Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Martha C

2024-04

I was looking for easier walks with some shade and stumbled upon the Preserve. What a great find. There is even one walk on a boardwalk for strollers or wheelchairs. And other walks that put you on trails. Benches here and there to sit and enjoy the birds. All well signed, maps at the kiosk. Parking & picnic tables. A birding paradise. I saw many people w big binoculars and cameras. They help fund by donations and also take your recyclable cans to fund the place. I saw lizards, birds, & rabbits. You might want bug dope with you, lots of insects are attracted to this natural area.

Alexander Viduetsky

2024-04

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is an internationally recognized birding site. It is situated close to the border of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Preserve is part of Sand to Snow National Monument.It is open from 7:30 AM to sunset. The Preserve has clearly marked walking trails, the Nature Center, and information kiosk.The personnel and volunteers who work at the Preserve are very knowledgeable and friendly.There are 258 different avian species recorded at the Preserve and adjacent Covington Park. That place is a birding photographer paradise because it's easy to have a very productive day by just sitting near the bird feeders. There are picnic tables and toilets near the parking lot and Nature Center.Everyone's favorite there is a Vermilion Flycatcher. In the spring time, there are Western and Summer Tanagers, Orioles, and many other beautiful species.The Preserve is one of my favorite birding sites in California.

Lourmie Senatin

2024-04

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Jason Homorody

2024-04

I came here because I heard there was a great variety of birds and I was looking for different hiking options than I was getting in the Palm Springs area. I am really glad I did. The hiking trails were mostly flat except the Yucca Ridge trail which was personally my favorite. The views were great and the signs every where we easy to follow. My favorite trail was the Canyon Trail that you can take for up to 8 miles. I just did 2.5 out and back and it was beautiful. A couple of the trails were closed off due to damage from a storm but it is still worth the trip. I use the Merlin app for birding and I got six new birds from this trip alone. Plus the trails are free but there is a donation box so help out a little bit for the amazing trails. Siri directions will not get you to the right spot so use google!

Nancy and Alex Trollope

2024-04

Absolutely loved our time at the Preserve. It's a really beautiful area for a nice walk. Amongst other great bird sightings, it was amazing to see a pair of Vermillion Flycatchers in the car park.We enjoyed meeting the volunteers who tend to the Preserve and help visitors with bird identification at the Nature Center.

Michelle Bergey

2024-04

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Alycia Moore

2024-03

Been here twice now. Beautiful trails and diverse wildlife. Just wish the signage was a bit better

Chakra Khan

2024-01

This is such a beautiful lush place. Surprisingly green and wild. World class bird watching, excellent place for viewing wildlife. Lots of deer, some bear and big horned sheep maybe spotted on one of trails.

Dan Gleadle

2023-12

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Stacie T

2023-09

Just a great experience! Been to JTNP many times and wanted to get to know the Morongo Valley more. Donated money at the birdseed donation box because that was awesome! A gem of a place to hike at any ability level. Excellent maps and trail markings, and one trail is all boardwalk for complete accessibility! Great wildlife viewing opportunities especially toward evening with this heat. Info center is awesome - read it all before you go so you know what you are seeing! Will come back to check out the rest of the trails! We did two yesterday. 👣

Allan Brauer

2024-01

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CarefullyPlated

2023-05

What a great place to adventure on different trails. Well set up for you to understand the length, ease, or difficulty of the trail(s) you select. The information center at the beginning of the trails has maps and tons of information for you to enjoy along the trails. Definitely check that out first so you know what to look for. Lots of information on animals, foliage, and insects for you to identify. The views are so beautiful! Make sure you stop alon the way to take it all in. Another great thing is there's plenty of resting spots with benches set up to take in these great views. I also loved how a lot of the foliage is marked along the way so one can know what they're looking at. No dogs are allowed here, but I completely understand why. There's way too many holes and possibilities for dogs to be hurt or disrupt the land.

Monica R

2024-04

Beautiful spot with lush trees, lots of wildlife and the nicest staff and naturalists!

Denise Henderson

2024-01

We love the preserve. Easy walking. Very peaceful. Opportunities to see lots of local and migrating birds and deer.

Elisabeth W

2024-04

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Kimberly Prieto

2024-01

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Heidi Martin

2023-05

Beautiful trails with lots of flora diversity and hundreds of bird species. Plus there are about six different trails to choose from, including one that is almost all a boardwalk. I will be back here to hike some of the other trails next season.

Josie & Johnny

2023-05

We went in Summer and did the shady path walks, it is so nice... there are places to sit along the walk...we had a little picnic on a bench, the scenery is so pretty here! We played the Bingo sheet game, marking off all the things we saw, our 4 year old loves this! In Summer the small path walks are cool, under trees and shade mostly....in Fall is a must visit, all the fallen leaves are so amazing!!

Angelica Barraza

2024-03

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Patricia Sarmiento-Orozco

2022-05

The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve had no entrance fee, free parking, and was easy to get to. I visited in late March 2022. I liked that they had a one way path and you could choose the length of your walk. The trails were loops but interconnected, so you just had to follow the map provided online or at entrance. This walk included a marsh area and views of the snow topped mountains. We did not walk the 9 mile Canyon Trail. We started with the Marsh Trail, then hopped onto Mesquite Trail, then Desert Willow Trail back to parking lot. Our trails of choice were kid and senior citizen friendly.

PalmD WindyC

2024-03

This park isn’t one of the prettiest in the winter. It’s the nature of their plant life. Still is beautiful in the abundance of trees that have fallen (but not paced a dent in what is still standing), sheer volume of leaves on the ground and all the plants that look like nothing but sticks.That being said, they’ve also closed parts of the boardwalk trail damaged by the last couple of storms. They will take some time to repair.Still it’s enjoyable for short easy walks.Bird watching is still popular. The docents are nice to chat with. See what types of wildlife have been reported.

Chris Hou

2023-12

What a bunch of nice staff & volunteers. The lady at the entrance was friendly & informative. She gave my kids a bingo card/scavenger hunt which my kids really enjoyed. There's a bathroom adjacent to the parking lot. Lots of different trails for all abilities. A nature center is not too far from the entrance where staff gave a nice lesson on weather/clouds today (Sunday).Lots of trees, plants and animals. Totally different feel from Joshua Tree. On a nice 70 degree day, I couldn't believe I was so close to the desert.Excellent place to explore and it's free!

EliteOGPS Gaming

2024-03

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Gar Ren

2024-03

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Jackie H

2021-05

Beautiful nature preserve not far from Palm Springs. The roads are good and it's easy to get to and there's a large, free parking lot right there. Entrance is free also. Trails are good and well marked. Lots of trees and deer🦌

Angela Selseth

2021-05

Easy drive from Palm Springs area. Free parking and self directed. Saw a few hikers but no staff/volunteers. Walked the marsh trail. It was completely still and peaceful, you could literally hear leaves fall. Much of it covered us from above so it was cooler and fresh. Mid-October visit did not lend itself to butterflies or even many birds. I am thinking a different time of year would be a more robust experience.

Beth Templeton

2021-05

Great place to walk or hike. Boardwalk and dusty trails through a marsh and canyons are easy-moderate. It’s a really good cross section of desert plants and animals. Easy to spend an hour, three is better to see all the diverse landscape and geology.

Victoria Petra

2019-05

We choose this place instead of Joshua tree and are not a bit disappointed. Met interesting people along the way. The locals chatted with us and told us about the area. The trails are immaculately maintained and the vistas offer breathtaking views. Please stay on the trail, as the grass covered ground is home to many creatures; please don't step on someone's home.Be sure to take a photo of the trails map at the trailhead and note the closing hours, as the ranger really locks the gate at closing time. We were the last ones ushered by a friendly but a very punctual gentleman and he locked the gate behind us.

Fredolin “Jojo” Cardino

2019-05

Great easy hiking trail suited for family with kids. We went first Sun of Dec so it was 60s. There is limited free parking for regular sized vehicles, free info booth, map, guides and plenty of trail signs. Donation is encouraged.

Jeanna Smith

2024-01

Nice place to hike, especially during late fall, winter, and spring. Easy trails, large parking area, and easy to get to. Had some damage from tropical storm Hilary, but they have done a good job on repairing the trails and boardwalk. Will be back again