In depth
Gardens of the desert: Sunnylands, The Living Desert and Moorten
Three desert gardens in the Coachella Valley, from the Annenbergs’ estate to a cactus garden.
Palm Springs is famous for its modernist houses and its pools, but the desert itself is the real show. Three gardens in the Coachella Valley show it at its most beautiful: a diplomatic estate, a zoo of the world’s deserts and a small cactus garden in town.
The Coachella Valley is a garden in the desert, and its gardens are some of the most rewarding visits around Palm Springs. They teach you how to see the desert: the shapes of cacti and agaves, the silver and blue of desert plants against the mountains, and the animals that have learnt to live in the heat. Three of them, all in this guide, make a perfect day.
Sunnylands
In Rancho Mirage, Sunnylands was for 40 years the winter estate of Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg, who welcomed entertainment and world leaders there. Today the estate is a venue for high-level convenings and international diplomacy, and visitors come to the Sunnylands Center & Gardens: walks through the desert gardens, exhibitions, a café and a shop.
You can also book a guided tour of the estate itself. The Center & Gardens open Wednesday to Sunday, 8.30am–4pm; come in the morning, when the light is soft on the mountains and the garden paths are cool.
The Living Desert
In Palm Desert, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is devoted to the animals and plants of the world’s deserts. Its areas take you from African Safari to Australian Adventures and Wild Americas, and you can feed the giraffes or walk its nature and hiking trails. Behind the scenes, it supports conservation work from desert tortoises to the restoration of desert habitats.
Parking costs nothing and the zoo is cashless, so buy tickets online. On warm days, arrive when it opens and see the animals while they are active.
For 40 years, the Annenbergs welcomed world leaders to their desert estate.
Moorten Botanical Garden
Back in Palm Springs, the Moorten Botanical Garden on South Palm Canyon Drive is a small garden of cacti and desert plants: an hour among spines, flowers and strange silhouettes, and an easy add-on to an afternoon in town.
Up the mountain
When the valley is hot, go up. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway climbs from Chino Canyon into Mount San Jacinto State Park, where it is much cooler than the desert below. Further out, Joshua Tree National Park is about an hour from Palm Springs, with its own wild desert landscape of Joshua trees.
When to go
The desert gardens are at their best from autumn to spring. Avoid hiking in the summer heat, carry plenty of water, and check each garden’s own website for opening days and seasonal hours before you drive out.
Our advice: start at Sunnylands when it opens, have lunch at its café, spend the afternoon at The Living Desert, and keep Moorten for a short visit on another day in town. Book estate tours and zoo tickets online.
Why it's on our list
- Sunnylands
- The Living Desert
- Moorten Botanical Garden
- Up the mountain
- When to go
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyNob Hill to Big Sur: where to stay in CaliforniaGrand hotels, desert hideaways and vineyard resorts: how to choose.
The back storyCalifornia’s MICHELIN stars: ten three-star tables, region by regionTen three-star restaurants, more than any other US state.
The back storyCalifornia wine country: Napa and Sonoma, two valleys and two moodsNapa and Sonoma side by side: two valleys, two moods, and how to plan a day of tastings.