Things to do in

Palm Desert

Board your open-air Jeep and embark upon a scenic and informative exploration of the stunning landscape of an active earthquake zone where you will travel across private property only accessible by 4WD and only open for this specific tour. This exciting 4WD adventure to the private Metate Ranch reserve on the San Andreas fault line is a once in a lifetime experience for any visitor to the Coachella Valley. Discover the unique geography of this tortured landscape as you explore the skeleton of the earth. Visit a natural oasis and uncover the mysteries of the hardy plants and animals carving out an existence in the dry barren landscape.  Learn about the culture and lifestyle of the Cahuilla Indians and how they used the desert’s plants for food, medicine, tools, weapons, shelter, and more. You will have an opportunity to walk among the stone corridors and sheer granite walls of ancient canyons as you learn the fascinating history the primal forces that shaped the valleys and surrounding landscape and the people that called this place home for millennia.

The Palm Springs windmill self-driving tour is an interactive, educational, and fun tour for friends and family. This tour will guide you along with an audio program with clearly marked destinations throughout the first commercial wind farm in Southern California. Take a journey through 10 marked stops, starting with a display yard of non-operating wind turbines. Learn about the successes and failures and visit a real generating wind turbine, where you can get up close and take pictures. Continue to a solar farm and end the tour with a stop at the old gas plant.

Riders will be treated to a geological extravaganza on this 20-mile (32 km) tour, descending through the heart of the San Andreas Fault zone on a paved road towards the center of grape country near Mecca. There are no cross roads, no turns, and very little traffic which makes this a relaxing sightseeing adventure. Riders will see the stark beauty of the desert as they descend a total of 1200 feet over the route. The course takes riders from the transition zone between the Colorado and Mojave Desert, winds its way through the narrow canyon walls of Box Canyon and finishes with spectacular views of the Salton Sea, Mt. San Jacinto, the All-American Canal, and the agriculture of the eastern Coachella Valley. The tour finishes with a visit to the Oasis Date Gardens for a delicious date shake and restroom break. Check out California's beautiful nature on this exciting downhill biking tour.

Begin your incredible journey in a 4WD as your tour guide takes you into the lush palm oasis of the magnificent Indian Canyons of Palm Springs. Visit the historical home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Learn about the history, culture, legends, and stories of the Cahuilla people. Along the way, discover Rincon Village and the Cahuilla’s amazing understanding and usage of desert plants.  Embark on a guided 1-mile hike on a peaceful trail up Andreas Canyon that winds along a beautiful stream of cascading waters shaded by a canopy of California Fan Palms. Discover ancient bedrock mortars and an array of desert flora. Once you reach the top of the trail, enjoy a breathtaking view of the steep cliff walls on the opposite side. Enjoy a short walk to a hidden water cave where the water flows most of the year. At the end of your adventure, relax, refresh, and shop for unique gifts and souvenirs at the Indian Trading Post which features Indian art and artifacts, books, jewelry, pottery, baskets, weavings, and more.

Discover the historic resort town of Palm Springs and the natural beauty of its surroundings. Experience an adventurous activity that combines biking through the city to Indian Canyons, where you’ll stop to explore the nature preserve on foot. Meet at the local partner’s bike shop to get fitted for your bike and listen to a short safety briefing. Set off from the heart of Palm Springs and pedal through and some of its historic neighborhoods. Admire the views as you bike towards Indian Canyons. Arrive at the entrance to the natural preserve, the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Enjoy a short climb to Andreas Canyon trailhead, and hike through the desert canyon. Pass incredible rock formations, cross streams, and look out for wildlife. Follow the trail back to your bikes and ride back to the heart of Palm Springs. Listen as your guide shares the history of this region, and explains how the modern city of Palm Springs was founded.