Indian Canyons: A Palm Tree Oasis in Southern California

Palm Springs, California is a desert oasis in every sense of the word. It is brimming with culture and life. However, when one gets out of town, and heads toward Indian Canyons, one is in for a real treat. Palm trees abound, in various stages of growth, and there is water if one knows where to look. All of the canyons provide a break from the heat of the sun and the dusty desert that surrounds the area. Indian Canyons consists of four different canyons, each with its own attractions.

Palm Canyon is the most popular of the four. It boasts a visitor center, complete with a Trading Post for purchasing souvenirs, food, and refreshments, and a paved footpath. Horseback riding is also available in Palm Canyon. The Palm Canyon Kiosk is a meeting place to arrange hiking tours with knowledgeable tour guides. This 15-mile long canyon offers beautiful scenery in a lush oasis, with contrasts in the rocky gorges that are nearby.

Tahquitz Canyon was once a sad place, defiled by unfeeling tourists and partiers. It has since been cleaned up and a visitor center is being established. Now the canyon is beautiful again, and its nature, sacred to the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, is again visible along the trails.

Andreas Canyon is more secluded than the other two. It offers a wide variety of plants (150 different species) is a short, half mile radius. Rock formations with art from Cahuilla Indians can be seen, and a lovely creek runs through the whole. Picnic tables are provided along the trail, and the canyon is a haven for birders.

Murray Canyon offers the most secluded experience of all the canyons that make Indian Canyons. There are both foot and equestrian trails for those who like either. Endangered species, the peninsula Big Horn Sheep and the Least Bells Vireo bird, both make their homes in Murray Canyon, and can occasionally be spotted. Above the canyon, if you look, you can see wild animals, including wild ponies.

Indian Canyons is easy to find from Palm Springs. All one has to do is head south on Palm Canyon Drive. It is near the airport (head west on Tahquitz Canyon Way until you reach Palm Canyon Drive). Most of the main thoroughfares in Palm Springs hook up in some with Palm Canyon Drive or Tahquitz Canyon Way. A visit to Indian Canyons offers refreshment for body and soul.