from Mexico to Canada.
From the top of the
tramway, 54 miles of
hiking, snowshoeing
and cross-country skiing
trails await inside Mt
San Jacinto State Park
(%951-659-2607; http://www.parks.
ca.gov, http://www.msjnha.org)..)
Streams flowing
from the San Jacinto
Mountains sustain a
rich variety of plant life
in the desert canyons
around Palm Springs.
On the outskirts of
downtown PS, take a
hike in Indian Canyons
(%760-323-6018; http://www.
indian-canyons.com; adult/
child $9/5, incl guided hike
$12/7; off South Palm Canyon
Dr; (^) h8am-5pm, Fri-Sun only
Jun-Sep), where sculpted
cliffs overlook fan-palm
oases, or in Tahquitz
Canyon (%760-416-7044;
http://www.tahquitzcanyon.com; 500
W Mesquite Ave; adult/child
$12.50/6; h7:30am-5pm,
last entry 3:30pm, Fri-Sun only
Jul-Sep), featured in Frank
Capra’s 1937 classic film
Lost Horizon.
54 p355
The Drive » Follow stop-and-
go Hwy 111 (E Palm Canyon Dr)
a dozen miles slowly southeast
through the built-up Coachella
Valley to Palm Desert. Past the
turn-off to Hwy 74 (Palms to
Pines Scenic Byway), turn right
onto Portola Dr; head south
just over a mile to the zoo, on
your left.
2 Palm Desert
While glamorous
downtown Palm
Desert is all about the
fashionable shopping
street El Paseo, you
can get back to nature
at the Living Desert
(%760-346-5694; http://www.
livingdesert.org; 47900 Portola
Ave; adult/child $14.25/7.75;
h9am-5pm, last entry 4pm,
Oct-May, 8am-1:30pm, last
entry 1pm, Jun-Sep; c).
This acclaimed zoo and
botanical garden harbors
a variety of desert plants
and animals from North
America (including
bighorn sheep, mountain
lions and birds of prey)
and Africa (gazelles, oryx
and more), accompanied
by exhibits on desert
geology and Native
American culture. Kids
love the walk-through
wildlife hospital and
African-themed village
with a storytelling
grove. Over 1000 acres
of undisturbed desert
surround the zoo, where
dirt hiking trails grant
views of the earthquake-
rattled San Andreas
Fault.
The Drive » Head a mile
south on Portola Dr, continuing
on Mesa View Dr for almost
another mile through a
residential neighborhood. At
Hwy 74 (Palms to Pines Scenic
Byway), turn left and drive about
2.5 miles uphill toward the
mountain peaks. Look for the
BLM visitor center on your left.
3 Santa Rosa & San
Jacinto Mountains
National Monument
Just after the start of
the scenic byway, pull
over at the Santa Rosa &
San Jacinto Mountains
National Monument
BLM Visitor Center
(%760-862-9984; 51-500
Hwy 74; h9am-4pm Thu-Tue
Oct–mid-Jun, 8am-3pm daily
late Jun-Sep; c). Browse
the thoughtful displays
about the history of this
young federal parkland,
established in 2000
with the cooperation of
Native American tribes.
Stretching vertically
from desert canyons
at sea level to the peak
of Mt San Jacinto, the
monument most comes
alive at native fan-palm
oases and beside streams
that trickle through the
mountains. Look for
bighorn sheep ranging
across the craggy desert
here at the northern
edge of the Peninsular
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
v
Big Bear &
Rim of the
World Scenic Byway
From Cabazon, drive I-10
west to join Hwy 38 and
follow this scenic byway
in reverse up to Big Bear
Lake.
x
Palm Springs
& Joshua Tree
Oases
Loop back to Palm
Springs to explore desert
hot springs, date farms
and wildlife havens.
LINK
YOUR
TRIP
SOUTHERN.CALIFORNIA..
34
.PALMS TO PINES SCENIC BYWAY