When we visited this area, only three canyons were opened, Palm, Murray, and Andreas. Since then, Tahquiz Canyon opened. Each canyon has its own beauty, from rows of tall palm trees to magnificent rocks and flowing streams. You might be lucky and see a big horn sheep.

Our first stop was Palm Canyon. At the opening, you can stop at the trading post for refreshments and a map. Our first glimpse was an awesome view of Palm Trees for miles and miles. The trail is about 15 miles long. Once you walk down the path into the canyon, you are surrounded by palm trees reaching high into the sky.

Andreas Canyon is a great place to sit back and pack a picnic lunch and relax by the stream. It was very unusual hearing water run in the middle of the desert. Our first visit, we found a waterfall as we hiked through the canyon. Our second visit, we had fun looking for that same place.

We did not have much time to spend in Murray Canyon. Maybe we will our next visit.

ADMISSION TO INDIAN CANYONS
Adults $6.00 Seniors (62+) $4.50 Children (6-12) $2.00 Equestrians $10.00 Students & Military $4.50

Open Daily Fall/Winter: 8:00 am, to 5:00 pm Ranger-led hikes are available for an extra $3.00, daily 10:00am to Palm Canyon; 3 miles, easy-moderate. 1:00pm to Andreas Canyon; 1 mile, easy.

We decided upon the Palm Canyons first. At the top of the descent is a trading post, which you can browse through for unique gifts or to delay the hike if you are so inclined. At some point, you check your water supply and if your camera is set, off you go. I usually take a picture of the start (when I am fresh and excited about hiking) and one at the end (when I am barely moving and asking myself why I ever thought I was in shape to do a hike of this difficulty)!

The good news about Palm Canyons is that the first descent is down steep "stairs", and then you can choose to take only the easy (pretty straight) trails rather than steeper trails within the "network" of trails. There are several picture-taking items of note: of course the miles of palm trees, the waterfalls, and other vegetation. You can hike as long as you want, but as I get older, I turn around sooner than later (I think it is billed as 15 miles long, but we have NEVER made it to the end).

After the Palm Canyons we returned to our car and then drove to the fork for the Andreas Canyon and Murray Canyon. However, in looking at the maps and all of the rock ledges (that I remember climbing in the past), we decided to reminisce about the beauty of those canyons and skip the actual hiking.

There is another canyon, the Tahquitz Canyon that has just opened to the public, which we might try next time. See info about the canyons by visiting the following web site: palmsprings.com (has map and other info).

Be sure to bring plenty of water as there is none on the trail. We actually didn't reach the end of our hike,as the heat, even at 9:30 in the morning was just too much. Still, the views and the excercize were great.