Manicured golf courses and tree-lined streets belie the fact that there is very little natural greenery in the Coachella Valley. Notable exceptions are the scenic hikes in Indian Canyons, near Palm Springs. The longest of many hikes on this Native American land is the Palm Canyon Trail, a total of 15 miles. This trail follows Palm Canyon Creek, which may or may not have flowing water depending on the time of year and recent rainfall. Once you pass the tollgate, the second parking area reaches this trail. This is also the parking area that houses the trading post, which offers a nice collection of Native American crafts and gift items, along with restrooms.
The Native Americans here are the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuila Indians, and they’ve lived in the Palm …show more content…
While the rock formations in the area are stunning, along with the barrel cactus, we had been drawn there by the palms, so we filed the West Fork away for future exploration.
One interesting structure along the trail was a presumably authentic Native American dwelling, a short, round, palm-covered low dome, big enough for a sleeping area.
With the palms towering above us, we continued up a moderate incline, following the creek, which due to the recent rains had some flowing water. As rain was threatening and would start to fall before we finished our hike, we were very aware that desert canyons like these are subject to flash floods, and after it started to rain, we decided to start back rather than take a chance, although it turned out that the rain was light and brief.
The canyon is narrow, and the steep canyon walls were strewn with rock formations and cactus. The trail wound through rocky areas as it followed the stream. At one point we had to cross the creek on a series of stones, which, had it rained much harder, would have been covered with running