big morongo canyon preserve

This preserve is for birders. No cars, no motorcycles, no bicycles, no dogs allowed. A nice boardwalk and lots of trails.

This is a hidden gem in Morongo Valley. Worth the stop especially in the morning when the animals are out. We have seen mule deer in the meadow and on the trails, big horn sheep on the ridge trail, a fox by the barn slab, too many birds to count, and frogs in the marsh areas. The trails are well kept up. You could spend an hour or 4 hours in there.Lots of different trail loops to take.There is also a canyon trail that takes you down to the lower desert as well, but you will need to shuttle a car down there unless you want to go down 6 miles and then walk back uphill. It is worth the hike because it follows a stream most of the way. This is a great place to visit in the fall, winter and into spring. The summer is ok but be prepared to fend off a million swarming gnats, speed walking and running work well in the summer as well as windmilling arms.

These trails were diverse and very interesting. Lots of birds around, and various loops ranging from easy to moderate. Close enough to head out for a few hours and take in a nice walk if you don't have all day for hiking.

My husband and I stopped in for a sunset walk when we were in the area to visit Joshua Tree National Park. I had read that the preserve has a wheelchair accessible trail and it is true; we enjoyed the boardwalk through the marshy riparian area. Very nice facilities. We were there at the end of December so the leaves on most plants were turning brown and falling, but the stark branches, seed pods and colored leaves had their own beauty. I expect that in the warmer months there are mosquitoes because of the marsh, but we didn't encounter any that time of year. I especially recommend this to folks with mobility issues who would like to get out into Mother Nature. Admission is free but they gladly accept donations to help maintain the preserve.

Just a 90-minute hike for me, and a lucky surprise at the end. I ventured a few miles into the canyon the canyon trail, but diverted down the mesquite trail on the way back and saw a "Yucca Ridge" trail signposted. Only 10 minutes up to the ridge and voila, you could see the canyon trail winding below, but also the snow capped peaks of Big Bear to the west and San Jacinto to the south. There is a 9-mile round trip hike also signposted and I wish I had the time to take it. I highly recommend this reserve for a fun 1 hour hike all the way up to a nice half or full-day hike. Very accessible too - only 2 minutes off SH62. See my pics. Very nice.

The area preserves an oasis that has amazing diversity of habitat. There are several trails that wander up and around the canyon and through the marsh. One trail loop is boardwalk, that with minor effort should be handicapped accessible...if you are short of time it is a great little hike. Pick up the guide book at the trail head and watch for the numbered locations as you wander. The interpretive descriptions are quite good and you will appreciate how amazing this type of habitat must have been to the Native Americans who relied on it. This can be quite a nice place for birders (we were told)...we were there on a drizzly windy day and most rational critters were hunkered down. The longer trails will give a real feel for how dramatically the habitat can change in a very short distance -- water and wind and the micro climates of the arroyo and hill top change before your eyes.

We saw the sign driving by on SH62 and decided to pull in. Wow, are we glad we did. Had no idea there was such a beautiful place for hiking/birding in the area. We spent about one hour here hiking the Marsh Trail and having lunch at the picnic tables. If was a nice fall day in November 2014. We didn't see many birds there on this day but did see two Red Tailed Hawks high in a tree in the field.There are six trails and most are less than one mile. The Canyon Trail is about 8 miles. The Marsh Trail has a trail guide with information about various points along the trail. It is a beautiful and peaceful place with a variety of habitats. I bet the bird watching is fantastic in Spring. Can't wait to come back and investigate more of the beautiful preserve.

Excellent reserve with loads of good birds. The feeders next to the caravans are open to the public so be sure to sit down and study the Hummingbirds, Woodpeckers and Finches.Everyone we met was very friendly

Had only visited the Preserve for a very brief stop a couple of years ago but went back this week to join the Wednesday Bird Walk which was recommended. What a fantastic place for birding with very friendly, knowledgeable people. A must for birders and for those who want to get away from it all for a few hours. Please make a donation when you visit, it's well worth it.

Big Morongo Canyon is a large oasis, among the 10 largest of its type in California, just off Hwy 62 in Morongo Valley just west of Joshua Tree National Park and about 15mi (24k) north of Palm Springs. While Big Morongo is an oasis, it distinctly different than the fan palm oases one will find nearby in Joshua Tree and the Indian Canyons; it is a cottonwood and willow riparian habitat more reminiscent of a marsh. Admission to the preserve is free, although there is a donations box, and there are trail guides and other pamphlets, including a birding list, available at no charge at the entrance. The trails consist five, short interconnecting loops from 0.65 to 0.84mi (1.0 to 1.4k) long with the wheelchair accessible Marsh Trail being an elevated boardwalk with benches and decks along the way, and the 8.3mi (13.5k) roundtrip Canyon Trail. We arrived midmorning and walked many of the shorter loop trails and found Big Morongo to be teeming with birds, lush with varied flora and a few small animals (squirrel, rabbit, and snake) with walks that are surprisingly shady for being in the middle of the desert. Marsh Trail and the companion numbered guide were quite interesting. It was certainly a worthwhile side trip during our visit to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree NP and worth a stop if one can make a little extra time and a must if a birder.

We enjoyed the day. Stopped off in Beaumont to get coffee at Cafe Agape. Great treat. Then to Big Morongo. We did the longer Canyon Trail hike, which was nice and solitary, but not that interesting. We came back on the Mesquite and Marsh trails - more interesting, but mostly on boardwalks. Finished by getting a late lunch at Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown and then visiting Pioneetown's Hollywood Western "back lot on location" in the late afternoon. It was a great day of variety and we plan to take my parents (in their 80s) on a field trip where we'll again stop on the way at Cafe Agape, wheel my mom (my dad is still active) around on the Marsh Trail boardwalk, grab lunch at Pappy and Harriet's and visit Pioneertown. It's a good outing for families, etc., especially since it's free. Parking might be a problem on the weekends. More serious hikers (like us) may prefer to do Joshua Tree, Painted Canyon, some of the trails on the Palm Springs side of Indian Canyon, etc. for better scenery with longer hikes.

This a short drive outside Palm Springs on the way to Joshua Tree Park. There several short trails that connect, so walks can range from a less than half a mile to over two miles. The trails are well marked and perfectly safe for all ages. A small hill gives a good view over the oasis and the surrounding area. There are lots of lizards, birds, and rabbits. There are several designated bird-watching areas with benches. On a hot desert day, this is a nice cool place to take a break.

Had a lovely walk through the preserve. Saw lots of birds, a deer and some lizards. The trees offered lots of shade and it was very peaceful yet still an easy 30 mins from downtown Palm Springs. From the list of birds they provide for you to check off, I would think this is a must for serious bird watchers :)

We visited the Big Morongo Reserve last weekend and had the place to ourselves. It has a very nice area for walking, and we will be returning to tr4avel the distance of the Canyon Trail as we didn't have the time to do the hike this trip.

We are coming to this park with our three small kids to escape dogs and cigarettes, unfortunately people are sneaking in dogs and letting them run loose, recently we had encounter with two senior citizens (!!!) who were drunk (they were holding beer cans in their hands), and their two dogs, one big, one small. Dogs were running loose without leash, the older couple was loud and disrespectful to us and to the park rules as they passed sign " no dogs allowed" .Beautiful park, but it needs a sign " be aware of drunkards and irresponsible dog lovers".Another time we had to point to someone " no smoking" sign, this is sad how people are disrespectful to others and to the park rules. I think it would be a good idea to charge entrance fee and fine those who are ignorant.