Mission Creek Preserve.
PHOTO BY BRANDON HARMAN
Mission Creek Preserve
The Coachella Valley is home to a vast array of species, many of which thrive in this 4,760-acre preserve. Located between the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, the area comprises hiking trails (it’s 4 miles to the Pacific Crest Trail from the parking area) and, surprisingly, natural wetlands fed by a perennial stream. Visit in the spring to see wildflowers.
Mission Lakes Country Club
Tee off against a backdrop of picturesque mountain and windmill views 1,000 feet above Palm Springs. With arguably the toughest finishing holes in the Coachella Valley, this hilly Ted Robinson course presents an exciting spread for low-handicap golfers. PGA professionals provide beginner and advanced instruction and host junior programs.
Vibe Higher Collective
This collective of healers, artisans, and chefs cultivates community through workshops that center around alternative forms of healing — think astrology readings, reiki-infused sound baths, and yoga. Select classes are cannabis friendly. The main purpose of these events, according to founder Stephanie Gray, is for people to better understand themselves, so they can better navigate the world. Workshops happen at various locations around Desert Hot Springs (including Aqua Soleil Hotel & Spa, The Good House, and Desert Hot Springs Inn). Fees are on a sliding scale to make the programming more accessible to the community.
Vibe Higher Collective.
PHOTO COURTESY VIBE HIGHER COLLECTIVE
Desert Dunes Golf Club
Designed by acclaimed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., this par-72 track pairs a links-style layout with natural sand dunes and desert vegetation. The course has hosted U.S. Open and PGA Tour qualifying events. Conditions test players of all skill levels, presenting a particularly tricky challenge with frequent winds.
Long Canyon Trail
This 12-mile trek (one way) links Desert Hot Springs to Joshua Tree National Park, where hikers recommend leaving a car for the journey home. Beginning at a trailhead located on Long Canyon Road, about a mile north of Hacienda Avenue, the moderately challenging route serves up stunning views with an ascent of approximately 1,200 feet.
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum
Cabot Yerxa, born in 1885 on the Sioux Reservation in the Dakota Territories, was an adventurer, artist, architect, builder, writer, entrepreneur, and activist. He came to homestead in Desert Hot Springs in 1913. While digging a well, he discovered the hot and cold mineral springs that put the town on the map.
Cabot's Pueblo Museum.
PHOTO BY DANIELA STALLINGER
The maze-like, Hopi-style pueblo he built by hand in the 1940s is now a cultural attraction. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum contains 35 rooms (and 150 windows) displaying Native American art and artifacts, as well as a collection of Yerxa’s own art, handiwork, and souvenirs from his faraway travels.
Sam Cobb Farms.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BRANDON HARMAN
Sam Cobb Farms
Sam Cobb wanted to be a farmer his whole life. “Nothing more, nothing less,” he says. With two degrees in agriculture and three decades working for the United States Department of Agriculture under his belt, Cobb “retired” to the Desert Hot Springs area and planted 5 acres with date palms, including medjools, barhis, and black gold (a unique variety that Cobb developed). Seasonally, Cobb hosts walking tours of his family farm for individuals and groups that dig into plant science and the life cycle of dates. He also hosts an outdoor market on Saturdays and Sundays where he sells his dates.
ASK A LOCAL
Stephanie Gray
Founder, Vibe Higher Collective
1. Path to launching: When I first started, I had a holistic café. I started off doing only food, and then I dove into skincare, and then massage. I realized that there’s all these intricate connections.
2. Why this city: Desert Hot Springs is [reported to be an energy] vortex, and it has these healing mineral waters — I felt that could be utilized together. Having the healing waters along with artisans and chefs to be able to showcase their work is what I felt would be beautiful for the community as a whole.
Stephanie Gray.
PHOTO COURTESY VIBE HIGHER COLLECTIVE
3. Favorite spot in Desert Hot Springs: The Camille Canyon Ridge Loop trail leads you up to a view of the entire Coachella Valley. On the Fourth of July, you can see all the fireworks from every city.