Gem of a Vacation

Beautiful Desert Basecamp for Adventure in La Quinta

You’ve heard of a “diamond in the rough,” but do you know the Gem of the Desert? That’s La Quinta, one of Southern California’s best-kept secrets for outdoor adventures. Backed by the Coachella Valley’s Santa Rosa Mountains, La Quinta’s vast wild spaces are steeped in history, with plenty of important historical sites amid its beautiful nature. Add in boutique hotels, spas, and great dining, and you’ve got one gem of a vacation. Head to the West’s best-kept secret: La Quinta!

Hike

Hike La Quinta

Woman running in desert La Quinta

woman yoga pose in desert La Quinta

La Quinta is a hiker’s paradise. Named a “Best Hike in the West,” La Quinta Cove is an easy out-and-back adventure with huge views of the Santa Rosa Wilderness that pops with desert wildflowers. For a moderate hike, the Bear Creek Nature Trail travels along the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains and is one of the best places to watch a sunset—the mountains get bathed in the sinking daylight’s shifting hues of orange and lavender. Bonus: Go on a guided full-moon hike in the desert and do some telescope skygazing too!

Hikes in La Quinta

Bike

friends on bikes in La Quinta

mountain bikers in desert La Quinta

friends on bikes in La Quinta

Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area

La Quinta is bike friendly by nature. Rent a cruiser bike and go on a pedal along paved bike routes backdropped by the beautiful Santa Rosa Mountains. Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area has waterside bike trails in addition to hiking trails and campsites. Mountain bikers will eat up the trails in La Quinta’s surrounding wilderness, including the easy to intermediate Boo Hoff Inner Loop. It’s pure singletrack fun with wide-open views of the desert landscape. E-bikes are allowed on many trails.

Bike Rides Around La Quinta

Relax

golfer in La Quinta

outdoor dining in La Quinta

Relax lakeside—or poolside—at a boutique hotel, or tee off at one of La Quinta’s famous golf courses (La Quinta is a PGA host city). La Quinta’s landscape makes it a fantastic destination for outdoor dining … patios here are surrounded by an amphitheater of mountains. Stroll the local shops for one-of-a-kind items to commemorate your trip. And of course, adding a little extra self-care to your nature itinerary can also include the spa, so be sure to book some desert massage time too.

Find hotels, shops, dining, and spas in La Quinta

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View