Hiking
With countless scenery-laced trails of varying difficulty, the Greater Palm Springs area is one of the best places in the United States to hike, bike or mosey around on horseback. Whatever your mode of transportation, you’ll enjoy a ride like no other on any of the Coachella Valley trails and bike paths...
When hiking, always remember to be safe. Travel in groups of two or more people, stay on marked trails, watch out for wildlife, wear proper shoes and clothing, always bring lots of water and sunscreen. Please chck the website below for more info on Palm Spirngs Hiking trails.
VistaPoint
About a five mile drive up Highway 74 in Palm Desert, Vista Point is a small turnout for drivers and a great place to look over the entire Coachella Valley.
Vista Point offers unparalleled views of the Greater Palm Springs Area. On clear days, you can see everything from the San Jacinto Mountains and Palm Springs in the west to the San Gorgonio Mountains and Salton Sea to the east.
Watch breathtaking sunsets, as the sun disappears behind the mountains and the Desert floor comes to life with light. Whenever you go, don’t forget to bring your camera!
Animals 
Bighorn sheeps are native to the area. In the hills above Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and La Quinta, 22 sheeps in 1998 have multiplied to about 90 sheeps today, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife's last count. Best places to spot them are around the base of the numerous mountain ranges surrounding our Valley.
Plants
Agriculture is a major industry in the Coachella Valley, with about 70,000 acres producing $575 million dollars of crops and agriculture products per year. Top crops are citrus, dates, table grapes, melons, lettuce, carrots, broccoli and bell peppers. the Coachella Valley produces virtually all of the dates grown in the U.S
The Cahuilla Indians used 250 of our desert plants for food, medicine, fiber, dyes, tools and building materials.
Geography
The elevation on the valley where you enter at the wind mills is 2,600 feet, Palm Springs is 400 feet, Palm Desert 251 feet, near the Salton Sea -227 feet.
The Salton Sea is 10 miles wide, 34 miles long. At its deepest 51feet, and it is now 40% saltier than the Pacific ocean
There are 124 golf courses in the valley.
ART IN PUBLIC PLACES: Visit, Discover and Experience public art throughout our Desert Cities!
Throughout the Greater Palm Springs Area, you will notice various forms of public art. From statues to murals, the Coachella Valley boasts impressive public art. This art in public places is made possible by the ‘Art In Public Places’ program implemented by most of the cities throughout the Coachella Valley.
In 1986, the city of Palm Desert was the first city in Riverside County to pass a public art ordinance, which requires an art fee to be paid when construction is done. The most notorious place to see public art in Palm Desert, is along El Paseo Drive.
In 1988, the city of Palm Springs established their public arts program which allows for developers to include artwork as part of a project’s aesthetic treatment. If a developer chooses not to include artwork, they must pay a fee that goes toward the public arts fund. As sufficient funds accumulate, the Public Arts Commission carefully considers projects to most effectively utilize these funds.
The city of Indio is famous for its murals, many can be found in and around Old Town Indio.
While not all cities make it mandatory for developers to contribute to public art, the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Indio have an Art In Public Places program.
Additional info on public arts program can be found on the official websites of each participating desert city.
Average Driving Distances & Time Between Desert Cities
Average Driving Distances & Time from Mid Valley to Major Cities
Weather
The Greater Palm Springs Area experiences 350 days of sunshine a year. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the Valley is shielded from most storms on the California coast.
The San Jacinto Mountains, that hug the city of Palm Springs to the west, tower over the Valley at 10,833ft (3,166m) at their peak. These mountains stop most storm clouds from coming over into the Palm Springs Area. The Valley receives an average of less than 5 inches of precipitation annually.
Valley Population
Visitors often refer to this area as Palm Springs.
In fact, the Greater Palm Springs Area is made up of nine cities and unincorporated areas of Riverside County. Besides Palm Springs, this area is frequently referred to as Greater Palm Springs, Palm Springs and Desert Cities, Coachella Valley, Desert Cities, Low Desert, Palm Springs Valley, or simply, The Valley.
The Greater Palm Springs Area are the following 9 cities: Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, & Coachella.
The full time population of the entire Coachella Valley is approximately 450,000 people, including the unincorporated areas. However, over 5 million visitors come to the Valley every year. This makes hospitality and visitors one of the strongest economic drivers of the area.
