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Hot mineral water rises beneath the northern edge of the Coachella Valley, and the small city of Desert Hot Springs grew up around it. Sitting on a mesa above Palm Springs along the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas Fault, the town pumps naturally heated, odorless water into dozens of boutique spa motels and resorts.
Homesteader Cabot Yerxa found both hot and cold springs here in the 1910s, and the hand-built adobe pueblo he later raised is now the city's best-loved museum. Mid-century motels from the 1940s and 1950s have been reborn as quiet spa retreats, and the open desert views reach across the valley to the snowcapped San Jacinto Mountains.
Beyond the pools, Mission Creek Preserve and Big Morongo Canyon Preserve offer canyon hikes and excellent birding, while the giant wind turbines of the San Gorgonio Pass spin just to the west. Joshua Tree National Park is roughly 45 minutes away by car.
A rambling four-story Hopi-style pueblo that homesteader Cabot Yerxa built by hand from salvaged materials starting in 1941. Guided tours wind through 35 rooms filled with his art, Native American artifacts and desert curios. Tours are timed and small, so book ahead in high season.
A secluded adults-only resort built around a natural hot spring oasis, with a grotto pool fed by mineral water and shaded by old palms. Day passes are sometimes offered for the pools, mud bath and spa treatments. Reserve ahead, as numbers are limited to keep it quiet.
A restored 1950s motel with a handful of minimalist rooms set around three mineral pools of different temperatures, a classic example of the town's boutique spa scene. Evenings under the stars are the highlight. It is small and books out quickly on winter weekends.
A Wildlands Conservancy preserve on the north side of town where a spring-fed creek runs through a desert canyon on the edge of the Sand to Snow National Monument. Trails follow the wash past old stone ranch cabins. Carry plenty of water and start early outside winter.
One of the largest cottonwood and willow oases in the California desert, a short drive up Highway 62 in Morongo Valley. Boardwalks cross the marsh, and more than 240 bird species have been recorded, including vermilion flycatchers. Spring mornings are best for birders.
The visitor center of the Coachella Valley Preserve sits in a lush grove of native California fan palms fed by springs along the San Andreas Fault, just across Interstate 10. Easy trails lead to more oases and sand dunes. The preserve is free; summer hours are reduced.
Thousands of wind turbines line the windy San Gorgonio Pass west of town, one of the first large wind farms in the United States. They are especially striking at sunset from Indian Canyon Drive and Highway 62. Watch for strong gusts when driving high-profile vehicles.
A Robert Trent Jones Jr. course laid out among natural sand dunes, mesquite and smoke trees, with mountain views from nearly every hole and fewer crowds than the resort courses down valley. Wind can pick up in the afternoon, so morning tee times are usually calmer.
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California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
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Photo: BookOfDisquiet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: BookOfDisquiet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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