The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is set to reopen their hiking trails and extend their hours beginning on Tuesday, October 1.
The zoo grounds will now be open to both members and non-members starting at 8 am. Full amenities will be open at 9 am and the zoo will remain open until 5 pm, with no one admitted after 4 pm.
Three trails of varying degrees of difficulty are available to hikers with a trailhead located inside the Living Desert:
- The Discovery Loop is a brief, quarter-mile interlude.
- The Adventure Loop rambles for a mile through desert wash habitat and across a rocky bajada.
- The Wilderness Loop offers an adventurous three-and-a-half mile hike up or down a boulder-strewn canyon and along a rocky ridgeline with stunning and far-reaching vistas. Hikers on this trail should plan about three to five hours to take on the loop which includes a covered picnic area at 1000 feet elevation with a view of Eisenhower Peak at 1952 feet.
The trails will be open to hikers (with a paid admission or membership) every day from October 1 through May 31 (with the exception of Christmas Day).
“It’s going to be an exciting year as The Living Desert celebrates its 50th Anniversary,” said Allen Monroe, President/CEO of The Living Desert. “Not only do we have our annual favorites scheduled, we also have a variety of exciting events and announcements that are coming soon.”
Popular annual events at the Living Desert include the following:
La Gran Fiesta: Saturday, October 12
Howl-O-Ween: Saturday, October 26 & Thursday, October 31
WildLights: Select nights November 26 – December 28
Fairytale & Frog Day: Saturday, February 8
50th Anniversary Gala: Saturday, March 7
Palm Desert Brew at the Zoo: Saturday, April 4
Spring Eggstravaganza: Saturday, April 11
More details here.
