Stats, trail tips and important information regarding this trail are located at the bottom of the blog post. Unless explicitly noted, all pictures in this blog are owned by me and should otherwise not be used without expressed written consent.

Hiking Fortynine Palms Oasis was part of an Austin (TX) to San Diego (CA) road trip that we will never forget. Every year, we take Howie on a road trip. Unfortunately, some hikes are not dog friendly (for fair reasons). Fortynine Palms Oasis was one of those hikes. We left our farm stay in Morongo Valley and used the Rover app for the first time. We dropped Howie off with someone in closest town of Twentynine Palms who had glowing reviews. He had a few fur buddies to play with. After that, it was off to the trail!

This area is quite deserty and close to Palm Springs and Coachella (where the likewise named concert is held every year).

The parking lot and trailhead are quite easy to find (the latter is pictured above).

The floral and fauna throughout most of the hike share similarities to the Chihuahua Desert in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona – rocky hills, cacti, sandy soil and desert flora. As you climb towards the top of the ridgeline, you get an expansive view of the flatlands and eventual Mojave Desert…

Lots of red barrel cacti for the landscape. Very cool…

And another more elongated barrel cactus…

As we started to descend down over the ridgeline, you could see the oasis full of California fan palms…

As you get closer, the more breathtaking it becomes and you realize why the palms are there…

A spring!

The sun happened to be perfectly positioned (it was 9:55 AM on a November day)…

I thought this was a cool perspective. You’ll notice I have a few well-used photography tricks in my bag. In this case, it’s the “pointing the camera up towards the sky for symmetry” angle…

Because it is an out-and-back hike, the hike back was the return. One last pic of the jaw dropping desert view and barrel cacti before we return to the truck…

I’ve hiked many unique hikes, as you’ll see as I roll out my bucket list. This hike, with the stark contrast between the desert and spring/palm oasis was quite unique.

Total Distance/Time: 3.06 miles in 1 hr 25 min

Calories Burned: 795

Trail Type: Out-and-back

Trail Features: Palm trees, oasis, panoramic vista, creek, cacti, hills

Best Time to Hike: Cooler times of the year (November-March)

Trail Tips: The hike up the ridgeline is moderate but achievable. If hiking in the summer months, bring water. Drones are prohibited. So is your fur pal.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

Trailhead Coordinates: 34.119, -116.112