Tanama Tales

The Indian Canyons, on the edge of Palm Springs, offers spectacular walking, hiking or horseback trails, to experience stunning desert scenery filled with lush palm oases, Indian rock art, soaring colorful cliffs, unusual rock formations, a water cave, and even waterfalls. Highly recommended are the El Morocco Inn & Spa, Springs Spa Desert Hot Hotel, and Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort. All three are conveniently located in Desert Hot Springs, barely 10 miles from Downtown Palm Springs, 12 miles to the airport, and close to many must-see attractions. The Saguaro Hotel is perfectly situated a stone’s throw from the foot of the San Jacinto Mountain, three miles from Palm Springs downtown and nine miles from the aerial tramway.

With over 60 miles of hiking trails snaking around a 7,000-acre open space, Mission Trails Regional Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Easy trails include the Visitor Center Loop (1.4-miles), Grasslands Loop Trail (1.9-miles), Kumeyaay Lake Trail (1.3-miles), Santee Mesa Loop Trail (1.6-miles), and Mission Trail (1.7-miles). It is pretty simple to understand while some believe the park has some of the best trails in San Diego. The San Dieguito River Park stretches for 55 miles from Del Mar (mouth of the San Dieguito River) to the Volcan Mountain Preserve (source of the San Dieguito River).

Poche Beach, North Beach, Central Beach (beach around the Pier), and Calafia (or San Clemente State Beach). North Beach is located across the San Clemente Train Station (do not confuse it with the pier station/stop, San Clemente has two train stops). According to the California State Parks website, this beach has 3 districts: San Onofre Surf Beach (the north portion, day use), San Onofre Bluffs (day use and camping), and San Mateo Campground (inland campground with a trail connecting to the beach). In the vicinity, you can find the following campgrounds: • San Mateo Campground (4 miles) – 157 sites, located inland but a short drive to the beach, there is a trail connecting to the beach

Where to Go After the Walk: The nearby Baldwin Overlook is another wonderful place to get 360-degree views of Los Angeles. The highlight of this hike is, as with most hikes around Los Angeles, the scenic views along the whole way. Similar to what to do after hiking Los Liones Trail, you can hit Will Rogers State Beach, Topanga State Beach, or the Malibu Pier after this hike. Located in Griffith Park, in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Fern Nature Trail is another fairly easy and short hike, suited perfectly for families with toddlers and grandparents too.