natural Wonders
Brimming with the glories of nature, the
desert is a paradise for anyone who appre-
ciates stupendous landscapes. The
scenery is far more diverse than you
might imagine, ranging from below sea
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