Palm Springs Day Trip ~ Whitewater Preserve

Winter months offer a variety of weather in most places.  Some offer more snow, some more rain and others offer very enticing weather to spend winter months in.  Southern California can fill any of those weather conditions most days.  We’ve chosen the sunniest location.

Palm Springs and San Gorgonio Mountains

Palm Springs is in the Coachella Valley, which is the North Western extension of the Sonoran Desert and just south of the Mojave Desert.   The Valley is a perfect location for windmills as the wind comes through the valley often.  It is also surrounded by mountains that usually have snow during winter months and add beautiful scenery like the San Bernardino Mountains seen here in the distance.  

Colorful terrain

A lovely sunny day lends itself for a good drive to see some of the great sights here so we’re taking you for a drive up to Whitewater Preserve today.   The short drive off I-10 follows through some rocky terrain as we follow the riverbed to the Preserve which is only about 20 minutes from Palm Springs. 

                                       

Green sage covered  hills

Depending on what time of the year it is, the scenic sage at this time in March looks great but during earlier months of the year, it does look fairly brown and without much life, as shown in the previous photo taken in January.

Whitewater Preserve

The Whitewater Reserve has many hiking trails so the parking lot there is usually quite full of those who are here to hike or visit the Preserve.  Many are also parked by the sign here just before the riverbed, which is fairly dry at the moment.

Whitewater River - Before and After

As we cross the bridge over the Whitewater River, I’ve shown two different times.  One is carrying the water down that originates from Mount San Gorgonio in the San Bernardino Mountains and along with contributions from three tributaries, carries onto the Salton Sea.  The other photo is what we see more often and shows the riverbed as not much more than a little creek.  The bridge has no side rails as the water runs right across the bridge in high water times.

Park office

Shortly after crossing the river, we are at the Whitewater Preserve which has now been designated as Wildlands Conservancy nature preserve and covers over 2800 acres.  It is an important wildlife corridor between the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains.

Wise words

The park offers a peaceful quiet spot to visit with picnic areas.  This is also a hiking trail hub that allows dogs and seems to be a busy place during any of our visits.

The pond at Whitewater Preserve

This was once a trout farm until it became part of the Wildlands Conservancy Nature Preserve.  There are still trout in the ponds, but no fishing is allowed.  The Preserve does offer free camping and interpretive programs so for those who may be interested in learning more of the area, it would be a great way to see and learn.

                                                                 San Bernardino Mountains 

The Whitewater Preserve is at the end of the road so although there are no more roads to drive on, there are plenty of hiking trails for those more adventurous ones.  This photo shows what lies ahead and welcomes you to wander on designated trails and enjoy.