Tahquitz Canyon

Admission is only $ 5 during summer (I went June 4^th) and well worth the small fee! Trail is very well maintained. Stay right as you take the trail from the visitor center to make a counter clockwise loop. Hike is easy and short with a beautiful waterfall/​pool at the midpoint so don’t be afraid to go on a hot day.

I’m super disappointed. I walked through the door exactly at 3:30pm. Took my time, then the attendant told us they are no longer allowing people on the trail. I was shocked they were that strict. Then with a straight face she tells me it’s 3:31. They close at 5pm, so she could’ve been understanding and told us to turn around early. But we definitely would’ve made it back in time. I Don’t understand why they even close so early here, especially when prime hiking time would be early morning or sunset. Which is until 7:30ish. It’s coo, don’t take my $ 12.50 cash monay

Fun hike and waterfall

What a beautiful hike! This couldn’t be easier to get to, right in town with a very cool modern visitor center. We came early enough to avoid the heat and on one of the cooler days of our trip. We took our time on the short hike. There is so much amazing scenery to see, so many changes in setting in just two miles. It really is beautiful. But, because it is so close to town and easy to get to, it does get busy, but that was just fine. The waterfall at the end is really fun and a great reward for making it halfway. There are some steps up and changes in elevation and we saw some older folks struggling, and I can imagine this would be rough for kids who are really young. But, for most, a nice, easy, beautiful walk. If you only have a couple days to check out Palm Springs, this is a nice quick side trip that give you a bit of desert feel while still in town!

This is a nice 2 mile hike and the waterfall is obviously the main attraction here. We came during October and there was only a trickle of water and now came in March and there was finally a waterfall!!! I recommend planning for some time after winter if you want to see a waterfall. It is $ 12.50 per person which seems pricey for the amount that there is to do here.

Kinda pricey at $ 12.50 per adult but gorgeously well kept. We were provided with a very informative and helpful map which directed us to all the points of interest along the way. And the nice man at the front building was super helpful and pleasant.
Was awe of the beautiful waterfall at the end. And cute little lizards along the way for entertaintment :)

We were the last ones in before the 3:30 cutoff. Don’t let this happen to you… make sure you have enough time to take the 4-​mile round trip hike without rushing.
You basically hike along and across a river to a 60 foot waterfall. The path is not especially difficult unless you are half-​running up and down the hills (like we were). It is a beautiful canyon going up and an even more spectacular site on the return trip. Take your time to enjoy the view or take pictures. I would recommend 2−½ hours minimum to really take advantage of the hike. They also have guided hikes by rangers earlier in the day.
Warning: they lock the gate at precisely 5pm and will tow your car if it is in the parking lot so you have to return to the ranger’s station before then — thus the rush.

Beautiful & informative hike. Ralph (our guide) was excellent. Showed passion for the surroundings & his people. Reserve a time with him — included with price. Hiking poles available to use for free. Also recommend hiking boots if you have them. Farily EZ but a good amount of rocks & rock steps set far apart. Dress for weather. Warm even in Feb. if sun. Bring a lunch or snack to eat @ waterfall. Towel for a quick dip! Cool, shaded & refreshing. Will not honor dependent military discount even with government I.D. Worth the $ 12.00 even so. Ultra defensive regarding Native American race but perhaps they have a right to be???

I’ve been wanting to do this hike for years but I’m always out here in the summer and it’s always too hot. But now I’m here in January and the morning is chilly and perfect for hiking. We walked up to the visitor’s center and talked to John, whom we liked so much. Smart and informative. We decided to go for it. The trail is groomed and the most you will encounter are steps, so if your knees are bad, you might not wanna do this trail. But the reward at the end of the 1-​mile-​plus hike is the waterfall. It’s lovely. Such a great hike – a little strenuous but not steep, no scary boulders to mount. Loved it. We walked to it from downtown Palm Springs and were gone about 2.5 hours total. You can do the hike itself in 1 hr, 10 min, with a little dawdling along the way. And we didn’t see any snakes. John said in the winter it’s doubtful to see any and if you do, they will be quite lethargic.

This is a great place for an easy, quick hike with nice views. A few noteworthy points:
1. It costs about $ 12/​person to hike here.
2. Parking is free, and we didn’t have any trouble finding a spot.
3. The trail is a giant loop, that shouldn’t take more than a couple hours at a relaxed pace.
4. The site has a waterfall — the central point of the hike, and a good spot for a photo or two.
5. A sign warns hikers to be watchful for snakes. We didn’t see any.
Overall, I recommend checking this place out, especially for families, couples, or friends looking for a very chill hike.

Really great, easy hike for the kids. I took my suit and went for a swim! We saw a rattlesnake. Be sure to catch the movie at the visitors center before the hike! The story of the soul stealer is a good one for the kids!

A pleasant easy hike on well marked and maintained trails. A very shory drive from downtown Palm Springs, with a nice visitor center/​gift shop where you pay your admission. A gradual 350 foot rise over the 1 mile of trail, ending at a waterfall. Be sure to scan the sides of the canyon, we say several bighorn sheep walking on the ridge. $ 12.50 fee seems steep for such a limited hiking area, but if you saw the canyon before they restricted entrance and cleaned it up, you would understand.

Close to town but a world away. I hiked this trail once on a ranger guided tour which was very informative, but this time walked the trail on our own with friends who live in Palm Springs but had not hiked this trail before. They were suitably impressed with the hike and scenery, especially when we saw big horn sheep on the hillside.
The creek flow varies depending on the season, and we were fortunate to catch it with a pretty good flow in the waterfall.
At $ 12.50 per person, the price is a little steep, but the trail is not, with only a 350 ft elevation gain over a mile.

This is a very short, easy hike — great for kids and older folks. The roundtrip took us just under an hour. We went around 10am and there was parts of shade in the canyon and didn’t think it was too hot — mind you we are in the first week of November. Only needed a sip of water on the hour long (roundtrip) hike. It’s more of a nature walk with steps. From all the pictures posted, I was looking forward to jumping in the waterfall, only to get there and find a dried up breeding ground for mosquitos. The trickle from the waterfall reminded me of the retiree next to me in the urinal just previous to starting our hike. It is actually quite sad to see everything dried up in the area. You do get a nice view of Palm Springs and experience the different terrain of what we don’t normally see here on the Pacific Northwest. We are definitely spoiled in BC and take our water for granted.

Nice short hike.
The gift shop is pleasant, the restrooms clean, and the staff is friendly.
We hiked it in the summer, and can’t imagine why folks would pay $ 12.50 each; there are so many places to hike for much less.
The waterfall in the summer is down to a trickle, but still beautiful.
The trails are poorly marked, and there is a lack of signage. It would be nice, since it is so short, that there be a few signs describing the local plant/​animal life. Imagine if there were instructional signs in both the native language, and english (dare to throw in braille?).
It has great potential, but is highly under utilized.
The $ 12.50 is just greedy.

This was my first time coming to Palm Springs and we were here for a wedding. I love to go hiking, and had heard about this trail from a friend of mine. I had borrowed a bike from the hotel and had been cruising around downtown all morning. I stopped by the Visitor Center and asked about different hiking trails. Since it was the last weekend in May and the temperature was already in the mid 90’s they suggested I try the trail in the morning. They gave me a coupon for $ 2.50 off each hiker, so I decided to bike over to the trail head, just to get an idea of what I was in for.
The visitor center was nice and they had an informative movie on the history of Tahquitz canyon. I called my husband who was at the hotel and he drove over so we could do the hike. The restrooms were clean, we filled up our water bottles and with my coupon we saved $ 5. The trail is very well maintained and clearly marked. I did not find it at all strenuous and it was only a mile out and back. I found the hike to be very scenic and I took some great pictures. When we reached the falls there were a few people there, but it was not crowded. I had on running shorts and a tank top so I got in the water and went all the way to the water fall. The water was surprisingly cold. It was so refreshing on a hot day. My kids are avid hikers age 8 and 4, and they would have loved the hike. I would recommend this hike to everyone.

I was looking for an easy and short hiking trail and am glad I found Taqhuitz Canyon. Total round trip hike is 2 miles and I would consider this an easy trail. At the end of the trail there was a running waterfall with a small wading area that is about four feet deep.
As soon as you start your hike you will see «Caution» signs that warn you of rattlesnakes. We saw two rattlesnakes that day. One of the snakes was by the beach area of the waterfall and he looked like he was ready to strike anyone who came close. Luckily a park ranger was on his way to take the snake away.
Entrance is $ 12.50 per person, parking is free and don’t forget to bring your bathing suit!

I love hiking! In fact the main reason I came to Palm Springs is to do just that!
Day 1 we did this hike. It is extremely easy. Any child could do this hike. It is also extremely beautiful, I took many many photos.
$ 12.50 per adult in enter, credit card accepted, there is a bathroom, and small gift shop.
It is 2 miles round trip. Relatively flat. In April there was a very nice breeze but do wear lots of sunblock, hat, sunglasses. We took our time, looked at every rock, flower, bird, bug out there. We saw hummingbirds, ravens, lizards, and the best part — wild Big Horn Sheep!!! The ranger said we were lucky, they only come down from the mountains when their young are big and healthy, and this is a once in 5 years event.
But lets not forget the beautiful waterfall! Yes it is big and you can actually go into the water for a cool dip. Basically, everyone was dipping in on this hot day.
The pice was way too high but in the end, it was beautiful and something I’d recommend doing once.

I was hesitant to pay an admissions fee, per person, for using the natural wonders of this world offers. However, I was mostly pleased with what I saw at Tahquitz.
2 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 350feet means this is a relatively easy hike, probably 45minutes of leisure hiking out to the oasis. Heat makes it more difficult, but you can cool off at the waterfall.
We were also able to see a herd of mountain goats, apparently a very rare sight in these parts.
The map which included a couple «historical spots» along the trail was laughable at best. The real main attraction is waterfall at the end.
If you’re looking for a quick, relatively easy hike this is a pretty good one to choose.

I wish I would have known about this hidden hiking gem a long time ago. I need to get out more. Came here with my son and set out for a lovely day hike. They even have a little visitors center.
Was surprised that there was a small river flowing next to the trail. We were even more delighted to find a waterfall at the end. Beautiful little wildflowers dotted the trail. It was a nice easy hike, but just enough of a workout.
This place is in Palm Springs so keep that in mind when planning your trip. It gets hot in the summer.
I’m already planning my next trip to explore their other hiking trails nearby.