Join us for an engaging talk with Tony Quiroz from the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG). He will discuss the history of trails in the Coachella Valley, current trail projects, and the important work CVAG does in our community. This meeting is for volunteers only and space is limited! You must be a current […]

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 trail. Our astronomers will have their telescope set-up to view the night sky. This is a family friendly easy 3-mile loop hike with 150 feet […]

Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer astronomers will be setting up their telescopes and are inviting you to their “star party”. A clear night sky offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects to see — stars, constellations, bright planets, a full moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers or an eclipse. While observing 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 views of our desert mountains in the amazing wash of moonlight and shadows, as well as the urban night lights of the Coachella Valley. This […]

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 amazing wash of moonlight and shadows, as well as the urban night lights of the Coachella Valley. This is a family friendly easy 1-mile hike […]

Carrizo Canyon is open October through December and provides wonderful opportunities to see the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and many other desert critters. You will learn about the geology of the area and a great outdoor experience close to downtown Palm Desert. This trail is in a sandy wash with uneven terrain. As the canyon […]

Dead Indian canyon is only open from October through December and provides wonderful opportunities to see the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and many other desert critters. You will learn about the geology of the area and a great outdoor experience close to downtown Palm Desert. This trail traverses a sandy wash with uneven terrain with […]

Join a National Monument park ranger for an outdoor fun yoga flow for all skill levels. Connect with the landscape through a sequence of physical postures, movements, and breathing techniques that also strengthen your body and mind. Poses commonly mimic Earth, animals and trees. This outdoor activity is routinely performed barefoot.Bring a yoga mat or […]

Strap on your hiking boots for a full moon hike on the first mile of the Indio Badlands Trail. As we embark on this hike, the moonlight casts enchanting shadows on the desert terrain. The sky will be brilliantly lit up for the desert creatures to be scurrying about. This family-friendly adventure offers a manageable […]

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED – ESTE EVENTO HA SIDO CANCELADO A Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer astronomer will be setting up a telescope and is inviting you to a “star party”. A clear night sky offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects to see — stars, constellations, bright planets, a full moon, and sometimes […]

ESTE EVENTO HA SIDO CANCELADO Póngase las botas de montaña para una caminata bajo la luna llena en el sendero Indio Hills. Mientras nos embarcamos en esta caminata, la luz de la luna proyecta sombras encantadoras sobre el terreno desértico. El cielo estará brillantemente iluminado para que las criaturas del desierto puedan corretear. Esta aventura […]

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 little native desert environment surrounded by local trees and shrubs that many of our feathered friends call home. As you walk the perimeter of an […]

Join us for a hike into the Mecca Wilderness in the Chuckwalla National Monument. This hike is classified as easy with 3.5 to 4.5 miles and an elevation gain of over 300 feet. Experience walking along the San Andreas Fault network and see and touch red fault gorge covered hills as we hike through the […]

Show your love and support of public lands by going outdoors and helping with some maintenance around the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center. Help with planting new native plants along with other maintenance.View map/UTM Coordinates for the Visitor Center: 33.67149, -116.40839For more information contact Friends of the Desert Mountains at […]

Carrizo Canyon is open October through December and provides wonderful opportunities to see the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and many other desert critters. You will learn about the geology of the area and a great outdoor experience close to downtown Palm Desert. This trail is in a sandy wash with uneven terrain. As the canyon […]

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 the tortoise enclosure any time between 8:30am – 11:30am. NO RESERVATION REQUIRED. For more information contact Friends of the Desert Mountains 760-568-9918 or the Visitor […]

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 little native desert environment surrounded by local trees and shrubs that many of our feathered friends call home. As you walk the perimeter of an […]

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 this sensitive habitat area. On our return loop, we will wander down into the wash to checkout a few desert plants. Sorry, no dogs allowed […]

Join us for a light-hearted evening benefiting Friends’ wonderful programs and connecting people to the land. Friends & Champions is the annual fundraiser of Friends of the Desert Mountains. In early November, we gather 300+ attendees outdoors at exciting locations to celebrate and honor our “Friends and Champions” – those who inspire our work and […]

Carrizo Canyon is open October through December and provides wonderful opportunities to see the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and many other desert critters. You will learn about the geology of the area and a great outdoor experience close to downtown Palm Desert. This trail is in a sandy wash with uneven terrain. As the canyon […]

Dead Indian canyon is only open from October through December and provides wonderful opportunities to see the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and many other desert critters. You will learn about the geology of the area and a great outdoor experience close to downtown Palm Desert. This trail traverses a sandy wash with uneven terrain with […]

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED VOLUNTEERS! We will be hiking into the Mecca Wilderness in the Chuckwalla National Monument. This hike is classified as easy with 3.5 to 4.5 miles and an elevation gain of over 300 feet. Experience walking along the San Andreas Fault network and see and touch red fault gorge covered hills […]

Join a National Monument park ranger for an outdoor fun yoga flow for all skill levels. Connect with the landscape through a sequence of physical postures, movements, and breathing techniques that also strengthen your body and mind. Poses commonly mimic Earth, animals and trees. This outdoor activity is routinely performed barefoot.Bring a yoga mat or […]

Join us for this interpretative hike up the Bear Creek Wash. This hike is rated as easy with 4 miles round-trip and an elevation gain of approximately 325 feet. The trail winds through a sandy wash with uneven terrain. As the wash narrows there will be some rocks and small boulders to hike around and […]

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 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 the tortoise enclosure any time between 8:30am – 11:30am. NO RESERVATION REQUIRED. For more information contact Friends of the Desert […]

DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED.   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 must be accompanied by parent or guardian. This event is wheelchair accessible with asphalt surfaces. For […]

Carrizo Canyon is open October through December and provides wonderful opportunities to see the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and many other desert critters. You will learn about the geology of the area and a great outdoor experience close to downtown Palm Desert. This trail is in a sandy wash with uneven terrain. As the canyon […]

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 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 the tortoise enclosure any time between 8:30am – 11:30am. NO RESERVATION REQUIRED. For more information contact Friends of the Desert […]

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 our feathered friends in their native desert habitat at the new observation area. Then onto the Ed Hastey Garden Walk (paved) and tortoise habitat areas. […]

During 2021, this area was ravaged by a wildfire. Friends’ volunteer docents will discuss fire ecology and how flora and fauna are reclaiming this area. The forested area was important to the Cahuilla people who lived off the land and more recently played a role in the mining history of the National Monument’s land. This […]