A recommended desert day hike near Palm Springs, California, is La Quinta Cove to Lake Cahuilla.
- 10km return
- 266m elevation gain
- hike year round — but be wary of heat emergencies
- dogs not allowed
- no bicycles
- close to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival venue
The trail is often noted for its quiet feel and beautiful scenery.
The trail surface is loose sand and gravel, so wearing good hiking shoes is recommended.
Most do this as an out and back.
As I was staying in La Quinta, I opted to get dropped at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park ➙ and walk home.
Bleak Lake Cahuilla is interesting. But I actually couldn’t see it from anywhere on the trail. There is an entrance fee to get into this Regional Park.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Quite quickly from the lake start you climb above a couple of golf holes.
One surprise highlight is this wild horse sculpture en route.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Hot and dry. As you might expect. I did go later in the afternoon. Got some shade on the second half of the walk.
I saw one lizard. Some interesting vegetation …
… None of the bighorn sheep that are resident in the area.
Looks to me Lake Cahuilla Park to La Quinta Cove is the most interesting of a number of similar short day hikes in the area.
besthike.com 