The
"Indian Canyons" are a must visit during any trip to Palm
Springs. These canyons are located just south of
town. From the 111 (called Palm Canyon Drive) take the South Palm Canyon
drive to the toll both - if you are driving south on Palm Canyon drive,
South Palm Canyon drive will just veer off to the right side of the road.
The toll booth is about 3 miles from where South Palm Canyon drive
leaves the 111. Once at the toll booth you will pay $8 per adult and you will be
given a brochure about the canyons as well as a very detailed Trail
Guide. The views and canyons are highly
worth the $8. Seniors over 62 years of age are $6.00,
children between the ages of 6 and 12 are $4.00, Equestrians are $10.00,
and students and military are charged $6.00. The canyons are open daily
in the Fall and Winter from 8 AM to 5 PM. The hours in the Spring and
Summer are from 8 AM to 6 PM. PHONE NUMBER: (760) 323-6018. You need to
be in your car and driving away by closing time - so keep a close eye on
your watch if its getting late in the day.
There is also a trading post at Palm Canyon. They sell Indian art,
artifacts, books, jewelry, pottery, baskets, and weavings. You can also
arrange hiking tours here with guides which are between $2 and $3 per
person. Desert Safari Tour Guides & Outfitters provide desert safaris in
the Indian Canyons. Their PHONE NUMBER is
888-TO SAFARI or visit their website:
www.desertsafari.com . These safaris last about half a day and are 5 to 6 miles
of walking on easy to moderate terrain. There are 5 safaris offered.
They leave at 8:15 AM. They are: 1) the Fern Grotto (view cactus,
springs, and ferns), 2) the Stone Pools (walk along a trail in Palm
Canyon and view a waterfall, cactus and possible wild cattle), 3) Murray
Canyon (view the desert, palm groves, and a overlook of Palm Springs),
4) a Full Moon Hike (only conducted a few nights each month, located
away from the reservation), and lastly 5) Painted Canyon (view a canyon
where the sun never shines, the San Andreas Fault and a slide down a dry
waterfall, again this location is not on the reservation, transportation
is required). There are also short tours given and they leave every
hour.
 |
|
The canyons are on the
Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indian reservation.
Hundreds of years ago the ancestors of the Agua Caliente Cahuilla
Indians settled in this area. There was enough water from the canyons to
grow crops such as melons, squash, beans, and corn. Rock art can still
be seen in some of the canyons. Also visible are house pits,
foundations, irrigation ditches, reservoirs and trails. In 1876 the U.S.
Government granted the Indians 32,000 acres.
There are three main canyons on the reservation. |
|
Part of the 7 sisters waterfall at the end of the Murray Canyon hike |
|
Palm Canyon is 15 miles
long. Palm Canyon has the most palm trees in a canyon anywhere in the
world. Andreas canyon has the second most, while Murray canyon has the
fourth most.
More information about these awesome canyons is available
here:
www.indian-canyons.com
Our group hiked up Murray Canyon. For a nice easy scenic hike
with not too many people on the trail, this is the hike for you. The
author has hiked this trail several times in different months. To get to
this hike, you need to enter the main entrance at the toll booth. Then
drive in on the paved road and at the first junction you will see a sign
for Palm Canyon and then Andreas Canyon/Murray Canyon. Veer to the right
towards Andreas/Palm Canyons. You will arrive at a parking lot - as you
drive in and face the end of the parking lot, the trail for Murray
Canyon leads off from your left side - there is actually a small dirt
road that leads to another parking lot down on the left side - the main
Murray Canyon trail leads from this.
The temperature was in the low 80's
and after hiking for a short distance most of the group had to remove
layers of clothing. We hiked for a short distance through the desert and
then entered the start of the canyon. We went from the desert to a palm
oasis that winded its way up the canyon. There were palm trees
everywhere, some even growing right in the middle of the creek. These
palms (Washingtonia filifera) are the only palms native to California.
We hiked about 2.5 miles along a trail that for the most part was in the
shade of the palms. The trail crossed from one side of the creek to the
other several times. The creek was not very wide so there was no need to get wet when
crossing. The trail ended at a small pond which was at the bottom of a
waterfall. From there some of us climbed up the side of the canyon to
the top. Once at the top we had spectacular views of the desert and of
Palm Springs in the distance. Update: since this
hike was originally taken by Dave, there are now signs at the 7-sister's
waterfall forbidding you from climbing up the rocks behind the
waterfall. The rocks behind and around the waterfall are quite steep and
it is easy to slip on them.
Palm Canyon is much different than Murray Canyon. Its more
popular with tourists and it starts off as a much wider canyon whereas
Murray Canyon is a pretty narrow canyon all the way to the end. Palm
Canyon is also 15 miles long. It is located at the end of the road -
this is where the Trading Post is located. You can pick up ice cream,
drinks and souvenirs here. There are two parking lots - one an overflow
one located before you get to the main lot. The road here is narrow and
very windy - it is a two-way road so use caution when driving this. The
trail to Palm Canyon leads off from the Trading Post, down several
switchbacks to the canyon. Only the first part of this trail is steep,
once you arrive at the bottom of the canyon you are on the flats,
immediately surrounded by hundreds of Palm Trees. However you can choose
from a variety of much longer hiking trails once you are in Palm Canyon
- consult the trail guide for more info.
When you visit Palm Canyon, see if you can find the bent over Palm as
shown in the picture below!
|
