Happy 2020!  My new year started by hiking Indio Hills Badlands that has amazing rock formations and panoramic views.  Badlands basically means dry terrain where the rocks are heavily eroded by wind and water, which creates very interesting formations.  The hike is a 5.3 mile loop that takes you to an elevation of about 760 feet.  Getting to the peak is badass!

The trailhead has ample parking and is located where Golf Course Parkway and Avenue 42 end. To get to the trail, you walk by the Coachella Canal and over a bridge.  It’s a dog friendly trail and starts flat until you get into the loop.  We started clockwise and soon we were entering rock areas with magnificent holes that looked like animal dens, but it was just the badlands.  The trail climbs through slot canyons in sandstone hills.  As we hiked higher, we meandered through some tight crevasses and steep pathways, some with switchbacks, taking us higher with better and better views of the badlands and Coachella Valley.

Once you reach the ridge, the 360-degree view is amazing.  You can see the pass between Santa Rosa and San Gorgonio Mountains, Dillon Road on the other side of the ridge, and most of the Coachella Valley floor.  One interesting sight is a lake, which is a community called Shadow Lakes Estates with a 42 acre water ski and sport lake. I guess not everyone wants golf and tennis in the desert!!

The Indio Hills Badlands trail is very well marked.  However, we managed to get on the wrong path, but luckily, we had alltrails.com and great cell service so we were able to find the loop and get back on track. Hiking Indio Hills Badlands is a great treat and so close to home!  It was a great way to start the new year.  If you are looking for things to do, or a home to purchase, please contact me.  I love to share all that Coachella Valley holds!