Trail runs through oasis to cool stone pools

The Stone Pools sit in a narrow canyon
where boulders capture flowing water.

The following article was originally written for and published by the Uken Report.

Day hikers can explore the San Jacinto Mountains backcountry on their way to exotic stone pools in Palm Springs, California.

The segment of the Palm Canyon Trail hike runs 6 miles round trip and gains 880 feet elevation. The trail starts in Indian Canyons, heads through North America's largest oasis, and continues into the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument to the Stone Pools.

To reach the trailhead, in Palm Springs from Calif. Hwy. 111 go south onto South Palm Canyon Drive. In two miles, you’ll reach the Indian Canyons tollgate; there is a fee per adult and a lower rate per child. Shortly after the toll, the road splits; go right to the parking area next to the Trading Post. The trailhead is on the lot’s southeast side.

An exhibit of native dwellings sit near the oasis’ entry. Tawny, mostly barren, foothills rise above the canyon.

Oasis
Stepping into the oasis, you’ll feel like you’re on the set of a Tarzan or Jurassic Park movie. Hundreds of California fan palms nestle around Palm Creek (sometimes referred to as Palm Canyon Creek on maps and in articles), where water runs in winter and spring.

The largest of the fan palms towers 10 stories high and stretches three-feet wide. Some of the palms grow in fun, unique shapes, including one whose trunk has curled like an elephant trunk so its fronds can catch sunlight.

In about a mile, the trail crosses Palm Creek and climbs up the canyon's south side to the ridge.

Once atop the ridge, you've entered the San Jacinto backcountry. Great views looking into nearby canyons and plenty of barrel and cholla cacti await.

At two miles in, the route reaches a jeep trail that follows a wide wash. Go straight-right rather than follow the wash.

The trail fizzles to a faint path at about three miles in. It continues climbing above the canyon on the right, but rather than follow it, stop and look into that canyon. You'll see a narrow trail that descends about 30 feet into it. Take that spur trail.

Stone Pools
The spur ends at the Stone Pools. Boulders and a narrowing gorge trap water flowing downhill and form beautiful pools. The greater the winter snows at the top of the San Jacinto Mountains, the higher the amount of water in the pools.

There's plenty of space to picnic at the pools, so if hiking in the morning bring a basket. Be sure to carry out what you carry in. Do not drink from the creek.

After taking in the sights, retrace your steps back though the oasis to your vehicle.

Except in the oasis, there’s no shade on the trail, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat. Hiking boots and a trekking pole are recommended to keep your balance when ascending the canyon wall.

Indian Canyons opens at 8 a.m. and closes at night, so this is no spot for a dawn hike. A popular trail, it can be crowded on weekends.

TRAIL TOPO MAPS

Click on map for larger version.

Hike heads up mile-long fan palm oasis

The Palm Canyon Trail heads through North America's largest palm oasis.

Palm Canyon Trail topo map. Click for larger version.

The following article originally was written for and published by the Uken Report.

The largest palm oasis in North America awaits day hikers at Palm Springs’ Indian Canyons.

The 2-mile round trip Palm Canyon Trail runs through the historic Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians tribal grounds. While the entire trail stretches for 16 miles, the oasis sits in canyon’s lower end and can be hiked on its own.

To reach the trailhead, in Palm Springs from Calif. Hwy. 111 go south onto South Palm Canyon Drive. In two miles, you’ll reach the Indian Canyons tollgate; there is a fee per adult and a lower rate per child. Shortly after the toll, the road splits; go right to the parking area next to the Trading Post. The trailhead is on the lot’s southeast side.

An exhibit of native dwellings sit near the oasis’ entry. Tawny, mostly barren, foothills rise above the canyon.

Stepping into the oasis, you’ll feel like you’re on the set of a Tarzan or Jurassic Park movie. Hundreds of California fan palms nestle around Palm Creek, where water runs in winter and spring.

The largest of the fan palms towers 10 stories high and stretches three-feet wide. Some of the palms grow in fun, unique shapes, including one whose trunk has curled like an elephant trunk so its fronds can catch sunlight.

Picnic spots
About a quarter mile into the canyon, you’ll come to a junction with a trail that heads southwest up the foothill. Remain in the oasis and continue roughly southeast.

As walking along the creek, look at the boulders for rock mortars, which sometimes are bowl-like shapes and at other times round holes perfect for pegs. For more than 2000 years, the Cahuilla ground fruits, nuts and seeds on these rocks to use as ingredients in their food.

Several areas perfect for picnicking can be found along the stream, so consider bringing a basket lunch to replenish your energy.

In addition to fan palms, several other plants flourish in the oasis. Brittlebush, cottonwoods, globe mallow, lavender, various reeds, and sage all can be found there.

Birds also thrive in the oasis, and you’ll even spot squirrels as well as a few harmless lizards. Given such abundant food sources, rattlesnakes have been spotted there as well, so don’t let any children with you wander.

Victor Loop Trail
As the trail reaches the end of the oasis, it curls north into the open desert. At that point, it becomes part of the Victor Loop Trail. You can follow the unshaded Victor Trail back to the parking lot, but for this outing, we’ll just focus on the oasis, so turn back here.

Alternately, the canyon and trail does head high into the San Jacinto Mountains, but it’s a long and arduous journey (16 miles one way) that requires several hours. Here’s a description of a day hike you can take at the other end of the canyon.

The hike is best done in October through April when temperatures are comfortable. Shade covers most of the trail, though there will be short periods in which the sun breaks through. Carry your own water rather than drink from the creek.

Indian Canyons opens at 8 a.m. and closes at night, so this is no spot for a dawn hike. A popular trail, it can be crowded on weekends. Informative tribal ranger tours are available Friday through Saturday. In the past, the canyon has closed for brief periods following storm damage, so check ahead.

Day trail passes fern wall in desert oasis

California fan palms dominate the Fern Canyon oasis.

Fern Canyon topo map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can head to a palm oasis featuring a weeping wall of maidenhair ferns near Palm Springs.

The 4.3-miles round trip Fern Canyon Trail sits in the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation’s famed Indian Canyons. A fee is required to hike the canyon.

To reach the trailhead, from Calif. Hwy. 111 in Palm Springs, take S. Palm Canyon Drive south into Indian Canyons. The road ends at the Trading Post; use the "additional parking" overflow lot. From there, go to the kiosk in the lot then follow the signs to Fern Canyon; the trailhead is on the lot's north side.

Desert plants
The trail begins in dry, dusty desert as heading up a narrow canyon. The usually dry creek – a tributary to the Palm Canyon Wash – flows out of the foothills to create the canyon. In spring, the canyon can be quite colorful as melting water fosters several blooms.

Among the common desert plants here is the barrel cactus. There are a variety of species, but as their name suggests, they typically are barrel shaped. Look for their brilliant yellow or orange flowers on the barrel's top in April. While tiny, they are tough little plants. In fact, they'll probably outlive you, as they boast a lifespan of 100 years.

The creosote bush also is widespread. An evergreen shrub that can grow up to almost 10 feet high, it often smells like creosote, a preservative used on railroad ties. When the bush's oldest branches die, the crown usually splits with the new one becoming a clone. In fact, the King Clone creosote bush found in nearby Lucerne Valley is one of the Earth’s oldest living organisms, having been around around for an estimated 11,700 years.

Brittlebush is prevalent as well. The common desert shrub usually grows between a foot to five feet in height. Spanish missionaries in California burned its dried sap as incense while cowboys would break off branches to brush their teeth.

Cholla also can be seen. Several varieties of cholla grow across the Southwest, but all have cylindrical stems. The California variety often looks like a miniature saguaro.

About 1.1 miles into the hike, you’ll get a good view of the oasis below. The trail then descends into it.

Palm oasis
Giant, old California fan palms dominate the oasis. The fan palm can grow up to 66 feet tall and 20 feet broad. When the fronds die, they drop and skirt the trunk, offering shelter for many small birds and insects.

To one side of the oasis is a seeping wall with maidenhair ferns hanging down from it. Worldwide, there are 250 varieties of this fern that are well-adapted to growing in a variety of environments, so don’t be surprised if these ferns look a little different than what grows around your home. The one thing that all maidenhairs have common, though, is their fronds have the ability to shed water without becoming wet.

The rock wall usually only seeps in spring. Mid-April is a good time look for the verdant ferns; other times of the year, you'll just see the dried remnants of last spring's bounty.

You can walk on either side of the oasis. Anyplace in between is a great spot for a picnic.

Watch for the western whip-tailed and the leopard lizard, both of which like to nestle inside the dead palm fronds and between rock crevices. Dragonflies also can be seen. Be careful where you step, though, as rattlesnakes have been spotted here.

Plateau
Beyond the oasis, the trail re-enters the dry desert as leading to a plateau. The Cathedral City cove sitting beyond Cathedral Canyon is to the northeast.

When the trail forks, about 2.15 miles in, return the way you came. You can shorten the hike to a 2.6-mile round trip by turning back after exploring the oasis.

Always don sunscreen, sunhat and sunscreen as well as carry plenty of water when taking this trail. While parts of the canyon is lush, much of it is in the open sun. Indian Canyons typically is open 8 am to 4 pm. Be forewarned that sometimes maps refer to Fern Canyon as Wentworth Canyon.

Trail heads up verdant canyon to waterfall

The Murray Canyon Trail includes a few balanced rock crossings of a stream.

Murray Canyon Trail map.
Click for larger version.

Day hikers can head to a waterfall in the San Jacinto Mountains just outside of Palm Springs on the Murray Canyon Trail.

The secluded walk to Seven Sister Falls is a 4.1-mile out-and-back. One of four canyons in the Agua Caliente Indian Canyons, this trail goes deeper and higher into the San Jacintos than the neighboring Andreas Canyon Trail. A great winter hike, it sports a 450-foot elevation gain.

To reach the trailhead, from downtown Palm Springs, take S. Palm Canyon Drive south to Indian Canyons. Once past the entrance station, when the road splits go right/southwest. The road dead ends at the Andreas Canyon Trailhead parking lot. From the lot, walk south into the oasis and veer left/east. The Murray Canyon Trail leaves from the oasis’ southeast side.

The first mile is a footpath in open desert across a sandy wash. Small cacti, scrub brush, and lizards highlight this stretch. Along the way, at 0.4 miles, you’ll reach a trail junction; go right-straight/south.

The trail at 0.8 miles arrives at a thick grove of palms hugging Murray Creek. You’ve reached Murray Canyon proper. Head down a few switchbacks to the creek into the oasis. Shortly after that point, about a mile in, is a junction for the Coffman Trail, a side trail; go right/west to stay on the main route.

This verdant canyon boasts California fan palms, cottonwoods and desert willows, and this shaded canopy and the stream helps cool the desert temperatures. Grasses and flowers – California fuchsia, desert sunflowers, and desert lavender – fill the understory and open spots. Fascinating rock outcroppings rise along the stream and the canyon’s sides. With the sound of running water and chirping songbirds, you’ll think you’re on a tropical island rather than in a desert.

The trail does cross Murray Creek several times, requiring you to balance yourself on rocks. The crossings increase with frequency as the canyon narrows. If the creek is high during the snowmelt, expect to get your feet a little wet.

At 1.6 miles in, the trail comes to another junction; this is the other end of the Coffman Trail. Go right-straight/south. A brief portion of the next stretch of the trail is steep.

Endangered Peninsular Big Horn Sheep as well as mule deer and other wildlife sometimes can be spotted on the cliffs above the canyons, so be sure to look up. This also is an equestrian trail, so hikers should yield to passing horses.

The trail’s destination – Seven Sisters Falls and its pool – arrives at 2.1 miles. Sometimes referred to as Murray Canyon Falls, the waterfall is a stair step cascade. One step falls about 15-20 feet then a pair of falls each plunges about 10-15 feet. The waterfall is seasonal.

After taking in the waterfall, retrace your steps back through the canyon to the parking lot. For some additional scenery, you can take the Coffman Trail, which you gives a slightly elevated view of the canyon below. It adds 0.6 miles to the hike.

With a significant portion of the trail open to the sun, always don sunscreen and sunhat as well as bring plenty of water. Also, be forewarned that rattlesnakes have been spotted on the trail during hot weather.

As part of Indian Canyons, there is an entry fee to hike the trail. It is a popular route in winter, especially during the snowmelt when the waterfall enjoys its heaviest flow, so during that time of the year, get there early in the morning to avoid crowds.