• Tortoise Chat

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Birding Walk-About, Desert Willow

    Desert Willow Golf Resort 38-995 Desert Willow Drive, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Birding Walk-About, Desert Willow

    Desert Willow Golf Resort 38-995 Desert Willow Drive, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Long Canyon Trail Hike

    Long Canyon Trailhead XH74+2F, Desert Hot Springs, CA

    This is one of the newest trails to open in the Coachella Valley. The first mile of the trail is in the Sand to Snow Monument. Beginning at mile two […]

  • Nature Walk at Blixseth Park

    Blixseth Mountain Park Mirage Road, Rancho Mirage, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Art Smith Trail Hike

    Randall Henderson Trailhead 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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. […]

  • Randall Henderson Interpretative Hike

    Randall Henderson Trailhead 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Yoga with a Ranger

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

    Free
  • Lecture: Climate Change in the Coachella Valley

    Rancho Mirage Library 71100 CA-111, Rancho Mirage, CA, United States

    Join Friends of the Desert Mountains’ Oscar Ortiz and UC Riverside Center for Conservation Biology for a lecture that will delve into the ongoing climate change crisis, its global impacts, […]

  • Exploring a Mecca Hills Slot-Cave

    Mecca Hills Slot Cave Meeting Point H2RJ+VQP, North Shore, CA, United States

    Join us for a new and exciting hike in the Mecca Hills in the Chuckwalla National Monument. This route takes us through a desert wash rich with striking geology and […]

  • Ed Hastey Garden Walk

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • 11th Annual Wildflower 5K Trail Fun Run/Walk

    La Quinta Cove Trails Parking Lot Calle Tecate & Avenida Bermudas, La Quinta, CA, United States

    Lace up for the Wildflower 5K Trail Run/Walk with Friends of the Desert Mountains, launching at a brand-new venue in La Quinta Cove. The course starts and finishes at the […]

  • Tortoise Chat

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Desert Mountains Art Fair

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    Join us at our monthly Desert Mountains Art Fair! Mediums may include photography, paintings, ceramics, hand painted silks, and more. Support local artists and find beautiful and unique gifts and […]

  • New Volunteer Orientation

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

    Free
  • Returning Volunteer Orientation

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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?- […]

    Free
  • Star Party in the Mountains

    Sawmill Trailhead Parking Lot HGHX+XQG, Pinyon Pines, CA

    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 […]

  • Who Made That Hole? Randall Henderson Interpretative Hike

    Randall Henderson Trailhead 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Tortoise Chat

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Birding Walk-About at the Monument Visitor Center

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Volunteer Appreciation Party

    Friends of the Desert Mountains 51500 California 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    You and a guest are cordially invited to gather with all your fellow volunteers, Friends staff and board members in celebration and appreciation of your many accomplishments during the past […]

  • Kim Nicol Trail Hike

    Kim Nicol Trailhead WH35+8W, Cathedral City, CA, United States

    The trail is named for Kim Nicol, who dedicated her life to protecting endangered species and open spaces in Coachella Valley. The trail is located in the Indio Hills on […]

  • Chuckwalla Trail Hike

    Rancho Mirage City Hall Parking Lot 69825 California 111, Rancho Mirage, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Randall Henderson Interpretative Hike

    Randall Henderson Trailhead 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Mission Creek Preserve to Whitewater Preserve Hike

    Sam’s Club Parking Lot 34220 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    Join us for a special event guided, point-to-point hike from Mission Creek Preserve to Whitewater Preserve. This moderate to moderately strenuous hike covers 6.5 miles with approximately 850 feet of elevation […]

  • Ed Hastey Garden Walk

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Tortoise Chat

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Junior Ranger Day at the National Monument

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

    Free
  • Star Party at the Monument

    Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    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 […]

  • Endangered Animals of the Monument: Randall Henderson Interpretative Hike

    Randall Henderson Trailhead 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA, United States

    Explore the Randall Henderson Trail with a volunteer docent and learn about two of our federally threatened animals and the challenges they face in the ever-changing environment. Both play different, […]