agua caliente indian canyons

We hiked Andreas Canyon first in a clockwise direction (we took the smaller loop, maybe just over 1mi in length), which luckily turned out to be the smarter move because the first part is completely in the sun while the second part was completely in the shade so we got to cool down. Somehow we completely missed the cultural site off the edge of one of the parking lots until we asked a ranger later on. The Murray Canyon was a much longer hike (2mi to the Seven Sisters Falls) and started off with 1/3mi completely exposed to the elements too. The sun in Palm Springs on an 80deg day is brutal! The rest of the hike was mostly in the shade next to the creek, and we probably crossed the creek (stepping on big rocks) 10 times one way. I imagine this canyon would be closed after a big rain. I was slightly disappointed with the waterfalls since we could only see 3, and the fact that it's called Seven Sisters suggests that there should be 7 cascades. I think the rest of them are just too high up and behind some rocks. We didn't see any big horn sheep, maybe because it's high noon. We walked only about a half mile into Palm Canyon, and thanks to ranger's pointers, we finally got a glimpse of a mortar hole and a replica of their huts at the beginning of the hike. The parking lot at Andreas Canyon has really nice picnic areas somewhat close to the porta-potties (with handwashing stations), whereas Palm Canyon has picnic tables towards the beginning of the trail but quite a hike to the porta-potties. The canyons were great escapes from the heat of the surrounding desert, but I think once you've seen one canyon you've seen them all.

The hike was pretty easy and it was pretty; however, I didn't like having to pay $12.50 to enter. When asked, the person working the front couldn't tell where the money was going. I would have been more than happy if I could have learned about programs, preservations, etc.. that the money was being used for. The waterfall at the end was nice, but really tiny. This is nothing extraordinary, but a nice easy hike to do in Palm Springs.

We enjoyed our hike and the scenery. We were a party of of 4 and all over 70's and found it a wonderful day outing. The vista sites were magnificent.

My visit began in a confused and congested parking lot with rude drivers. After a descent into a magnificent Palm canyon, I was alerted to the sounds of screaming children playing in the reproduction Indian huts. This area looks overwhelmed by tourists, like so many special places in our country. I cut my visit short to get away from the noise and congestion.

It is a terrific high desert set of hikes with one of the most spectacular "palm" oases in the world. It tends to get crowded and the hikes are of moderate difficulty but we thoroughly enjoyed it. A bit pricey, our three seniors, one adult and one teenager paid $40 entrance fee, at least the Agua Caliente Indian Tribe is successfully preserving this wonderful place.

Well worth the $9/per adult admission which goes to preserving the Indian grounds. Once inside there are 2 parking lots which branch into dozens of trails all of which offer a different biome of the desert and scenery that changes every few feet. We parked at the Indian Trading post (which was kind of lame but there are drinks and snacks if you forgot to pack for the hike) and did the first portion of the Palm Canyon trail. It leads through a true Palm oasis and a lush green valley before forking into several other trail options. We opted for the Victor Trail which circles back to the trading post in a 2 mile loop that climbs up a sandy slope to a view over the palm oasis (magic!) and then down craggy rock faces and barrel cactus. The whole thing was gorgeous and changed every few yards. Then we reparked at Murray Canyon and took the 1 mile loop that rounds the parking lot and even that led us along incredible massive rock formations unlike any part of the other trails. Come prepared with water and snacks and spend the whole day!!

One sight you should see while in Palm Springs. It is the place where the natives used to go to escape the heat in the summer. An oasis that runs for miles following a river. Great place to picnic but not wheelchair accessible. You have to climb down a fair ways and then you can walk as far as you want. They have picnic tables down below as well as a restaurant up top and a novelty store. The views are wonderful. They have a very reasonable day rate to get into the park.

Hikes of short or long distance available to see desert terrain and stunning oases of palm trees suddenly appearing in the midst of a rocky desert. Be aware that admission is $9 per person.Worth the time and the short drive from Palm Springs. We especially liked the four mile round trip hike to Murray Canyon -- a richly varied terrain.

So beautiful - we wish we had taken a lunch and a good book. It's a lovely place to hang out for a while, or even if you have only a half hour or so.

A beautiful, must see, part of any Palm Springs visit. Several well marked trails for all abilities. Beautiful desert scenery. Per person fee to enter Agua Caliente tribal lands. Roads and facilities nicely maintained, though bathroom facilities are understandably rustic.

Saw this at the end of the road and drove to the gate. The cost at $9 a person is a bit high but the views from the visitor centre are nice and there are many trails to take, could easily take the full day to explore the area.

Nice place to hike, hidden at the end of South Palm Canyon Drive, pretty place to go if you want to hang out with nature.

the place is great. it could use a face lift though. the pools are great but old looking. the steam and the bath atmosphere is very restful. the fruit bowl and lime water are lovely.

We hiked and walked through the Palm, Andreas and Murray Canyons over two easy days. We came in early when they opened and brought snacks. We left during the hottest time and had lunch at the Smoke Tree shopping center. We came back for shorter hikes in the shade after lunch. I loved everything about the place and thank the Agua Caliente for being stewards of their land and sharing it. The time we spent at the Indian Canyons was some of my best time in Palm Springs.If you can get in for a ranger talk they were very interesting to me than the ranger talks at Joshua Tree.The beauty of the Indian Canyons means more when you learn of the struggle for the Indian Canyons to stay in the hands of the Indians. I like the way they run their parks.

Wonderful, spectacular hiking amid beautiful California fan palms and desert and oasis scenery. There are three canyons to hike, and we found the Palm Canyon to be the most interesting and challenging. At $9 per person ($7 senior), the price of admission is reasonable. But I thought the fee charged to a bicyclist we saw should have been lower or free. If a person uses so much physical energy coming here and moving about, there should be some concession. The fee forced the bicyclist to turn around and leave.