The Ultimate Off-Road Guide to Palm Springs

The city of Palm Springs, CA is best known for being a popular weekend destination that offers amazing weather, breathtaking views, stylish hotels and restaurants, and amazing shops. Since Palm Springs is surrounded by desert, there are also miles and miles of open land perfect for some off-roading. With over 350 days of perfect sunny weather, Palm Springs is slowly becoming a go-to spot for some off-roading adventures. Here is the ultimate off-road guide to Palm Springs, CA.

How to Get There:

Palm Springs, California is a perfect city for an off-road adventure because it lies on the western edge of the Coachella Valley and the Colorado Desert. The dry desert heat makes temperatures rise into the 100’s during the summer making this place a perfect spot for some outdoor fun. The route you will take to Palm Springs will depend on where you are coming from:

Los Angeles, CA to Palm Springs, CA (approximately 2 hrs.)

Get on US-101 S toward Interstate 10 Fwy E/Interstate 5 Fwy S
Keep left at the fork to continue on San Bernardino Fwy, follow signs for San Bernardino/Interstate 10 E
Continue onto I-10 E
Use the right 2 lanes to take exit 111 for CA-111 toward Palm Springs

Phoenix, AZ to Palm Springs, CA (approximately 4 hrs.)

Get on I-10 W toward Los Angeles
Follow I-10 W to Date Palm Dr in Cathedral City
Take exit 126 for Date Palm Dr
Take Vista Chino to E Alejo Rd in Palm Spring

Weather:

If you are looking for a place where it is sunny all the time then Palm Springs is the place for you. Palm Springs has more than 350 days of pure sunshine! This city gets less than 5 inches of rain a year so it rarely rains. During the winter times, the temperature averages in the 70’s in the day time and about mid-40s at night. At Palm Springs, you will never get bad weather for your adventures.

Where to Stay:

Although Palm Springs is a small city by the dessert, it provides a lot of lodging options that accommodate to your style. There are hotel resorts, small hotels, and vacation home/condo rentals that you can reserve depending on what style of lodging you are looking for. If you are more of an outdoorsy person, there are plenty of camping sites around Palm Springs that are perfect for families to camp out and sleep under the stars. Joshua tree, Anza-Borrego State Park, and Lake Cahuilla Recreational Area offer green space and mountain views, making them a great option for an overnight destination.

Insider Tip: If you are camping out, make sure you are prepared with water and a hookup for your RV because many campsites do not offer these necessities. Check with your campsite directly to see what is available.

Off-Road Rentals:

If you do not have an off-road vehicle of your own, there are a variety of off-road rental locations at and around Palm Springs. They provide everything from ATV’s, UTV’s, dune buggy's, and much more. The safety gear is included in most of these rental places so you will not have to worry about bringing anything. Some rental locations near Palm Springs are American ATV Rentals, Steve’s ATV, Ironwood Off-Road Rental, Off-Road Rentals, and ATV Experience.

Things To Do in Palm Springs

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Trails:

If you are ever visiting Palm Springs, you must head to Anza-Borrego Desert for some epic off-road riding. This is California’s largest state park with more than 600,000 acres of badlands, slot canyons, and cactus-scrawled hills. We recommend to hit up these trails in an all-terrain vehicle. Here are some great trails to enjoy in Anza Borrego:

Fonts Point Trail: an easy 7.9 mile out and back trail that offers scenic views and is good for all skill levels. It is an easy sand wash that ends overlooking badland
The Slot Trail: a 2.3 mile heavily trafficked loop trail that features beautiful wildflowers.
Lower Coyote Canyon OHV Trail: an 18.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail that features beautiful wildflowers and is good for all skill levels
Fish Creek Wash OHV Trail: a 25.6 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail that offers the chance to see wildlife

Insider TIp: When out on the trails, look out for over 130 huge metal sculptures along the routes. They are mostly located along Borrego Springs Road but can be easily missed if you drive too fast.

Horseback Riding:

If you want to take a break from off-roading, but still want to explore the outdoors, what better way to experience Palm Springs than on a horse. Step away from the resorts and experience a few quiet hours on over 150 miles of riding trails. Enjoy the solitude of the desert surrounding Palm Springs and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Horseback riding sounds like so much fun and what better place to do it than beautiful Palm Springs.

Insider Tip: Smoke Tree Stables in Palm Springs offers guided horseback rides by the hour or for the entire day. There is a charge for horseback riding so make sure to check out the pricing on their website.

Joshua Tree Trails:

If you drive about an hour up the road, you will get to the Joshua Tree Trails. Joshua Tree overlaps two deserts and is filled with amazing scenery. This area also has a lot of off-road trails you must check out and explore:

Berdoo Canyon: a 24.3 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail that connects Indio Hills to the backside of Joshua Tree National Park. It offers amazing scenic views
Pinkham Canyon OHV Road: a 19 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail that features beautiful wildflowers
Brooklyn Mine OHV Trail: a 10.4 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail that features beautiful wildflowers
Black Eagle Mine OHV Trail: a 24 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail that offers scenic views and large ruts and rocks greater than six inches line this trail near the end.

Insider Tip: If you are at Joshua Tree, a short 0.5-mile trail will get you to Arch Rock, a trail with lots of large rock formations to climb on. This is a perfect spot for amazing photo ops!

Santa Rosa Truck Trail:

About 25 minutes away from Palm Springs, the Santa Rosa Mountain Off-Road Trail is perfect for a family ride. It is a pretty fun trail that takes you up the mountain to a nearby park. The trail is only about 11 miles long so it is not too long. There are benches and grills up there so it is the perfect spot to enjoy a family barbeque before you head back down to Palm Springs.

Casino:

Take a break from off-road riding and enjoy some gambling, good food, and entertainment at a casino. Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley have some of the newest and most beautiful casinos in all of Southern California. There are so many casinos to choose from like the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, Casino Morongo, Fantasy Springs Casino, Agua Caliente Casino and Spotlight 29 Casino. Test your luck and enjoy some fun times gambling before heading out for some off-road riding.

Insider TIp: If you are under the age of 21 and are eager to play some slot machines, head on over to Morongo Casino and Resort where their legal age to gamble at slots/tables is 18 years of age!

Palm Springs Aerial Tram:

No trip to Palm Springs is complete without taking a ride on the epic Aerial Tram! Take a ride 5,873 feet up the San Jacinto Mountains. You will experience firsthand the remarkable change in temperature and scenery from the bottom of the ride all the way to the top. On the desert floor, the temperature can reach up to 120 degrees, but once you reach the top destination, the weather completely changes 30-40 degrees cooler. Once at the mountain top you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the valley and a cocktail lounge with restaurants, gift shops, and observation decks to fully enjoy the view.

Insider Tip: The Aerial Tram charges $25.95 per person.

Conclusion:

The city of Palm Springs is slowly becoming a go-to place for off-roading. With so many off-roading trail locations close by, off-road enthusiasts enjoy the combination of being able to go off-roading and still be able to enjoy other activities like casinos, the aerial tram, and the relaxation of the spa resorts. Palm Springs is the best of both worlds. You must check it out on your next off-road adventure.

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