Explore Must-See Attractions in Coachella Valley and Colorado Desert

Palm Springs is surrounded by desert. In a single day, you can tour parts of the Colorado Desert and the Coachella Valley.

Fan Palm Oasis

This palm oasis is found almost exclusively in the Colorado Desert, where the San Andreas Fault fractures underground rock formations, allowing water to seep to the surface. Mostly located along the east side of the Coachella Valley, these oases have provided shelter for humans for millennia. However, only about 35 to 40 of them remain today. One of the easiest to visit is 1,000 Palms Canyon in the Coachella Valley Preserve.

Homesteader’s Cabin

In 1938, the Bureau of Land Management decided to unload approximately 1,800 acres of the Colorado Desert, considering it “disposable.” The Small Tract Act of 1938 facilitated this action by granting free land to anyone willing to inhabit the barren landscape. Consequently, to claim five acres, one had to build a structure no less than 12 by 16 feet within three years of filing their claim and pay a nominal fee. This little building is one of many that still dot the desert landscape.

Shields Date Garden

Shields Date Garden, one of the few remaining date orchards offering its products for sale on-site, is famous not only for its dates but also for a short film created in the 1920s called “Romance & Sex Life of the Date.” This film was developed by owner Floyd Shields to educate customers about date culture. Today, visitors can shop for a variety of dates, including Shields’ exclusive hybrids, or enjoy a “date shake,” a milkshake infused with date sugar. The garden is conveniently located at 80225 US Highway 111 in Indio.

Growing Dates

The native palms in the Colorado Desert, California fan palms, led early settlers in the 1890s to believe that date palms would also thrive in this environment. Today, numerous varieties of dates imported from Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Iraq flourish across over 7,000 acres just south of Palm Springs. Each harvest season, from September through December, approximately 35 to 40 million pounds of dates (worth over $300 million) are harvested, with the Coachella Valley producing 90% of all dates grown in the U.S.

Date palms can live for up to 200 years; however, optimal harvests occur for about 55 to 60 years. Therefore, in August, growers cover ripening dates with protective bags to shield them from birds and insects, and to catch ripe fruits that may fall before harvest.

Date Festival

The Date Festival, held in February after the end of the date harvest, combines elements of both a county fair and an Arabian Nights fantasy. Notably, the festival includes a pageant crowning a local beauty queen, “Queen Scheherazade.” Moreover, attendees can explore an impressive variety of dates and sample date-flavored milkshakes while enjoying attractions throughout the event.Find more information about the Date Festival here.

Salton Sea

The Salton Sea, measuring 45 miles long and 25 miles wide, is one of the largest inland seas globally. Remarkably, it’s positioned 227 feet below sea level, making it one of the lowest spots on Earth. Additionally, it lies on the Pacific Flyway, drawing over 400 species of migratory birds, which visit between October and January.

To learn more about how the Salton Sea came into existence and how to experience its beauty firsthand, explore reputable resources related to the Salton Sea.

Salvation Mountain

Constructed by Leonard Knight as a tribute to God’s gift to the world, Salvation Mountain spans 50 feet in height and 150 feet in length. This unique piece of folk art consists of local adobe clay and donated paint. Knight, who has resided in the desert since 1984, is often available to showcase his creation to visitors. For more details, you can visit Salvation Mountain’s official website.

Salvation Mountain is accessible near Niland, California, and can be reached by taking Niland Main Street east, continuing onto Beal Rd.

Slab City

Located just down the road from Salvation Mountain, Slab City takes its name from the concrete slabs left behind following the closure of World War II-era Marine Barracks Camp Dunlap. Today, it serves as a haven for a free-spirited community of year-round residents and seasonal visitors. The area operates off the grid with solar-generated electricity and lacks running water. Consequently, due to its unique lifestyle and the eclectic personas of its inhabitants, Slab City is often referred to as “The Last Free Place on Earth,” a title proclaimed on a painted sign at its entrance. For more insights, you can find out more at their website.

Galleta Meadows Sculptures

Dennis Avery, the owner of Galleta Meadows Estates in Borrego Springs, aimed to enhance his property with outdoor sculptures. Consequently, he commissioned metal artist Ricardo Breceda to create a stunning collection of original welded-steel sculptures. This impressive array now includes hundreds of pieces depicting extinct animals, farm workers, saints, and cacti, visible from highways S3 and S22 surrounding the town of Borrego Springs.