Coachella Valley Preserve
"Where do you want to go today?" "I want to go hiking in the Coachella Valley Preserve[a]!"
The Preserve is located a few miles to the east of Palm Springs, in the Thousand Palms area. Underground fissures - offshoots of the San Andreas faultline - bring water to the surface and, all other factors being present, form oases. The preserve has multiple hiking trails. I went along three of them.
Paul Wilhelm Grove
This grove, which is the center of the Coachella Valley Preserve, was named after the author Paul Wilhelm[b] (1909-1994), who lived there and made sure that the area would be accessible to the public after his death.
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McCallum Trail
Going straight north from the Grove is the McCallum trail, which goes past the Palm House to the McCallum Grove. It is the shortest trail, being approximately 2 miles (roundtrip).
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Smoke Tree Trail
Following the Thousand Palms Road south is the Smoke Tree Trail.
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Pushawalla Trail
Going east-southeast from the Grove is the 6 mile Pushawalla Trail, which goes to the Pushawalla Palms.
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