Things to see and do Inland Empire And The Desert

At 3.3 km high, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument suddenly rise above the desert. Hiking trails meander through palm groves set against evergreen snow-capped peaks. Wild and spectacular.

In 1950, a dam on the Colorado River exploded and hundreds of tons of water poured into a nearby valley. This inland sea, above sea level, is nothing but the result of human error. At the time, local farmers rushed around the so-called giant lake to develop their crops, while tourists, bailed by this unhoped-for freshness in the wilderness, only a few kilometers away from the very fashionable Palm Springs, practiced water skiing and faring on the banks of the Salton Sea. Hotels, restaurants and cafes grow like mushrooms. The water of the inland sea is twice as salty as that of the Pacific. Fish are introduced, fishing competitions organized. The seaside resort is expanding, more heavily frequented than Yosemite National Park, until the 1970 s, which saw Salton Sea water evaporating suddenly. The idyllic landscape is transformed into a true ecological nightmare, streaked with dead fish and trees that are spotted by salt. Tourists flee, buildings are abandoned. Today, Salton Sea is a dystopic curiosity worthy of a science fiction film. Some too poor people to escape from this salty hell still live on the shores of Salton Sea, in rusty caravans and ghosts.

A few hundred metres walk around Lake Tuendae, facing the California State University Desert Studies Center. Has little interest.

Cross the beautiful gorges and explore the ruins of Fort Piute, built in the 1880 s to welcome travellers on Mojave Road. A nearby permanent water course provides the necessary water for plants and animals.

Learn how to identify desert plants on this short trail.

Opened in 2023, the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza was named in tribute to the Agua Caliente people, the first inhabitants of the area. The facility houses a museum divided into five areas dedicated to the tribe's history and the flora and fauna native to the Indian Canyons. The other part houses a spa, built on the natural mineral hot spring that occupied the area before Palm Springs was built. Information and reservations here: www.thespaatseche.com.