Hiking Southern California's Desert Parks

The region below Death Valley National Park in southern California’s desert region contains a variety of public lands and unique hiking opportunities. East of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palm Springs and south of Las Vegas lies a desert region home to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave National Preserve, and the Mojave Trails National Monument, just established in 2016.

These parks and preserves offer a wealth of hiking opportunities, allowing hikers to enjoy the rare flora and fauna and incredible natural formations that are unique to these lands – from canyons and panoramic views of distant mountain ranges to springs and desert oases. This guide will cover 50 of the most scenic and worthwhile hikes across each of these parks, preserves, and monuments. Also included will be hidden gems in the area like hikes in the Mecca Hills Wilderness between Anza-Borrego and Joshua Tree, as well as the Indian Canyons Nature Preserve just south of Palm Springs.