Join Friends volunteers on our INAUGURAL hike in Joshua Tree National Park at its Southern Entrance. On this hike we will walk through the lush green zone of desert fan […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The flowers are very happy to show off their blooms thanks to the rains. Enjoy learning about our desert spring wildflowers, how to identify the various blooms and interesting facts. […]

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 […]

DUE TO RAIN AND WET, SLIPPERY TRAILS – THIS HIKE HAS BEEN CANCELLED. This trail meanders through the rolling foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains above Rancho Mirage and Cathedral […]

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 us for this STRENUOUS hike to Red Hill Vista in the Chuckwalla National Monument. The hike is a 4-mile loop with an elevation gain of 550 feet. Please read […]

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 […]

Fun for the entire family to explore the Bear Creek Wash searching for wildflowers. Thanks to all the recent rains in December the wildflowers are happy to show off this […]

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. Also, great […]

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 your community? Friends of […]

Welcome Back, Volunteers! As we gear up for another amazing season, we’re inviting all returning Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteers to join us for a mandatory orientation session.Why Attend?- […]

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 […]

The flowers are very happy to show off their blooms thanks to the rains. Enjoy learning about our desert spring wildflowers, how to identify the various blooms and interesting facts. […]

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED. 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 […]

J. Smeaton Chase, an Englishman is credited with naming the Araby Trail. The hike begins with a continuous switchback ascent uphill. The trail climbs to the ridge, you will see […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

Join us for a MODERATELY STRENUOUS hike to Pushawalla Palms Oasis. The hike begins in a sandy wash that quickly transitions to a series of steep ridge climbs. Along the […]

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 […]

Dennis Mammana is author of six books on astronomy and the “Stargazer” nationally syndicated newspaper column. He has held planetarium positions at the Smithsonian Institute and San Diego’s Reuben H. […]