What an amazing oasis in the desert. There is a small water swamp with abundant greenery and canopy, and there are picturesque views of the canyonside. This is an amazing place to hike and relax in the desert and enjoy all the plants, animals and birds in their natural ecosystem. The park is well maintained and worth visiting throughout the calendar year. There is ample parking and much to enjoy. read more

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Beautiful place been going here all my life which is 44 years now the wildlife there is awesome , bears , bobcats , mountain lions and big horn sheep a must place to see read more

It is amazing going there I live in Morongo Valley and this is only the second time I have been there in 24 years but every one I know that comes from Yucca Valley and the lower desert make this a very frequented place to go ! So any way I went just the other day for like I said the second time in over 24 years and as I was walking through the preserve I thought to myself what has taken me so long to make my way down here it's absolutely beautiful and the different kinds of birds that pass through it make it there home is absolutely wonderful and amazing so please do your self a favor you don't have to wait for a special occasion to go there it's just in your back yard so I encourage all of my Morongo Valley neighbors to please go see this amazing place it can restore your soul to how it used to Be when you took your time out to smell the roses and you actually enjoyed a piece of nature read more

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY-- boardwalks need some upkeep for sure. I am somewhat mobile, so I was able to get out of the chair to push it over trouble spots, but the trails (we took the Marsh and Mesquite trails) and were often surprised by stairs and narrow gravel paths. Nice place, gorgeous nature, but I didn't find it to be very 'accessible.' Also needs some refreshing/repairs. read more

One of our favorite places to hike and get away from all the desert scenery. This place has it all different trails and plenty of wildlife to encounter don't be surprised if you run into a mule deer or even a mountain lion although these experiences are rare it does happen and we have the pictures to prove it! A hidden gem in the valley. read more

Beautiful preserve! Been here twice now, has been somewhat quiet as far as bird watching is concerned but it was nice to see a few species that aren't common elsewhere I typically roam. Very quiet and serene in the early morning but nice to see families out and about a few hours into daylight :). I have a few trails to hike still but so far it's gorgeous, looking forward to coming back. read more

Great place to hike..beautiful trees!Just don't go after dusk or expect to see a bear lol

Great hiking/walking area for all: boardwalk makes walking easy for those with young children, &/or physically challenged guests who need to get a solid, even footing. (The park may be wheelchair accessible, but Im not positive abt this).However, there is also more moderate challenge for those wanting to hike/climb a hillside to get a great view of the desert valley......a very pleasant couple of hours. We will definately return to explore more ( ie other side of the Preserve)next time we're in the area! read more

We're local in Morongo, you can take a horse through the trails but not a dog. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The attendee at the entrance acted like they own the area. read more

I have a warning for all of us "city-slickers" going out to the desert to visit nature - be careful who you take! We went out to what is a really beautiful nature park and hiked to the top of the hill at the base of the park. On the way back down, my wife and her sister came jogging back, looking freaked out. They said they saw coyotes and that we needed to "call 911"! (And tell them what? We saw animals at an animal park?) Of course, I knew growing up in the foothills of Southern California that they were probably no harm, but try telling that to them. So, seeing their faces, I too decided they were capable of eating us whole, and we all rushed back up the hill. After arriving, looking out, we could see that they left and we rushed back down to the "safety" of the car. Just then, as luck would have it, I saw the park ranger and asked "If someone sees a Coyote, what should the do?". His reply was that we "should feel lucky. Most people don't ever get to see an animal like that up close!". I asked him "sooo...are they dangerous at all?" and he said, "not unless you're a rabit". So for everyone who sees a Coyote in a wilderness park, you can now be assured that the Coyotes are not going to hunt you down. The park itself, by the way is beautiful. We went at what I'm guessing was the perfect time of year. (March) The trails are well kept, there is a naturally occuring brook and they've got a cool little kiosk at the front. I also just discovered they have a website at www.bigmorongo.org read more

A truly extraordinary place. And with what appears to be excellent attention to accessibility for wheelchair access to many boardwalked trails and facilities, Big Morongo shows what an agency like BLM can do when it really tries. A recent January outing turned up these 24 bird species: Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1 Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1 Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii) 9 Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2 Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 3 Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) 6 Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 2 Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2 American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1 Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) 41 Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 1 Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 1 Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) 8 Le Conte's Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei) 1 Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) (Setophaga coronata auduboni) 5 California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) 4 Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli) 1 See pics. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 35 House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 25 Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 2 Mammalian and insect life also abounds. read more

If you are seeking a unique environmental experience in the desert check out Big Morango. The canyon plays host to natural water spring that provides habitat for many desert mammals and bird species. I hiked through the park and spotted a variety of birds and mountain lion tracks. read more

Peaceful oasis in the desert. I came here seeking cosmic peace promised, but undelivered, at Integratron. What a surprise! Beauteous chartreuse leaves against scrubby mountains. Green even smells different in the desert. I strolled along boardwalk trails in my flip flops (man, why didn't I bring my hiking shoes!) and found bliss. I subtracted a star because no pups allowed, even on leash, but that seems to be par for the course for Nature Conservancy lands. read more

This truly is a gem. First off - it's free; secondly, the trails are mostly flat and made of a kind of "boardwalk." But add to that a CLEAN restroom - WITH FLUSH Toilets. The trails are clearly marked and positions of interest have explanations. Well worth the diversion off of Interstate 10 [approximately 12 miles north on highway 62]. read more

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve - Clean Restrooms - Parks Near Me - Morongo Valley, California

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A great preserve run by the BLM and volunteers. Good wildlife (bird) viewing. The staff were very friendly. I got a good hike while I was there. read more

We were lured to this area by the great reviews on Yelp and found that it very much lives up to its great reputation. Easy to get advance information, easy to find, easy to hike, and easy to enjoy, not to mention welcoming and free of charge. We brought plenty of water and drank most of it, but late June is the beginning of the really hot weather so we still got slightly disoriented in the heat. One very nice feature--the trails are so flat and easy that you don't need to bring hiking boots unless you're fit to tackle the longest, hardest trail. Even though we missed the best time of year for birding, we did see some that we hadn't previously seen, like the tanagers and yellow orioles. What bright colors! The hosts have set up a feeding station right outside their trailer so anyone can sit and observe birds without even hiking anywhere. This made a great cool-down spot after some hot hiking. And they even left a Sibley guide to help identify what we'd seen. We'll definitely bring other people along next time! read more

"This place is a real gem! Go, explore, there's so much to see! From the amazing green, verdant oases to the rocky steep hills laced with Big Horn Sheep paths, you won't be disappointed by this place." read more

I loved this place lots of shade animals I saw a rosy boa snake so cute and friendly! They have every animal u can think of on this trail I didn't see any big cats or dangerous ones I am sure they are out there though. I went in the early part of the day and managed too see some cool things lots of butterflys moths lots of cute lizards of all colors. I did see a wiley coyote on the road outside of this place but it was not int he preserve. Lots of pretty wild flowers. and i saw some bunnys hopping around! If you are a fan of animals this is the best trail out there in the desert for that. Its a short easy hike. I went on the desert willow hike. read more

Probably my favorite place out here, it's beautiful. The easier trails are family and stroller friendly. The wildlife is awesome.

Beautiful setting, nicely maintained trails, what more could you ask for?

Can't wait to go back. Can't give anything 5 stars unless levitation is involved. For naturalists, hikers and outdoors'y types, or people who just like to take in the sights this park is absolutely worth taking in. If you are visiting from abroad, as my wife and I were recently, you shouldn't miss it. Lots of diverse trails. The Morongo Canyon Preserve is about a 15 minute drive from Palm Desert where we were staying and just around the corner from Joshua tree. Its differs from Joshua tree with unique plants and birds and therefore not repetitive. We are from Canada so highlights for us (besides the scenery) included 1st Phainopepla, 1st Costa's and Anna's Hummingbirds, 1st Black phoebe, 1st California thrasher, 1st Black-headed grosbeak, 1st Bewick's wren, 1st Ash-throated flycatcher, etc., etc., lizards snakes Bring a hat and sunscreen even if you are going in late May. read more

If you like the outdoors, this is the place to be especially if you are stuck with nothing to do in the boring desert. I grew up in this town and this little area is the best part about the desert. The only place with GREEN and little creeks with fish and crawdads, kids love it!! I definitely recommend NOT going during the summer time, it's way too hot! read more

It's 25 minutes from Palm Springs and well worth the trip. I plan on coming back and going on a much longer hike.

Lot's of wildlife and well maintained by the BLM and the volunteers! Wouldn't mind coming back to hike again.

Pretty nice hiking! Make sure to bring water! And a sweater! It gets cold as the sun goes down. Overall gorgeous! There's even a creepy old fashioned car if you walk on one of the trails. I've heard that there's hidden treasure somewhere around there! read more

WATCH OUT FOR TICKS! They warn you about ticks but I have never seen so many! Every blade of some grassy plant that was over hanging a section of the path had a tick hanging out waiting to jump onto a passerby. read more

Big Morongo is extraordinary in many ways. There is a variety of habitats for birding. Big horn sheep can be seen on the south end of Canyon trail. Deer are sometimes present, as is a mountain lion. Good hiking and it is not difficult. read more

Fantastic amount of natural diversity connected by well-maintained paths. One minute you're on a desert ridgeline looking in awe at Mt. San Jacinto, the next you're in a shady marsh. As you get further from the entrance enjoy the serenity and silence (occasionally broken by a bird). Take your time and enjoy this treasure. read more