One of four visitor centers for Joshua Tree National Park, each having a slightly different name,…read morethis location is in downtown Joshua Tree, surrounded by other city buildings. It is the one fronting the West entrance to the Park, which is the more popular of the two. It is located before having to pay the park entrance fee. It was manned by two friendly, quite busy volunteer rangers, answering any questions about your visit. We didn't have time to visit the park itself, so took the opportunity to learn a bit more about the park from displays and presentations. As I learned, it is crowded inside (shoulder to shoulder). There is a dedicated parking lot, along with street parking, and a small gift shop. My wife's mom ended up buying a tote bag (or two) to take back home. We didn't get to go inside the park this time, but was able to see plenty of Joshua trees real close, which are only endemic to this area.

Drove from Las Vegas to Joshua Tree and I recommend it. It's a 3 hour drive and scenic. You drive…read morethrough the Mohave Desert and see landscape, and vegetation, existing only in that area. This should always be your first stop. You'll be able to speak to a Park Ranger, pick up a park map, see examples of wildlife that you might encounter, and even pick up food at their small eatery called, Roadrunner grab & go.

This review is long over due however, very necessary for me to write about Big Bear Lake Visitors…read moreCenter. Big Bear at large is close to my heart because its easy for me to get to from LA County proper. I ski at Big Bear (Or Snow Valley or Snow Summit) when the snow permits. It's an easy drive for me to and from LA. But lately, over the past 3 years, I've been so in love with Shadow and Jackie, the Bald Eagle celebrity natives. OK- here is my story: My travel buddy and I drive from LA and made a couple stops along the way (One was in Ontario for a party we attended) and the second was Snow Summit to check out the ski conditions. However, my main purpose was to visit and get a real live view of Shadow and Jackie, the bald eagles. The Big Bear Lake Visitors Center was the place to gather your information. They gave us the best times to look for Jackie and Shadow but more important, they have their volunteer rangers who set up long range telescopes over at Fawn's to view the magnificent birds. There is a board at the entrance which lists all activities around the area; for hikers, bikers, eagle viewers alike. Merch for sale Informative with respect to the native animals, birds and the li,e Ample parking Clean restrooms

We just popped in to see what was inside as we were visitors in big bear and were pleasantly…read morepleased with what we found! That was neat. They had a display on the eagle nest, as that is such a popular thing with people, that included a live feed. The folks behind the information desk were very friendly and helpful. We really enjoy the photo area, you can have your picture taken and put over three different backgrounds, with choice of emailing or having the picture printed out right there for you to take with you. Kind of nice to have a physical picture for a change as everyone seems to just provide digital these days. Great place for information for any visitor to big Bear!

We had just started our trip in Palm Springs and made a stop here. It is very unique building at…read morethe beginning of the road to the aerial Tramway. Tons of parking, and a great view of the mountains from the parking lot. They even have a cool art display on one wall outside by the bathrooms for photo opportunities. The center itself is not large, and is filled with your typical T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, Christmas ornaments, etc. We did pick up a really cool Palm Springs Christmas ornament that was very unique and I didn't see anything like it when shopping downtown. The people at the desk have a large map that they draw on to show you how to get to certain places as they were giving us information which was helpful. I did buy a map that showed homes of past celebrities such as Doris Day, Elvis, etc. We did try to drive around and identify some of these homes, but it's not as easy as you would think. House numbers are not very apparent, and some of these streets are quite narrow, and with traffic behind you, you don't really have the opportunity to go slow and or stop to look. So we eventually gave up and just drove around to observe the unique architecture ourselves. I would say this is definitely worth a quick stop!

Late Nov, 2025. Palm Springs (PS), CA…read more *Location. Conveniently-located at the intersection of N Palm Canyon Dr and the road that goes up to the aerial tramway. *Exterior. Sufficient parking, even on a weekend, with EV charging stations available. Views of the San Jacinto Mountains from the parking area. Outdoor rest rooms available without having to go into the Visitor Center. A few outside photo opps. Architecturally-interesting building. It was apparently a former gas station but, with its update, has the feel of a mid-century modern building. *Interior. (1) There were two manned information desks, with friendly and somewhat helpful staff who offered maps and recommendations of things to see and do in PS. The young man who helped us pulled out a map that had PS proper on one side, and the greater PS (to Coachella) area on the back. He went through a seemingly rehearsed spiel about what we should see/do without first ascertaining what type of activities we were interested in. It was helpful that he informed us that VillageFest, a weekly downtown event with artists, artisans, entertainers, food vendors, and more, would not be held that week because of Thanksgiving. But, we were disappointed that he couldn't answer some of our basic questions about the San Jacinto National Monument area. Also, in asking if the Visitor Center had a map for a self-guided walking tour of attractions, we were directed to a brochure of (paid) walking tours offered by the local historical society. (2) There was a separate desk run by the Agra Caliente Band of Cohuilla Indians, offering tickets that allowed access to hikes in their ancestral lands, including Indian Canyons and/or Tahquitz Canyon. The woman at the desk was very friendly and helpful, and we bought tickets for Indian Garden (valid for one year). Tickets are normally $12 (adults) and $7 (seniors 62+), but a $1/ticket discount is given if purchased at the visitor center. (3) there is a small gift shop with books, maps, and souvenirs. (4) locally-relevant exhibits and brochures to local attractions.

This is incorrectly listed as Arcadia, CA. It is located in Wrightwood, CA…read more I did the Inspiration Point hike today via AllTrails and it lead me out this way. I believe this is Section D of the PCT. It's still beautiful even though the Bridge Fire from 2024 burned many of the trees to the ground. There is some shade and the mountain views are absolutely breathtaking. The Grassy Hollow Visitor Center doesn't exist anymore. There was no one there. No ranger station or check-in. The campground is closed. It's now just a place to enjoy a peaceful hike and immerse in nature. I saw cyclers on highway 2, some motorcycles, and lots of people driving fast or racing around the mountain curves. I only encountered one other person on the trail. From what I saw the bathrooms are not functional. There's a sign saying that a parking pass is required but again, there's no ranger station to purchase tickets. Even near the Blue Ridge Trail down the road, the ranger station was closed so I'm not sure. I have an interagency pass that I display on my dashboard in lieu of the Adventure Pass. Make sure you have your first aid kit, hydration and just be careful. There's no cell reception in most of this part of the PCT. Nonetheless, it's beautiful. Enjoy!

Pacific Crest Trail review…read more. We were staying at a nearby campground and we were looking for a smaller family-friendly trail to hike. We found a section of the PCT that started at the Inspiration Point parking lot and kinda looped back through the Grassy Hollow campground and back to Inspiration point.. This was a great short hike.. The views were amazing you'll get a taste of what the East Angeles National Forest is all about. - Grassy Hollow is closed because of the pandemic. Unlikely to reopen until 2021. But you can still hike through it. There was a working bathroom there. - Parking at Inspiration Point does require an adventure pass ($5 at most stores in Wrightwood). BUT, if you parked across the street it seemed to be free. - Make this is a lollipop hike. When your hike is starting from Inspiration Point, and you get to grassy hollow campground, go right and continue along the PCT.. walk around until you see a man made road and turn left. This will take you back to Grassy Hollow campground and then back to Inspiration Point.

The worker was helpful in answering all our questions! They have lots of pamphlets available so…read moreit's a great pit stop at the beginning of the pier.

Where does one go when they're looking for directions to find shadow and Jackie?…read more #flylikeaneagle Here is my story I have been watching the bald eagles in the big Bear San Bernardino territory. I have been watching them for a few years now. Little did I know the big bear discovery center provides information on every type of animal in the area, every type of bird in the area, every type of everything in the area, is found at this discovery center My first visit there and definitely not my last, I plan to learn more about the majestic bald eagles that fly around the big bear San Bernardino mountains Also, in the vicinity are many hiking trails so, are you hikers take note to this review About an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles proper you can get to the big bear vicinity. Do your due diligence and find out all the other experiences you can receive from this area. Make your pic and get additional knowledgeable information from the big Bear discovery center. Go there, be there, or, be square

I have been coming here for years, but this was the first time we tried the guided hike. The walk…read moreis not long or hard, but it was fun and very informative. The visitor center has snacks and drinks for sale, clean restrooms, and a few small activities for kids. This is a great spot to hike, take a break during a bike ride, or just stop by and enjoy the area.

Great experience here today…read more The representative on duty was both knowledgeable and pleasant to talk with. She facilitated my pickup of a VEO helmet. Nice looking store that also sells nice Santa Monica branded gifts.

This place is awesome! They were able to answer a question for me that I couldn't find an answer to…read moreonline or asking anyone else. The employee was a young woman. Thank you so much!!

Located at the entrance of the Green Pleasure Pier on Catalina Island, the visitor center was…read moremanned by two friendly guides during our day visit to the island. Since we were part of the 4,000 people coming onshore from the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, it was quite busy inside (assuming for the whole day) but the ladies seemed to be handling it with no problem. There are self-serve pamphlets for all the various attractions on the island. My brother's particular question was around getting info for the jet ski tour from Long Beach to Catalina. The guide explained that those originate from Long Beach, and that the jet ski tour guides here in Avalon provide one hour tours around the island. That was enough info to point us in the right direction, and we continued on our way.

I was slightly inconvenienced by the fact that I waited for 15 minutes at the small visitor center…read morewithout being acknowledged by the woman who was on the phone. A simple gesture of acknowledgement would have been appreciated, as I was in need of assistance. I understand that she may have been busy, but it would have been more professional to acknowledge my presence. I visited on October 10, 2024, between 10 and 11 a.m. I was surprised to find that the person working there was not providing any assistance. I picked up a few brochures and left.

Low quality place with just a bunch of flyers and brochures. Nothing interesting going on here and…read morewhen they do have events they are lame and in bad locations that cause a lot of traffic.

Located next to the Lululemon store, I stopped in because I wanted to find out where the best…read morehiking trials were located. The visitors center has been located here for 3 years and is quite large. The center also has a shop which sells tee shirts, cups, hats and other souvenirs. The young gal behind the counter was really helpful supplying maps of hiking and biking trails. She also gave me detailed descriptions of the trails that were open until the end of December and trails that would close due to the conservation of the big horn sheep. If you're visiting Palm Desert for the first time or a regular visitor like myself - I would definitely visit the Palm Desert Visitors Info Center.

I had a flat tire, now they have AI, it is very difficult to get a live representative; herer you…read moreare "stranded" and you can't get a hold of anyone for "their convenience". Also there service and sending a tow truck out is now subpar; everything "looks great" until you try to use them. They have gone DOWNHILL and if it continues I will discontinue their service. I only like the DMV service which saves me time, then going to the real DMV that may be the only reason I stay. You are efficient for YOURSELVES, and NOW INEFFICIENT for US...I hope you "feel it" SOOOON. You deserve it

Marlene. She's the best. Most helpful person I've had the pleasure to meet all week. She helped my…read morepregnant wife and myself with car registrations that were both overdue and she didn't make us feel bad for them.