Indian Palms, Coachella Valley Preserve

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND THREE

Today I did the hike I should have done yesterday. After doing a long, challenging uphill hike with a sour stomach and irritable intestine I needed a break. The Coachella Valley Preserve in 1000 Palms offers several easier hikes and I took one of them today, the hike to Indian Palms.

From the parking lot, it is easy to find the oasis. Just follow the signs.

Indian Palms is the closest and easiest to reach of the oases at the Preserve.

In case you're directionally challenged they have lined up these rocks to make sure you go the right way.

Of course, if you get off course you can just look to where you're going.

The oasis appears to be strong and healthy but there's not any indication of Indian inhabitation, at least that I can find.

There's plenty of evidence of later visitors, though. I guess Trash Heap Palms doesn't sound as enticing, though.

New growth is widespread in the oasis with cute little baby palms like these all around.

The second oasis is also doing very well.

There's no surface water at the oasis but it is just beneath the soil. Some animal has dug a shallow hole here to allow water to percolate to where they can utilize it.

While there's no obvious Indian artifacts to be seen, I wonder who put these rocks like this.