Pushawalla Palms Indian Trails

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE

Pushawalla Palms is one of the many oases along the Indio Hills, on the San Andreas Fault. It can be reached by a trail from the 1000 Palms Visitors Center, a trail along a ridge that comes by Horseshoe Palms that I discovered about a month ago, or from the Pushawalla Canyon Wash. The latter is how I came today.

The land here is part of the State Park System and is managed by the Coachella Valley Preserve. It's closed to all but hikers and equestrians and, personally, I wish they'd keep equestrians out. I hate hiking through horse manure.

The canyon is full of palms and mesquite and so it was surely well used by the Indians. I'll be looking around for some evidence of their presence here.

There is ample water here and it runs in a very small stream for several hundred yards.

The problem with finding any Indian relics here is that being in a canyon nothing much is permanent. Numerous floods over the years would have pretty much swept anything away. What I will be looking for are trails on the hills surrounding the canyon.

Trails like this one here. This trail climbs out of the wash beyond the last oasis.

It heads up to a little plateau above the main canyon. This would have been a terrific area to camp. It's flat, offers a good view of the surrounding area is near food and water.

But the only thing I find is the remnants of what could have been an old campfire ring. Or not.

Over on the hillside, though, is a pretty well worn trail which I head over to. I don't have time to follow it in the direction that it goes but I'll follow it back.

It is pretty well worn although there are no footprints on it, not even those of an animal.

Heading back I spy yet another trail up on the hillside and wonder where that one goes. Although I've been to Pushawalla Palms many times I never ventured much beyond the oasis. Now I feel like I've discovered new worlds to explore, and I have.