Forested trails near Palm Desert? (Palm Springs, San Jacinto: parking, tree, park)

[Topaz]

I am visiting Palm Desert in January. Are there any beginner level forested walking trails within an hour's drive? Something that looks more like the Pacific Northwest than a desert?

[GSR13]

Up the 74 and over to Idyllwild. Should be about an hour's drive and looks like a smaller version of Yosemite.

Idyllwild CA

[UEHelp]

There's also the Palm Springs Tram that takes you to the top of San Jacinto (the main peak in Idyllwild). Lots of good hikes on the top and you can get a drink or bite too!

[GSR13]

Originally Posted by UEHelp

There's also the Palm Springs Tram that takes you to the top of San Jacinto (the main peak in Idyllwild). Lots of good hikes on the top and you can get a drink or bite too!

A great alternative. I was going to suggest this in case of inclement weather (you don't have to worry about driving in snow as the tram parking lot is at about 2,000 feet). And the tram ride is spectacular.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by UEHelp

There's also the Palm Springs Tram that takes you to the top of San Jacinto (the main peak in Idyllwild). Lots of good hikes on the top and you can get a drink or bite too!

Great suggestion. This is really a must see if you are a first time visitor to Palm Springs. You start off in the desert and end up in a mountain wonderland. There are some very easy hiking trails right from the visitor's center at the top of the tram, or you can try something a little longer. Highly recommended! (It can be significantly cooler at the top of the tram than down in the desert, so be sure to check out the weather forecast).

Here are two links that will give you more information:

https://www.pstramway.com/

https://www.pstramway.com/hiking/


(If you don't want to take the tram, you can also drive up to Idyllwild or Big Bear for the day; both are very different than the desert)



Although it's not exactly "forested" in the sense you mean, I'd also suggest heading over to Joshua Tree National Park. Much of the park is "high desert" so it has a different feel than Palm Desert. The "forest" there are the amazingly weird Joshua trees, which only grow in a relatively small part of the world. There are many terrific hikes in Joshua Tree National Park, and it is just gorgeous. It's about an hour from Palm Desert, depending on the route you take (going through the Joshua Tree (town) entrance gets you into the mountains quicker).

A link for Joshua Tree?

https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

^^We used to go cross-country skiing from the trails off the tram...don’t know if there is enough/any snow there nowadays to be able to do that.

[GSR13]

There was absolutely NO SNOW anywhere on Mt. San Jacinto when I drove by it on Christmas Eve. Very, very strange to see.

As most people familiar with the area know, there's usually snow to be seen in JUNE.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Originally Posted by GSR13

There was absolutely NO SNOW anywhere on Mt. San Jacinto when I drove by it on Christmas Eve. Very, very strange to see.

As most people familiar with the area know, there's usually snow to be seen in JUNE.

Yep, I remember that, & a beautiful sight it was. Wow.

[AFtrEFkt]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Although it's not exactly "forested" in the sense you mean, I'd also suggest heading over to Joshua Tree National Park. Much of the park is "high desert" so it has a different feel than Palm Desert. The "forest" there are the amazingly weird Joshua trees, which only grow in a relatively small part of the world. There are many terrific hikes in Joshua Tree National Park, and it is just gorgeous. It's about an hour from Palm Desert, depending on the route you take (going through the Joshua Tree (town) entrance gets you into the mountains quicker).

To be fair, while Joshua Tree National Monument is a stunning place, it is not "near" Palm Desert. It's a good 90-120 minute drive, give or take, from the Palm Springs area. The longer way, the one more often travelled, is up the 62 which takes you first through Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley.

For what the OP is asking, they're better off hitting the Tramway or cruising up Highway 74 till they see a spot that suits them.

[forzalugano]

The famous Pacific Trail at highway 74 in Mountain Center is 30 min from Bighorn in Palm Desert.