The 12 best parks and gardens in Palm Desert

A hot 90° but pleasant trip to the Living Desert zoo & Gardens. It was off season on a Tuesday afternoon, so it wasn't crowded at all. We were able to take our time. I really enjoyed their model trains and miniature city! Learn names of the plants & Cacti. The big cats are beautiful. Visited the nutrition center and vet hospital. We saw a bunch of baby tortoise, the 2 new super cute baby giraffe, 2 wallaby with joeys in their pouches. And a new comer, a badger. There was a ton of construction happening, so I'll have to come back when that's finished to see the new lion exhibit and during the season when its bustling! Super friendly staff and feed the giraffe.

Visited here with my boyfriend, mom and toddler. We’re from out of town and were skeptical about spending $40 each to get in, but I’m so glad we did. We spent a couple hours there and easily could have spent some extra time there. They let you feed the giraffes which I thought was so cool and probably the highlight for me. They just had babies in September so that was also really cool. We were there at just the right time as they just added an exhibit for monkeys. I love me some monkeys. They also recently added a splash pad for kids to play at and that was a great little stop to cool down for my little one. I loved how open the exhibits were and how much extra space the animals had comparative to some of the other zoos I’ve been to. Highly recommend checking this zoo out.

We found this on our visit to Palm Springs and decided to take a couple hours out of our day and go. Ticketing was very easy and there was no line to speak of. Loved the way the grounds were laid out and the different fauna and flora, the towering palm trees, the agaves, aloes and the different types of desert plant life. We were surprised to see as many active animals as we did and the number of animals was impressive. The gentleman at the rhino exhibit took his time and gave us lots of info on the rhino’s. Fun and informative way to spend a coupe hours while in the Palm Springs area.

Had a awesome time. We saw lots of animals,birds and creepy crawl things and more are coming in the zoo in the fall. There was a splash pad for kids to play in the water and a Merry Go Round. There are many, many, many, many trails to hike through and a petting area. It was beautiful. Food, wine and treats available as well but you can bring your own goodies too nut no glass containers. This was definitely fun experience and can't wait to go back.

We were there for the first time this morning. What a great zoo! It is extremely clean and well organized. The animal enclosures and habitats were great. The volunteer man who was working at the bobcat exhibit was excellent! He was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Those two bobcats we're adorable. We will definitely be back!

Easily became one of my favorite Zoo’s! You can tell they do well in caring for the animals here. Great experiences, attentive and knowledgeable staff, and the property is so beautiful. Even on a warm day, it’s such a great place to stroll around. Can’t wait to return.

Absolutely wonderful place!! I love it! Much better than LA zoo. Huge territory, animals look free and happy. Workers are friendly and kind! Cool places to chill and watch the wild nature! You can feel and see how much love people put into this place! Thank you, we will be back for sure! ❤️

I was on vacation in early October and it was still over a hundred degrees every day I was there. To save money I avoided getting a hotel and slept in my van instead. Luckily I found this place and was able to cool down and get a shower. Understandably it's a popular place but there was still a lane available after getting changed so I could stretch and move my body and swim laps. As soon as I got there the staff was extremely professional and friendly. The cost to get in was reasonable. The facility is very clean and that water felt incredible. I even stood under a water fall in the kid's section and let the water beat down on me as if it were massaging my neck and shoulders. Overall a very pleasant experience and if I find myself in that part of California again I'd love to go back. The water slide opened right as I was leaving so unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy that. Another reason to go back I guess. I love aquatic centers, thanks for being there and open, I appreciate it!

Got there at 11:30 and pool water was already cloudy so I suggest getting there earlier maybe 🤔 It's cheaper to bring in your own stuff, because when I was in line for a drink and asked for a refill they said I had to wait in the long line again after I already did... Ordered some hot food at the cafe because it smelled really good from other people eating from there and I started eating some waffle cut fries and they were not cooked all the way and also my friend that I went with said the same... It's adorable but a busy place that should be managed a lil bit better 🥲

Super fun and clean and safe. Life guards everywhere watching like hawks for emergencies. Concession stand slow but it's teenagers. They are nice and doing their best with rude adults throwing change at them. Good place for birthday parties and they have cabanas for rent outside also.

This pool looked dirty. We gave it the benefit of the doubt that the bottom was just stained, somehow. We got in, and the water was warm. We got on a slide, and water went in my mouth tasted like beach water. 🤢 I spoke to a worker and was told they just work there and have no control over whether the pool stays open or closed. This person also confirmed they've had maintenance issues all around. I went swimming on a Saturday come Monday morning. I was feeling nauseous and sick. I was also told I would need to contact the city to explain to them so they could possibly shut down the pool. We only stayed 30 minutes and left as fast as we can.

It has become less about Community and much more Commercial. Previous management was open 5am for lap swim, till 7pm pm most days. Now they only allow lap swim a few days. Open at 9am close by 3:45. No Community friendly. And Yet charge Twice as much. A petition needs to be started to have them correct this.

One of the best public outdoor pools I ever been to! New, spacious and clean facilities, reasonable price ($4 for locals and $6 for visitors). You can also rent a lock for $1. I absolutely enjoy my swim at this pool. If you don't have a pool to use at your home or hotel, then this is your place! The Civic Park next to the pool is also a nice place to hang out!

I love this place! We went to this place 2 times already. Both times were fun! My daughters loved to be here and they really enjoyed the water slides and pools.

Well, except the parking [see photos] and signage to the memorial, it was very nice. I guess they kept the feeling of being a Jew with hiding us in the back with funky parking, weird steps, and feeling our way to find this. My ✡️ Jew heart 💙 breaks!!!!

A must see! Very Educational and enlightening. It is sobering to stand realizing how many human groups are treated as less than. American Indians, Blacks, Japanese, women, Asian, homeless, single moms, people who dress differently...the list goes on. Take a moment and ask who it is you can stop judging and remember the Holocaust began with one person's simple judgment of another.

It’s a wonderful piece of artwork exhibiting a very difficult time for the Jews. Artfully tasteful the very powerful and its message.

I Enjoy a lot was quiet and clean.

Union Halls Due’s as All Star’s Foot Wear’s Track Manta Rays Whip Tails Shrimp Octopus as Jelly Fish B-52 Hair Doo’s of Planet Claire’s Moon’s Zappa’s House’s of the Holly’s Lead Zeppelin Hanger’s Tire Rotation’s of Alcoa Bud’s 10 Hole Metric Change of Military’s Mass Destruction’s International Pay Star’s 6x6 4x6 10 Wheeler’s Super Singles Modification’s of Laptop Allison’s Transmission’s C 12 etc> as a Salt Bush’s Retaining Pond’s Bug Eyed Sprite of Fiat & Siam as the Voltar’s Polar Ice Captain America’s as all other Super Trucks as Big Foot’s Grave Digger’s Ole’s to the Meat’s Grinder’s Espresso Bean’s Bagwell’s Guide’s of the Boats’s of the Perfume River’s CAX as a Trainer Facility Lance of Holden’s arrest as release all Mural’s Graffiti’s Sponsor’s of X Games Battle of the Band’s Scats as Spat’s Tap Shoes Ice Skate Handball Parks Lineal Diffuser’s Air Mates Truck’s as a mobile Condo West as a Trainer Piper Cub’s T Hanger’s BB Ball Tournament of Rose ‘s .

Amazing monument. Heartbreaking Holocaust Death Camp cruelty shown in great detail. Brought me to tears! I am Jewish, & can relate. My aunt was killed in the Holocaust. 😭 😔🌈💔❤️

Visited on a very hot day but this memorial is located in a gorgeous area. Dog park, community park, swim center, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts. Definitely lots to do after visiting even with 105 degree heat.

We really enjoyed a couple beers here and some friendly conversation with the bartender just before closing. Nice little spot! Next time, we'll come with more time to stay.

First timer! Based on reviews and our experience, we rate this as #2 in area. Definitely worth the trek north of the 10. Beers were decent (would have liked more selection). They had “live” music which was fun. Downside is they don’t have food. So make sure you call ahead to make sure they have “food truck”.

The Big Stick Energy IPA is fantastic; food is great (Sonora Burger for the win). Great service and atmosphere. 80s music and football and great beer— can it get better? We had EXCELLENT service too!

My first stop into palm desert, cool environment and the bartender Colton was awesome! The black widow is a must try, I will definitely recommend this brewery!

Not what I expected, particularly after seeing the high reviews. There is very limited seating and what is there is awkward, uncomfortable, or broken. They seem to be geared more toward distribution than having a proper tap room. That's fine and all but just disappointing after trekking to the middle of nowhere. There was a wide selection of beers with a range of ABVs, and most of what I tried was good. There are no non-beer offerings. The bar tender was friendly and had good recommendations.

Came for an outdoor concert and it was a perfect night, the stage was awesome and the ladies were rockin! I love stouts and dark beers- CVB has all my favorites and some new thrills!

This place has all the best parts of a local brewery. Beer! The connection between indoor and outdoor has a little to be desired. Beer was good, food was good, comedy.... Beer was good

My kids and I like this place because it has a big playground and alot of space for kids to play and run around in. The different times that we have came here it has never been so busy or full of kids, which is a good thing when you don't like to be in crowded places. It has a public restroom and neighborhood seems very nice and calm around here.

Nice small little park. 2 restrooms and pet friendly. Clean and nice playground equipment

Great little park. Good shade and playground equipment.

Enjoy taking my kids here but they need to place lights especially since it gets dark early, we can't be there because it's extremely dark and becomes very scary really quick .

Very good park. Great for families. Nice grass around.

Every time I drop my kid off at school, this park pops up! Nice little park, but not always accessible because of the attached schools.

This park is best not to during 7-9am (student drop off) and 2-3pm (student pickup) due to the school connected to the park.

Freedom Park has two dog parks, one for small dogs and one for larger dogs. A paved trail to walk around for exercise. The park has great lightning after it gets dark. There also are pickleball, basketball and baseball quarts. The park also has clean restrooms and great picnic areas.

Great place to get cardio in with the pups. Very clean, Great Dog Parks. Restrooms semi okay.

Large Great Park with walking trails pickleball courts volleyball courts basketball courts in grilling stations and a dog park.

Fantastic newly developed park in palm desert. Picturesque mountain backdrop from brand new basketball courts and state of the art playgrounds. Most importantly, 8 top of the line public pickle ball courts to challenge the locals. Just be sure to get there early or wait until the afternoon. Was getting close to full by 9:30 AM on a Tuesday! Also has public restrooms with drinking fountains and dog park. Lots of parking. Softball/baseball fields are under construction. No grass for those yet...

This Palm Desert park has much to offer. There is an enclosed Dog Park; a walking trail; Basketball courts; Softball fields; Soccer fields; Pickleball courts; Sand Volleyball; Children playground; and a large parking lot. So why a 2 rating? The park has been taken over by people who are being privately paid to teach, mostly young children, how to play a sport. But more importantly, so many people let their Dog off their leash outside the Dog Park. There is no monitoring of the Dog leash law and soon, like Civic Center Park, a pup or person is going to get hurt.

My dog just loves this park. Great place for children as well. Park is very clean and well kept.

This park has it all, baseball fields, basketball courts, pickle ball courts, soccer fields, 3 playgrounds, BBQ pits. It has plenty of areas to set up for parties and eating. The park is clean and well maintained. Great for families and get togethers. The Verteran's memorial sculpture is beautiful.

I use this place to walk the dogs. Would be nice to have one more poop station on the other side of the park. Also, this area looks like water retention for the buildings around. They made a good use of it being soccer fields.

FUN field, easy access to parking, snack booth, and restrooms. Had a great time watching my niece play. Tons of parking on three sides of the facility, which allows easy and close parking for all

Palm Desert Hovley Soccer Park is more than just a soccer park. Yes, the park is bustling with soccer activity in its center. But, the park sports a disc golf course, horeshoes, and a basketball court. Petanque is played on the east side of the park next to playground that my grandkids love. You can belly up to the snack bar. Parking is ample, but filled during soccer ⚽️ games. The path around the park is roughly .6 of a mile in length. If you are trying to become a local legend, log your run on Strava. After your run, turn your head to the west and gaze up at the mountains, and thank God for this beautiful park. 😍 But, the important thing about the Palm Desert Hovley Soccer Park is: it is more than just a soccer park.

This is a big place for any sport activities . The restroom needs a lot of maintenance . It smells and needs a thorough cleaning .

Nice park and easy parking, Grass is maintained perfectly for soccer games.

Beautiful park to watch events, picnic, soccer and more... Very Clean with plenty of room for everyone.

Great place for children to explore their athletic abilities. There's also a playground, in case you have to bring younger siblings. Well kept, but remember to carry out what you bring in. It's the right thing to do.

I'd like to thank our tour guide, Pace, for driving us through the San Andreas fault zone. It was an amazing tour in which I learned about the powerful forces between the 2 plates grinding and pulverizing the ground on which we stand. I enjoyed learning about the indigenous Indians, the animal and plant life. There is so much to learn. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in learning more about the San Andreas fault.

This was more than just a jeep ride. Tom our driver and guide has an amazing wealth of knowledge which he shared with us. We did the San Andreas Fault Tour, which included breath taking scenery and walks through the area. We definitely recommend this tour. We learned so much history of the area.

This was a fabulous tour. Our guide, Teresa, was a great driver and was fun, interesting, and informative. All of the stops were great. We were able to get some great photographs and especially loved the little trek through a slot canyon. I would definitely recommend this desert San Andreas fault tour!

We had a great tour. Darrell was our guide, was very knowledgable, friendly, and good with the kids. We saw some really interesting geography and wildlife that was made much more interesting by having him there to explain and provide context. Im glad that we took this tour.

Stunning. Pictures do not do it any justice, you have to see it! We were fortunate enough to have LeRoy as our guide, and the man was born to do this job. Super knowledgeable, but it's his spiritual connection to the land that stands out. He gave us an experience we will never forget!

Leslie and I had an amazing time doing the San Andreas fault tour. Our tour director Travis, was low key, super knowledgeable, and exceedingly accommodating. We would recommend this tour if you want to learn more about the Palm Springs, Palm Desert and surrounding valley. The tour is more about the area, the people and its history and less adventurous.

We all enjoyed the San Andreas Fault. Butch was extremely informative, interesting and he entertainined all our questions. We loved that we got to smell and sample the medicinal and cooking spices from the plants that were used the Cahulla Indians. Couldn’t imagine a more interesting and knowledgeable guide. Butch was fabulous.

Nice city park with sand volleyball/basketball courts, a silent reflection area/rose garden, large and small dog area, and a few jungle gyms. The playground area is shaded and appropriate for multiple age groups, and there are restrooms available. It should be noted that there was a leaking hydrant in the dog walking area that wouldn't shut off no matter how tightly it was cranked down (a simple fix). The park was generally clean, aside from a few things on the periphery that were in disrepair or had been tossed over the fence. Overall a nice park with many things to offer kids of all ages. Trees abound so you've got a chance to cool off in the shade

Responsible, pet owners, well-maintained grass, and a very consistent flow of some of the cutest pedigrees and months that you will ever see collected in one place. My dog actually regards this Park as her favorite, despite being excited to attend any on informal gathering for four legged breathing.

Nice little dog park with great grass! Tucked right behind the memorial garden and basketball courts at Joe Mann Park. There were 5 or so other dogs there at 3 pm on a Thursday, plenty to keep Koda busy

I stopped through here to let my son stretch his legs. I really wanted to give this park a five star rating. It has some awsome amenities dispute the 115 degree heat. Covered playground, well kept grounds and a awsome locked memorial garden. The problem is when I went and checked out the bathrooms. I know what you are thinking city parks are going to be dirty. Well they were not bad. When I checked the changing table I realized that some druggie had left his scorch marks on the plastic.

It's a very good park to take a walk with dogs on the well-organized grass. It's near the golf course, so it's less dust, you can have a picnic table and a babeku, there are benches everywhere, and it's a children's playground, so it's a good place to take a family break.

I brought my family here during the night time and it was fun. My toddler was curious and a bit confused at the faceless sculptures. It was fun and relaxing especially during the night when there was no one around. We got to explore and be curious all on our own.

Kids love it, no good place to sit for the grandma..... Benches are horrible, bring a chair.

This is a steep hike, and the top of this hike provides a beautiful sunrise view of the valley. It takes about an hour round trip to the cross and back. The trails are clean. Some people take dogs, but I've seen mostly really well trained dogs that don't need to be on leash. There is some parking, but in cooler seasons it fills up quickly.

Nice hiking trails did two different hikes up to the Cross the first time, then all the way to the Bump and Grind trail to the top. That was close to 2 1/2 hours and we took the short cut thru the wash back. Overall elevation gain was close to 1,000 feet.

Nice short hike, gets a little thin and windy in places but there is a great view at the top. We did a short hike loop but there are options to go further. Dog friendly too, and bathrooms at the bottom, bonus!!

A hidden gem! I have lived in Palm Desert for over three years, and didn't know about this place until a neighbor mentioned it. We took the Herb Jeffries trail, cut across through Hopalong Cassidy to end up back where we started. Parking is limited, but I think one could park on a residential street, walk across the bridge to the trail head. Our 6- and 4-year olds didn't have a problem, and while our two-year old was willing to walk it, I was concerned about him falling. We did encounter a couple of runners as well as mountain bikers, so keep that in mind. Bring water. And warm clothing if hiking during cooler weather. It gets chilly once the sun gets behind the mountains. There's a restroom at the entrance to the park, and some of the trails are open to canine companions, but check the posted signs.

Great hike. We did the Cross Trail Loop. There was a fair amount of climbing at the beginning, so the return was faster and primarily downhill. The peak rewarded us with gusty breezes and an amazing view. Took us about two hours, at a leisurely pace. Dogs are welcome.

I googled a place to hike and chose this place. It did not disappoint. Hiked yesterday evening before dark and 7 am this morning. It is so clear, gorgeous, peaceful, serene, every step. Trails not terribly steep but at times rocky.

Great path for hiking or mountain biking with a view of the city

My wife and I enjoy the Civic part for all the things that it offers. Even watching a concert at night. You can walk around the park as you’re going to play a game of Pickleball or tennis. Palm Desert has done a fantastic job with our park. The crown Jewel, the Civic Park.

One of our favorite places in Palm Desert! Beautiful park with lagoons, turtles, ducks, play area, sport courts/fields and we were able to view the artists in action during the Plein air festival! A great place to have a picnic and unwind!

Great place to relieve stress take a walk. The scenery is beautiful if you’re into feeding birds and ducks and turtles bring a loaf of bread. They’ll love you and surround you. They have some cool workout equipment that pull bars you can work out on your abs chest they have a playground for the kids. They also have a little skate park dog parkbaseball pickle ball volleyball. They got a swimming area where you can swim. They got the YMCA they have a rec center and you could take showers.

Beautiful and clean. Great park for walking.

It has big, wide walkways and shaded areas where children can play. There are multiple sports areas, including basketball and tennis courts, and convenient water fountains for filling up bottles. I especially liked the picnic tables with water misters, which made it comfortable to relax even on a hot day. The only downside is that some of the EV chargers were unavailable, which was a bit inconvenient. Other than that, it’s a great park and very well maintained.

Cool place! Beautiful and looks well-groomed. We decided to do a picnic, find a great place in the grass, and suddenly the sprinklers turned on, we were wet completely! It’s was fun :) but would be great to put at least the sign with the timing or something to avoid this type of incident.

Always have appreciated this Park. On this particular day, went to the first Water Lantern Festival held there. Walked by the rose garden and gazebo...pretty as always. Then sat at the edge of water and waiting for the sun to set. At sunset, we set our lanterns into the water...containing our wishes and desires for the future.

We stopped by this gallery after hrs and only visited the garden area. The garden area needed some TLC. We liked the meandering paths and sculptures, but the palm trees and succulents needed some attention. The water displays needed to be cleaned and tended to. Could be an esthetic and relaxing place to visit, but the garden areas looked run down.

Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden is a peaceful oasis in Palm Desert with water features that attract birds, adding their birdsong to the ambience. ⛲🐦 We did a walk-through while in the area for other reasons but I'd like to come back some time, linger in the shade and check out the various native desert plants. 🌵🌴 The gardens and fountains are well-maintained, as the maintenance crew arrived while we were there exploring.

If you need to get yourself in alignment with nature, I suggest a walk in the sculpting Garden in Palm Desert. Located across from Palm Desert Mall, the garden is full of sculptures and plants that easily take away any stress that's got you!

A beautifully designed garden. Sculptures are carefully placed and surrounded by plants, hardscapes, and fountains. Several trees are carefully pruned to form living, growing sculptures that change seasonally. I love this precious gem in Palm Desert.

25 minutes from downtown Palm Springs wasn't worth the drive, but if you're in the area where it is, I'd definitely stop in,

Cute sculpture garden. If your in the area visit it but don’t go out of your way to come here. There was also a farmers market on the Sunday we visited.

What a great place to explore ... a perfect place to stop and enjoy in Palm Desert