During the springtime this wash area usually has abundant wildflowers. You leave the wash and climb the mud hill. At the top it opens to a spectacular view of Salton […]

Enjoy strolling the Ed Hastey Garden Walk led by Friends’ volunteer docent. It is a great introduction to learn about native plants and animals that inhabit our desert, and the […]

Orientation for New Volunteers Calling All Nature Lovers & Community Champions! Are you passionate about protecting our beautiful desert landscapes? Do you love hiking, wildlife, or simply giving back to […]

Orientation for Returning Volunteers, Focused on Monument Updates Welcome Back, Volunteers! As we gear up for another amazing season, we’re inviting all returning Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteers to […]

Join members of the Astronomical Society of the Desert for fun “sky tours” and direct observations of the night sky through telescopes and binoculars. This is a family event. Minors […]

Join us for a week of recording observations in the SRSJM National Monument’s desert, foothills and mountains. The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains is a hotspot for biodiversity with […]

Hiking the Randall Henderson Trail makes the ideal place to talk about the Geology of the Coachella Valley. From the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains, we have views of […]

Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]

Grab your hiking poles and join our Friends’ volunteer docent, on the Theilman Trail. This urban hike begins with a few rolling hills, a steep ascent with some switchbacks and […]

This trail meanders through the rolling foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains above Rancho Mirage and Cathedral Canyon. You may see a few wildflowers along the trail. There are many […]

Our Friends’ volunteer docent will take you on a guided hike through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! You will see excellent views of the Coachella Valley […]

Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]

Join a guided hike through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! You will have excellent views of the Coachella Valley and learn some of the local history. […]

Have questions about desert tortoises? Come visit our desert tortoise enclosure and learn about conservation efforts to study and protect our wild desert tortoise population in the Monument. Meet at […]

Learn about our desert through hands-on activities that explore the land, animals, and plants. After completing six challenges, you’ll earn your Junior Ranger Badge! This program is suited for ages […]

Join members of the Astronomical Society of the Desert for fun “sky tours” and direct observations of the night sky through telescopes and binoculars. This is a family event. Minors […]

Not every year in the desert produces a super bloom. So how do the seeds of these beautiful wildflowers survive years of drought as they wait for the combination of […]

Our experienced Friends’ birding volunteer docent will share interesting facts about the Coachella Valley native species and other migratory birds found in the National Monument. We begin the search for […]

Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]

Enjoy this easy hike along the hillside above Araby Wash. Explore the wonders of this critical habitat area to learn about the endangered Casey’s June Beetle and fire ecology in […]

Join our Friends’ volunteer docents for a nature walk in Blixseth Mountain Park. The Park features both native and non-native desert landscape, a wide walking path with benches for observing […]

Our Friends’ volunteer docent will take you on a guided hike through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! You will see excellent views of the Coachella Valley […]

We’re excited to kick off the year by gathering together with our amazing volunteer crew for some good food, great company, and plenty of laughs! Let’s celebrate all that’s ahead […]

Join us on this guided hike in the Mecca Hills Wilderness area and Chuckwalla National Monument. The Mecca Grotto hike is classified as strenuous: 5.75 miles with an elevation gain […]

Enjoy strolling the Ed Hastey Garden Walk led by Friends’ volunteer docent. It is a great introduction to learn about native plants and animals that inhabit our desert, and the […]

Grab your hiking boots and join Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer docents on a full moon hike on the lower portion of the Chuckwalla Trail. You will experience the […]

Join Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer docents on a full moon hike on the Jackrabbit/Bighorn Overlook trail loop. You will experience the views of our desert mountains in the […]

Roll up your sleeves and make a difference with Friends of the Desert Mountains and the City of Palm Desert at a community cleanup you won’t want to miss! We’ll kick things off at […]

As you walk the desert trails, have you noticed the holes and wondered who made them? Explore the Randall Henderson Trail with our volunteer docent leaders to learn the difference […]

Experience a hike by moonlight! See the beauty of the shadows and wash of moonlight over our mountains. We will be looking for all types of night creatures along the […]