A Guide to the Best of Southern California : TREKS : Bird Land

A REMARKABLE meeting of arid desert territory and lush underground wellsprings produced the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve on Route 62 in Morongo Valley, just north of Palm Springs. More than 200 species of birds flock to it for its year-round water supply and riparian vegetation.

In this oasis wonderland, you’ll hear frogs croaking, birds singing, woodpeckers tapping. Brightly colored birds can be seen darting through the dense cottonwood forest and swaying cattails, something of a miracle in the barren high-desert mountains. Boardwalks allow visitors to cross marshes and streams, and the well-marked trails are fairly short and level for easy hiking. The preserve is open seven days a week, free of charge, under the stewardship of the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County.