Story and photos by Cheryl Hartz
The Agua Caliente Band of the Cahuilla Indian Reservation shares its stunning ancestral home with hikers through Tahquitz and Indian Canyons near Palm Springs, California.
Tahquitz Canyon’s circular trail to a spectacular 60-foot waterfall starts from its Visitor Center and covers 1.8 miles on a rocky path with a 350-foot elevation gain and many rock steps. No pets, bikes or horseback riding are allowed on this strenuous trail.
“You must have good balance and be able to climb up and down,” the website states. You’ll need hiking boots or good sneakers. Flip flops or sandals won’t do it.
Be prepared for no restrooms or drinking water and very little shade. Although some incredible sycamore trees will tempt you to climb up.
The nearby Indian Canyons also include 15-mile-long Palm Canyon, with the some of the largest stands of the western United States’ only native palm tree – the California fan palm, Andreas Canyon and Murray Canyon – home of endangered peninsular bighorn sheep.
The complex communities the Cahuilla built in the canyons have vanished, but remnants remain in the form of rock art, house pits and foundations, irrigation ditches, food prep areas and trails. Today, the Cahuilla 31,500-acre reservation includes about 6,700 acres in the Palm Springs area.
Purchase day hike tickets at the Tahquitz Canyon Visitor Center. They also offer free Ranger-led interpretive hikes with paid admission. Water is required to go on the trail, so if you don’t bring it, you can buy it there.
During the past summer’s intense heat, the website noted that the waterfalls were dry in Tahquitz, Murray Canyon and West Fork.
We visited Tahquitz one March as a side trip while attending some matches of the Paribas Tennis Tournament at nearby Indian Wells. We toured a bit of Palm Springs and if we ever return,
I wouldn’t mind seeing more of its sights, such as the hot springs, aerial tramway and museums. Maybe even some celebrity homes touted as architectural masterpieces. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe all lived here. Do you suppose they ever hiked Tahquitz Canyon?
Happy historical hiking!
