This is a small glimpse into the beauty of our country. The people were pretty nice too.read more

Just go and see for yourself! If you appreciate nature and peace you will find yourself lost here!…read moreJust make sure you have food and water!

Essig Park is a well-kept, family-friendly place tucked away in Yucca Valley. It's cleaner and more…read morepolished than most parks in the area. Smooth concrete walkways, fresh landscaping, and shade structures give it a pleasant, clean, maintained atmosphere Dog-friendly perks * Separate small & large dog areas * Water fountains & benches - both sides have them, so you stay comfortable * Fully fenced & double-gated - adds peace of mind for dog owners. Family & community feel It's not just about dogs--there's a modest playground, grassy picnic areas, and restroom facilities and is frequently used for public events.

Clean, well maintained. Would stop again. Not crowded, nice shaded area. Would recommend as a good…read moreplace to stop when traveling.

I've came to this park nearly every time I've traveled here to visit my mother. Prior to having my…read moreown family, we would come for the early morning walk and a mini workout using the equipment staged around the block. It's always so peaceful in the mornings, with plenty of other walkers; most of which are friendly and wave back. Throughout the day, depending on the heat of course, you'll find families and their small kiddos enjoying the playground and / or having a picnic. If school is out, you'll often find the older kids climbing all over the place too - most of them try to look out for the smaller ones. They do have a bathroom that's kept unlocked during park hours. It can be a little dark in there and they do get messy at times but they have people who clean them daily. This is definitely a cleaner and nicer park than most, especially for being in the desert. The grass is kept lush and ironically is the first place our son ever even felt grass. He's 4 now and thoroughly enjoys how interactive the playground is. A must for any family that wants to get out and enjoy the outdoors and to be around greenery. They also have outdoor basketball courts in a caged area that I've seen a few pick up games pop up from time to time. There are plenty of picnic tables and several open bbq charcoal grills available. There's a community swimming pool open during the summer and though I've never personally used it, have heard good things. The sidewalks are kept in good shape and wheelchair accessible. Anyone wanting to throw or kick a ball around, there is more than enough room for multiple families to do so.

Great huge park! Large playground with a few different areas and shade. Sports fields, corn hole…read morearea, bathrooms, a pool. Lots of fun for all ages. Very well kept.

+ Nice place to visit Jesus statues and recall his history…read more + Peaceful, quiet ambience. + Free to enter. + Ample parking. Almost no one there. - Couldn't find drinking water or restrooms.

This park right here if you are into Christ, you will love this. It's very peaceful. Make sure you…read moresee everything and read the size you will feel the spirit I will go again

. Somewhat peaceful ambience. One of the residential dogs kept barking at nothing…read more + Good restrooms. - Only one pickleball court here. Public & free. But no one to play with in the middle of the day. The pb court looks clean and largely unused though. - No barriers to prevent stray balls. - The park is small, actually. Not much to do here besides play bb.

Great little park! Noise free and very quiet. 2 Beautiful full basketball courts and a pickle ball…read morecourt also. Very clean and well maintained environment with a great playground.

I'm always up for a new hiking spot. First time here which I didn't even know about. No one in my…read moregroup has even heard of it either. It's a good half hour from Palm Springs just along the 62 leading you towards Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. The road which is somewhat residential at the beginning lead you to a park. We actually parked and started to walk around which found out later that it wasn't the right part. Drive up a little further till you enter a spot where there were some campers and a parking lot. I'm assuming camping is somewhat available from the looks of things. Don't quote me on that as I'm not sure. It's a decent size parking lot available. Before the trail, there's a little introduction information station where you should pick up the map. There's also pamphlets about the area. Billboards explaining how the area came about and the nature of it. The different animals you'll like to see and so on. A nice little helper before you hike. The main trails breaks down and connects to each other. They're not hard and pretty easy. Some are in dirt but guided trails while the others are on wooden planks. The map helps you connect from trail to trails and they're pretty reasonable with difficulty level. Majority are very easy but they also have the trail that wraps around which is about 8 to 9 miles roundtrip. We started off with the trails that go from the dirt path that connects you to the marsh land which mainly is on the wooden planks. Pretty nice seeing what nature has to offer. We did find out that a lot of the places did get destroyed by wildfires a while back and slowly started to make a comeback as well as the tropical storm a couple years ago which I happened to be in Palm Springs as well. The whole trail is pretty easy and mainly on flat land. You will encounter some hills at certain parts of the trail but they're pretty moderate. It's like going from the desert to an oasis and back out to the mountain and desert. The way the trails connect is pretty easy with trail marks and sign posted whenever you come to a connection. They also have free guided tours I believe the first and third Saturday of the month. In the middle of the trail is a visitor center where's there's a little garden area. Nothing too major but something worth checking out. It's nice to see what nature has to offer. The trail is actually well maintained as some parts you could tell that they were manicured for your safety. Overall, it's an easy hike. Main part isn't much of a hike but I'm sure if you do the whole trail, it'll be more of a strenuous hike. Would I go back, yes.

I love visiting this beautiful preserve. This visit was extra special since we had both of our…read moredaughters along! The cottonwood trees are truly majestic as they sway and flutter with the breeze. The preserve is an internationally recognized birding site. Over 247 bird species have been recorded here. National Geographic features the preserve in their guide to bird watching sites. The preserve is 31,000 acres. Home to one of the largest Cottonwood and Willow riparian habitats in California. There are many trails to choose from and various benches to enjoy the wildlife along the way. The restrooms are near the entrance and are well maintained.

At the north edge of Joshua Tree National Park, the Oasis of Mara doesn't try to impress you. It…read morejust is. And somehow, that lands deeper. What makes it special isn't just the pocket of life in the middle of all that desert, it's how thoughtfully it's been preserved and shared. The paved loop trail is an open invitation, designed so almost anyone can experience it, which matters. Beauty shouldn't be gatekept by steep inclines and perfect knees. When we visited, most of the loop was closed for repairs. The kind of moment where you think, "well, that's that." But then, plot twist, kindness showed up. A staff member took the time to talk with my husband and, seeing his mobility challenges, gave him permission to walk the full trail. That small act? It meant everything. We didn't just see the oasis, we experienced it. And what an experience it was. A slow, easy walk, the kind your body thanks you for. Quiet learning along the way. A desert iguana making a cameo like it had somewhere important to be. The soft, unmistakable call of a quail echoing through the stillness. No big show, just little moments stacking up into something meaningful. It's peaceful, beautiful, and layered with history you can feel even if you don't read a single sign. The kind of place that doesn't demand your attention but earns it anyway. Go. Walk it slowly. Let it sink in. It's one of those places that leaves a quiet mark and somehow stays with you longer than the louder stops.

Nothing very pretty. Plants looked burnt and neglected! One area was closed off for repair…read more Random info with history signs but not with cohesive storytelling. So sad that the Maaryam and other tribes were driven off this land. And worse that the water was depleted by 1940 so it had to be pumped in mechanically. Yuck- all around. The brush in the park looked much healthier than this. The only thing nice was that I could walk my dog in.

A park should belong to the people that live nearby. Although it is a nice park, there's way too…read moremuch politics involved in how it is run and who can use it. Instead of arguing with the troll, we choose to visit the park in Joshua Tree. Always welcome there.

An amazing locality built, with donations, park. I have to say, local support is the best. Bbq…read moregrills, kids play area, and a baseball diamond. But no restrooms. There are fireworks on the 4th (most years) and an annual Rodeo that is always sold out every spring. All locals are grateful for the work donated by the community.