Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks

Explore the best kid-friendly hiking trails & nature walks options for kids and families in Rancho Mirage

The Bump And Grind

The Bump And Grind

Steep hiking trail with scenic views. Popular, narrow hiking trail up a steep hillside offering scenic views of the valley.

City of Palm Desert Cahuilla Hills Park

City of Palm Desert Cahuilla Hills Park

Public area with sports courts & trails. Mountainside nature space with tennis & pickleball courts, multi-use trails & picnic tables.

Herb Jeffries Trailhead

Herb Jeffries Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Palm Desert Cross Hiking Trail

Palm Desert Cross Hiking Trail

Hiking destination with hilltop cross. Illuminated cross mounted on top of a hill, popular for moderate desert hikes with scenic views.

Homestead Trailhead

Homestead Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

City of Palm Desert Homme-Adams Park

City of Palm Desert Homme-Adams Park

Vast expanse with dog-friendly areas. 27-acre desert destination with multi-purpose trails, picnic facilities & an off-leash dog area.

City of Palm Desert Ironwood Park

City of Palm Desert Ironwood Park

Park with a playground, paths & trails. This 15-acre park features a playground, trails & walking paths, picnic pavilions & restrooms.

Art Smith Trailhead

Art Smith Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Willis Palm Trailhead

Willis Palm Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

Scenic mountain area with trails. Mountain backcountry with wilderness areas, state parks & trails for hiking & horse-riding.

Coachella Valley Preserve - Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Coachella Valley Preserve - Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Palm-lined oasis & desert hiking. Nature reserve around a palm-filled oasis offering picnics & hikes in a desert wilderness setting.

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Fred Wolff Nature Preserve

Fred Wolff Nature Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Bear Creek Nature Trailhead

Bear Creek Nature Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Eisenhower Park

Eisenhower Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Bear Creek Oasis Trailhead

Bear Creek Oasis Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Cove Oasis Trailhead

Cove Oasis Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Cove To Lake Trailhead

Cove To Lake Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Shields Park

Shields Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Boo Hoff Trail

Boo Hoff Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park

Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park

Park with campgrounds, fishing & hiking. Set at the feet of mountains, this park offers campsites, a swimming pool, fishing & hiking.

Cahuilla Park

Cahuilla Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Indio Hills Badlands Trailhead

Indio Hills Badlands Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Boo Hoff East Trailhead

Boo Hoff East Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail 3E07

Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail 3E07

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail Southern Terminus

Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail Southern Terminus

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Deer Springs Trailhead

Deer Springs Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Idyllwild Nature Center

Idyllwild Nature Center

Natural history museum & hiking trails. Trails & picnic areas surround this museum focusing on local ecology & Cahuilla Native culture.

South Fork Trail 2E17

South Fork Trail 2E17

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lake Fulmor Day Use Area

Lake Fulmor Day Use Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Whitewater Preserve

Whitewater Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Black Mountain Trail 2E35

Black Mountain Trail 2E35

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Cap Rock

Cap Rock

Joshua trees, desert shrubs & boulders. Short trail through desert scrub dotted with Joshua & juniper trees, plus huge monzogranite rocks.

Hidden Valley Nature Trailhead

Hidden Valley Nature Trailhead

1-mi. hiking loop with rocks to climb. Scenic 1-mi. hiking loop with huge rock formations to climb & views of Joshua trees & desert areas.

Two Streams Fork

Two Streams Fork

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Quail Springs Trail

Quail Springs Trail

Moderate trail amid desert boulders. 3-mi point-to-point trail along moderately strenuous terrain through unique desert rock formations.

Valley Hi Oak Reserve

Valley Hi Oak Reserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Boy Scout Trail

Boy Scout Trail

Backpacking route amid desert scenery. Rustic 8-mile backpacking trail amid desert landscape, with some rocky sections & camping en route.

Maze Loop Trailhead

Maze Loop Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

Historic reservoir along nature trail. Small lake reservoir built by ranchers in early 1900s to store water; part of a 1.5-mi. loop trail.

Maze Loop Trail

Maze Loop Trail

Moderate path amid rugged desert terrain. Moderately strenuous loop winding through Joshua trees, rock formations & other desert scenery.

North View Trail

North View Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wall Street Mill

Wall Street Mill

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Painted Canyon Trailhead

Painted Canyon Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Willow Hole

Willow Hole

Desert oasis in Wonderland of Rocks. Tiny oasis amid fantastic rock formations in Wonderland of Rocks, reached via 7-mi. roundtrip hike.

Ladder Canyon Trail

Ladder Canyon Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Skull Rock Trail

Skull Rock Trail

Skull-shaped desert rock formation. Skull-shaped desert granite rock formation with 2 depressions like eye sockets created by erosion.

Pine City Trailhead

Pine City Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Split Rock Loop Trail

Split Rock Loop Trail

Scenic path in a desert boulder field. Gentle 2-mile circuit in a boulder field with picturesque rock formations & colorful desert plants.

Indian Cove Nature Trail Trailhead

Indian Cove Nature Trail Trailhead

Short, easy path through desert scenery. Gentle 0.5-mile trail near the Indian Cove campground, showcasing desert flora & rock formations.

Simpson Park

Simpson Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead

Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Arch Rock Nature Trail

Arch Rock Nature Trail

Level hiking route to Arch Rock. Gentle hike through a boulder-strewn desert landscape to the Arch Rock granite formation.

Indian Cove Boy Scout Trail

Indian Cove Boy Scout Trail

Hiking area with rock formations. Secluded hiking area with a large campground, surrounded by rock formations popular with climbers.

Hafliger Park

Hafliger Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

McSweeny Park

McSweeny Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Fortynine Palms Oasis

Fortynine Palms Oasis

Strenuous route to a desert oasis. Challenging 3-mile round-trip desert path up & over a steep ridge to a scenic oasis with fan palms.

Contact Mine Trail

Contact Mine Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Valley-Wide's Diamond Valley Lake Community Park

Valley-Wide's Diamond Valley Lake Community Park

Many baseball fields & a fitness trail. Straightforward, 85-acre park with multiple ball fields, picnic areas & a fitness trail.

Northeast Trailhead Entrance

Northeast Trailhead Entrance

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lamb Canyon Trailhead 1

Lamb Canyon Trailhead 1

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wildflower Trail

Wildflower Trail

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Borrego Palm Canyon Trailhead

Borrego Palm Canyon Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Panoramic Overlook Trail

Panoramic Overlook Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Oasis Of Mara Nature Trail Trailhead

Oasis Of Mara Nature Trail Trailhead

Historic desert oasis with nature trail. Spring-fed oasis & nature trail in desert terrain, the historic site of Indian & other settlement.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Headquarters

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Headquarters

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Owlbee Organic Farm

Owlbee Organic Farm

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Hemet Maze Stone

Hemet Maze Stone

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wildwood Canyon State Park

Wildwood Canyon State Park

Multi-use trails & ranches on 900 acres. Hiking, biking & equestrian trails wind through 900 acres of Native American & historic ranch lands.

Dripping Springs Trailhead

Dripping Springs Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Badlands Viewpoint

Badlands Viewpoint

Visit this great place for kids and families!

French Valley Wildlife Area

French Valley Wildlife Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Jacinto Wildlife Area - Davis Road Unit

San Jacinto Wildlife Area - Davis Road Unit

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Mahogany Creek Park, Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District

Mahogany Creek Park, Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Temecula Creek Trail Park

Temecula Creek Trail Park

Natural area with playground & paths. Children's play area along with pathways, lawns, picnic tables & an exercise route.

Cross Hike Menifee

Cross Hike Menifee

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Slot Canyon Trail

Slot Canyon Trail

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Zanja Peak

Zanja Peak

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Discovery Park

Discovery Park

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La Alba Trail

La Alba Trail

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Bill Kenyon Overlook Trail

Bill Kenyon Overlook Trail

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Sky Canyon

Sky Canyon

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Crafton Hills Trailhead

Crafton Hills Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ridge Trail

Ridge Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Salt Creek Trail

Salt Creek Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Gateway Ranch

Gateway Ranch

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Cactus Loop Trail

Cactus Loop Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Yaqui Well Trail

Yaqui Well Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Oakmont Park

Oakmont Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Greer Ranch Trailhead

Greer Ranch Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wolf Creek Park

Wolf Creek Park

Scenic neighborhood green space. Recreation area with a sports field & playground, along with picnic shelters & mountain views.

Warm Springs Park and Preserve

Warm Springs Park and Preserve

City park with trails & horseshoe pits. Public park with walking & biking trails, picnic tables, mature trees & horseshoe pits.

Harveston Lake Park

Harveston Lake Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area

Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area

Stark landscape with off-road trails. Vast desert area for off-road exploration, with sand dunes, bubbling mud pools & campsites.

Murrieta Barratt Park

Murrieta Barratt Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Caroline Park

Caroline Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Walking Trails @ Audie Murphy Ranch

Walking Trails @ Audie Murphy Ranch

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Large park with campground & wildflowers. Huge desert park featuring hiking trails & fields of wildflowers, plus trees, shrubs & cacti.

San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary

San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary

Multi-use trails amid woods & grassland. 200-acre park with hiking, biking & horseback riding trails through riparian & chaparral landscapes.

Salt Creek Trail

Salt Creek Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Glen Arbor Park

Glen Arbor Park

Busy park with off-leash dog areas. Tree-filled, grassy park & popular local haunt for dogs to run around off-leash.

Prospect Park

Prospect Park

Scenic spot with a theater & orchard. Picturesque park with an amphitheater & orange grove, plus walking trails & picnic facilities.

Children's Forest Trailhead

Children's Forest Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Natural Parkland Trailhead

Natural Parkland Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Timoteo Trail Parking

San Timoteo Trail Parking

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Lower Copper Canyon Park

Lower Copper Canyon Park

Retreat for outdoor sports & picnics. Neighborhood recreational park offering a baseball field, basketball hoops & trails.

Exploration Trail 2W09X

Exploration Trail 2W09X

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Explore More Activities

Discover more events and activities happening in Rancho Mirage.