This amazing animal park showcases desert plants and animals alongside exhibits on regional geology and Native American culture. Highlights include a walk-through wildlife hospital and an African-themed village with a fair-trade market and storytelling grove. Camel rides, giraffe feeding, a spin on the endangered species carousel, and a hop-on, hop-off shuttle cost extra. It’s educational, fun and worth the 15-mile drive down-valley. Allow for a visit of two to three hours.
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Living Desert Zoo & Gardens
Top choice in Greater Palm Springs
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
5.88 MILES
Palm Springs has long been famous a celebrity playground, but few destinations in the valley better exemplify that pedigree than Sunnylands, the retreat…
18.95 MILES
High atop the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Keys View offers panoramic views of the whole Coachella Valley spread out like a picnic blanket. On clear…
13.24 MILES
Art fans should not miss this museum and its changing exhibitions drawn from a stellar collection of international modern and contemporary painting,…
16.72 MILES
This rotating cable car climbs nearly 6000ft vertically and covers five different vegetation zones, from the Sonoran desert floor to pine-scented Mt San…
28.07 MILES
This striking rock labyrinth extends roughly from Indian Cove in the north to Park Blvd in the south and is predictably a popular rock climbers' haunt…
25.29 MILES
As if from a page out of a Dr Seuss book, the whimsical-looking Joshua trees welcome visitors to this 794,000-acre park at the convergence of the Colorado…
26.53 MILES
Old West history buffs will delight in the 90-minute ranger-led tour of this ranch named after its builder, William Keys. He and his family built a…
26.25 MILES
Named as one of California’s important birding areas by the Audubon Society, this preserve encloses a natural spring-fed desert oasis that’s a native…
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