Driving Adventures in the Palm Springs Area for This Autumn

Of course, you can’t leave town until you have experienced the Palm Springs Tram. View the amazing vistas from the top of the San Jacinto Mountains, surrounded by pine trees as you gaze out over the desert valley and Chino Canyon. Take advantage of the hiking trails while at the top so you can enjoy the natural beauty to the fullest.

Possibly the best scenic drive out of Palm Springs is following California Highway 74 over the mountains to Highways 371 and 79. This is part of the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway and climbs to a four-thousand-foot elevation above the valley. Then after an exciting trip with spectacular views, you drop down into the Temecula Valley with more than thirty wineries. Visit the wine resorts and get a taste of some premium wines.

Once you have had your fill of wine tasting, keep going on Highway 74 and take Highway 243 to Idyllwild, California. Here you discover a lovely mountain town with many outdoor activities that will make your stay one of the best. Besides overlooks where you can get splendid views of the desert valley below you, you can dine in some great local eateries.

A great day trip from Palm Springs is Joshua Tree National Park. This very special habitat is home to unique plant and animal life. This is 800,000 acres of diverse landscapes, including two very distinct deserts – the high and low desert. The Mojave Desert is known for its cooler and wetter climate while the Sonoran Desert is lower and dryer. Autumn is the best time to explore this park as in the summer the heat can be quite intolerable.

Another wonderful and interesting side trip from Palm Springs is the Salton Sea. This is an inland sea, one of the largest in the entire world. It is also one of the lowest elevations, at -227 below sea level. Birds gather in the salt-encrusted trees protruding from the lake and wildlife live in the various wildlife refuges that line the shores. Camping here is fun and different from other lake camping destinations around the country. Enjoy hiking, kayaking and some limited fishing on the Salton Sea.

From this spot you can then head east to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park where off-roading could not be better. If you have an ATV with you, you will be set for hundreds of miles of dirt roads and many more miles of trails. Wildlife is abundant and you will catch glimpses of bighorn sheep, foxes, roadrunners and golden eagles. Surrounded by mountains, you will discover the desert as you always imagined it would be – magical and full of wonder.

Just east of town is the Thousand Palms Preserve, a spot in Coachella Valley and within the Coachella Valley Preserve. Here you can escape hot desert landscape, trading it for a cooler area with streams, a lovely lake and plenty of wildlife. It is a wonderful place for a picnic or just to sit and enjoy nature.

Perhaps you would like to make your way to famous Lake Arrowhead. The drive is not that far, and you are in for a treat. This mountain resort area offers all kinds of outdoor fun, from hiking and bicycling to fishing and wildlife watching. Of course, you may just wish to enjoy some fine dining on the lake or take out the camera and capture some of the beauty on film to take home.

The San Bernardino National Forest offers the visitor a wide variety of activities as well. And there are a few scenic drives through the forest that may capture your interest. The wilderness simply is enthralling to young and old alike, with the towering pines, the fresh air and clear blue skies.