Palm Springs, California
Ranked #2,194 in Travel & Places, #77,448 overall
The Best Sightseeing Destinations in Palm Springs and Coachella Valley, California
The Coachella Valley of California is in a incredible place to plan a relaxing, warm getaway to a reliably sunny area of the west coast. It rains here only a handful of days of the year!
While it may not be directly on the beach, Palm Springs and all of Coachella Valley make up for that in hiking, sightseeing, relaxation, restaurants and pooltime. This arid region of California lies about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, and 150 miles west of Arizona. Here you'll find tips on what to see and do in this incredible desert community of Southern California.
What's Palm Springs Like?
Warm, sunny, dry desert paradise in Southern California
The Palm Springs area lies in the middle of the Mojave Desert of Southern California. The temperature in the winter months usually still stays in the 70s during the day, while night temperatures will be comfortable 50s. Summertime temperatures increase dramatically, peaking above 100 regularly in May, June, July, August, and September. Despite this seemingly hostile summer weather, the air is very dry and managable if you stay hydrated and use sunblock.
Palm Springs night shot by boscco.
Many different cacti line the desert floor, along with dry, colorful brush. The towns in the valley are completely surrounded by the San Jacinto Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains. No matter where you are in the valley, you'll always have a great view of mountains all around you. Natural running water is scarce, but can be seen in the wetter winter months from snow melt and rainfall. Wildlife varies from jack rabbits to coyotes, desert snakes to roadrunners.
Ascending the surrounding mountains around the valley will bring about very different landscapes and wildlife. The temperatures cool greatly in towns like Idyllwild, and offer a wide array of hiking, plant life, and wildlife.
Aerial Shot of Palm Springs Area
To the North...
El Paseo
Can't Stand the Heat??
Palm Canyon, Palm Springs, California, USA
Framed Art Print
Summertime temperatures in the months of June, July, August and September regularly reach over 100. Is this your type of thing?
The San Andreas Fault
Steaklovers Rejoice!
The Palm Springs area has some of the most well known and all around best steakhouses in the country. LG's Steakhouse, The Chop House, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and The Falls are some of the areas most visited. They're all worth a try!
Vegas Isn't Far!
Indian Canyons
Beautiful canyons in the mountainsides of Palm Springs
If there's any one thing that you shouldn't skip in Palm Springs, it's this. The Indian Canyons define the city, and are one of the only naturally occurring areas of palms in the vicinity. Three distinct canyons, Murray, Andreas, and Palm Canyon, cover the area. Andreas is an easy hike, with a year-round river running through the middle. Palm Canyon and Murray Canyon are longer, but afford incredible views of mountains, wildlife, palms, and true desert.
Just one of the Indian Canyons of Palm Springs
Death Valley National Park
A great day trip on your Palm Springs trip!
The weirdness, strangeness, and record-breaking hot temperatures are just a few of the things that Death Valley is known for...but did you know that it has some of the most unique landscapes on the planet? It almost looks like a different planet...
It's a Big State!
Not only is California the third largest state in the country, but it offers a huge variety of scenery and activities. In San Diego, you'll find pristine beaches, cool clubs and fun amusements. Los Angeles has some of the most famous sites in the world, like Hollywood and Santa Monica Pier. To the west, you'll find Coachella Valley and the Inland Empire. To the north lies coastal communities like Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, and Monterey, followed by San Francisco and the Bay Area. To the northeast lies Napa and Sonoma, the famed wine country region. Back on the coastline, Redwoods shoot to the sky. On the Nevada border, you can find Lake Tahoe, which isn't too far from Yosemite National Park. Further south is Death Valley, the hottest place in North America. Each of these sites offer days and days of sightseeing that you'll definitely need a good amount of information for...
California (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Amazon Price: $4.64 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $30.00
Used Price: $0.14
Eyewitness Travel Guides always makes an excellent guide for your vacations. One of the best features is its size, which is just right for traveling. It's also very easy to read on the go, so you won't be wasting your time flipping through the book during your precious vacation time. Highly recommended.
Palm Springs Links
A Greenhouse Cactarium in Moorten's Botanical Garden
Where is it?
Palm Springs is only 100 miles east of Los Angeles, 142 miles north of San Diego, and 4 hours west of Phoenix. It has its own International Airport, or you can fly into LAX or San Diego International Airport and drive there.
East African Crowned Crane, found at the Living Desert Zoo
Tahquitz Canyon
Right in downtown Palm Springs!
It's desert wilderness at its best, and its basically 1/4 mile from the highway...what more could you ask for? Tahquitz Canyon is a long hike to the end, so go early in the morning before the heat sets in and you'll be rewarded with the cool desert oasis waterfall at the end.
Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs, California
Art Print
Palm Springs Timeshares
Come back to Coachella Valley year after year!
Palm Springs Aerial Museum Memorial Day Flower Drop
Palm Springs Postcards
Classic postcards of this Hollywood era California town!
Current Weather in Palm Springs
Chances are, it's sunny right now in Palm Springs!
San Jacinto Mountains
Beautiful photos of Palm Springs surrounding mountains!
I-10
Did you pack your sweatshirt?
If you're heading up the mountains, expect the temperature to drop anywhere from 10-30 degrees! The higher you go, the cooler it will get. Expect snow if you're hiking on some of the taller mountains, along with some muddy conditions after rainfall and during the winter.
California's Small Towns
The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of California
Amazon Price: $0.25 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $40.00
Find the hidden gems waiting for you to find them in the small towns of California. From the vineyard hillsides of the Central coast to the rustic desert towns of the Mojave, the state has an unmatched diversity.
Take a Road Trip Across California!
There's plenty to see in the Golden State...
Guestbook
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wordstock
Nov 23, 2010 @ 10:41 pm | delete
- Great lens, I used to hike Tahquitz Canyon. Well done.
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missbat
Sep 25, 2010 @ 3:33 am | delete
- I always love driving through Palm Springs when I fly down to visit friends in Indio. Such a beautiful place! Great lens!
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prjcollaboration
Apr 2, 2010 @ 10:11 am | delete
- Great charming. Good details and picture to the topic. I love your lens very much. So I right back to your lens.
Thanks for sharing by comment.
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MiaBellezza
Mar 22, 2010 @ 3:44 pm | delete
- I see the weather in Palm Springs is a balmy 82 degrees today!
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desertdarlene
Dec 15, 2009 @ 4:47 pm | delete
- What an excellent lens! I shall add this to my list of favorites.
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QueSea
Jun 28, 2009 @ 8:30 am | delete
- Great job on the lens. I like visiting Palm Springs. It's fabulous in April.
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JoanneOtt
Mar 6, 2009 @ 12:26 am | delete
- Love your lens. Palm Springs is a beautiful place.
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KimGiancaterino Jan 25, 2009 @ 8:47 pm | delete
- Nice job... I love Palm Springs! Welcome to All Things Travel.
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mulberry
Jan 7, 2009 @ 1:02 am | delete
- This is great, if I find my way out there, I'm reviewing this lens before I go!
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mbgphoto
Jan 6, 2009 @ 1:19 pm | delete
- Great lens! I went to Palm Springs for a business meeting a few years back. Great place to hold a winter meeting!
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Palm Desert Timeshares
Stay for a while!
Greetings from Palm Springs, California
Art Print
Wouldn't it be great to go back to Palm Springs year after year?
What People Are Saying on Twitter About Palm Springs Right Now..
What do you think about Palm Springs? Add your Tweet here!
Best of:
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- retweet | reply larrybroughton
- Andreas Hotel & Spa (http://andreashotel.com) named the most pet-friendly hotel in Palm Springs by Animal Fair magazine. Cool, thanks!
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- retweet | reply valuator
- Palm Springs biggest little secret? It doesn't have to be expensive to live here, by any means. LIVE !!! http://www.MyPropertyIsWorth.com
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- retweet | reply PalmSpringsCA
- Today is the last day for Restaurant Week in Palm Springs. It does go down valley for the next 10 days. Great menus in Palm Springs!
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- retweet | reply btindrelunas
- just learned that it takes less than half an hour to fly from Palm Springs to LAX. Details and pix in 25 minutes...
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- retweet | reply nubbins
- After seeing thee pic of the Ace Hotel, I may need to plan another trip to Palm Springs. http://bit.ly/j5ROG
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- retweet | reply jonnyhyman
- I'm in the middle of a golf course at Palm Springs. Having an awesome time.
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- retweet | reply jamesgarland
- Grilin by the pool in Palm Springs. . . can it get any better?
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- retweet | reply HapaNative
- Had a fabulous weekend in Palm Springs. Checked out Shadow Ridge -- nice! Will definitely go back!
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by kiwisoutback
If you haven't been to Palm Springs, it's a cool place to vacation! With deserts, hiking, shopping, museums and restaurants, you may not even have time... more »
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