What to See in Palm Desert - Top Sights and Attractions

Zoo in Palm Desert, California. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, formerly the Living Desert Museum, is a non-profit zoo and desert botanical garden located in Palm Desert, Riverside County, California, United States. The Living Desert is home to over 500 animals representing over 150 species and welcomes over 500,000 visitors annually. Situated in the Sonoran Desert of the Coachella Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains foothills near Palm Springs, California, The Living Desert is set on 1,200 acres, with 80 developed as zoo and gardens.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has been a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1983, and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). It has participated in species reintroduction programs including the peninsular bighorn sheep to the local mountains and returning Arabian oryx to Oman.^[1]

The Coachella Valley is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California's Riverside County. The valley may also be referred to as Greater Palm Springs due to the prominence of the city of Palm Springs. The valley extends approximately 45 mi southeast from the San Gorgonio Pass to the northern shore of the Salton Sea and the neighboring Imperial Valley, and is approximately 15 mi wide along most of its length. It is bounded on the northeast by the San Bernardino and Little San Bernardino Mountains, and on the southwest by the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains.

The valley is noted for being the location of several wintertime resort cities, especially Palm Springs, that are popular destinations for snowbirds—people who live in cold climates and seek out warmer weather during the winter. The valley is also known for a number of annual events, including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, and the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, all held in Indio. Other events include the Palm Springs Modernism Week, Palm Springs International Film Festival, the ANA Inspiration and Desert Classic golf tournaments, and the Indian Wells Masters tennis tournament.

In addition to Palm Springs and the area's largest city Indio, the valley is home to the resort cities of Cathedral City, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert, and Rancho Mirage. Because it is a major winter destination, the valley's population fluctuates from almost 500,000 in April to around 200,000 in July and around 800,000 by January. It is estimated that 3.5 million conventioneers and tourists visit the valley each year.

The Coachella Valley connects with the Greater Los Angeles area to the west via the San Gorgonio Pass, a major transportation corridor, traversed by Interstate 10 and the Union Pacific Railroad. The Coachella Valley is sometimes called the Desert Empire to differentiate it from the broader Inland Empire.^[3]