Great Dog Friendly Hikes In The Palm Springs Area

Right near the top of favourite activities for Paulette and I during our current 5 month stay here in Desert Hot Springs would have to be the desert hikes we have taken.  I’m absolutely sure that these hikes are right at the top of Molly and Rylie’s list too – they love them!  Great hiking trails are one of the most common questions I get when RV’ers visit here too – especially if you want to take dogs along. 

So, in no particular order, here are just a few of the desert hikes we’ve been on this past winter.  All of these hikes are fairly easy.  I’ve included a paragraph or two from each of the blogs about these hikes.

Hiking The Araby Trail To The Bob Hope Estate

Paulette and I hiked this trail way back at the end of November.  It was a fairly strenuous hike in part with strenuous inclines.  It was worth it though as we got a good workout, some terrific views and a close-up look at one of the iconic homes in Palm Springs – Bob Hope’s former house and property.  The Hope Estate offers sweeping views of the entire Coachella Valley from Palm Springs in the west all the way out past Indio to the east.

Secret Staircase And Hidden Palms

The Hidden Palms Hiking Trail is located near the Thousand Palms Oasis in the Coachella Preserve.

Thousand Palms is a huge visitor attraction but doesn’t allow dogs.  Luckily, the Pushawalla trail to Hidden Palms begins across the street and to the east of the preserve parking lot and that’s where I was going.

At the top, the mesa offered an incredible view of the entire Coachella Valley.  Looking south, signs pointed to Hidden Palms but all I could see was desert for miles in all directions with not a Palm Tree is sight.

The ‘Sheep Hole Oasis’

High on the ridge, with great 360 degree views, we thought this made a perfect spot to sit on the rocks and have lunch.  For the next half hour we just looked out at the mountains, the blue skies and the trails and paths winding down the canyon to the oasis.  After lunch, we decided to save the hike down to the oasis for another day and we began the trek back down to our truck.

The Palm Springs Museum Hiking Trail

This is a very popular hike here in Palm Springs especially for dog owners as so many mountain trails don’t allow dogs because of the presence of Big Horn Sheep.  We probably met 2 dozen people on the hike and about a dozen dogs as well.

The hikes shown above are only some of the ones Paulette and I have taken while here this winter.  There are a lot of other good ones as well but I’ll have to get a bit more organized and enthused about digging them all out.  Right now, I’m spending too much time just laying in the sun, swimming, golfing and eating way too much good food!

Have a great Sunday, and thanks again for visiting!