Pushwalla Palms Trail

Pushwalla Palms Trail is a hard, long-distance hike in the Coachella Valley Preserve near Desert Hot Springs, CA. The route is mapped as a non-motor, dirt path and follows the San Andreas Fault system for a ridgeline segment before dropping into Pushawalla Canyon and looping back. (Mapped length is about 6.46 km.)

Start from the Pushawalla Palms trailhead on Thousand Palms Canyon Road (small dirt parking area). From the lot, the trail moves away from the road and climbs onto the ridge that tracks the fault zone, setting up the most exposed part of the hike.

On the ridge walk, you’re on terrain tied to the fault line with little shade and broad exposure. The main character here is the ridgeline sequence before the trail turns away and starts working down toward the canyon.

After roughly 1.7 miles along the ridge, the route descends into rocky, boulder-choked gully/canyon-wash terrain. Expect the footing to change as you transition from exposed ridge tread into steeper, more cluttered canyon-floor steps.

The descent leads into the Pushawalla Palms grove—California fan palms sustained by groundwater rising toward the surface in the fault-influenced area. This canyon section is the main shaded stop on the route, and it’s where you typically find the “palm oasis” feel after the long exposed approach.

From the palms, the loop crosses back over desert wash country and then works its way uphill in stages to return toward the Bee Rock Mesa area and back to the trailhead. The return leg keeps you in the Preserve’s wash/ridge environment rather than staying in the palms-only canyon corridor.

More information: Pushawalla Palms Oasis Trail: Hiking Along the San Andreas ..., Pushawalla Palms Trail Loop Guide - Hiking Guy, Hike of the Month: Pushawalla Palms Trail - Palm Springs Life