With kids · Palm Springs · United States
Palm Springs with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs · Photo: Mfield , Matthew Field, http://www.photography.mattfield.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Palm Springs works well for families who rent a house with a pool or stay at a family-friendly resort, with the tramway, the Living Desert zoo and easy canyon walks as highlights. Note that many of the small boutique hotels downtown are adults-only. Top picks: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and Indian Canyons. Families usually base themselves in South Palm Springs.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- South Palm Springs
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- February–April
Plan a trip to Palm Springs
Compare flights, places to stay and rental cars, then book with the provider you choose.
Best things to do with kids
Experience · Chino Canyon
1.Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Rotating tram cars climb from the Valley Station in Chino Canyon to the Mountain Station at about 2,600 metres, crossing roughly 4 km of cliffs in around ten minutes while the floor turns slowly so every passenger gets the full view. At the top, the air is often 15–17°C cooler than the valley, with pine forest, viewing terraces and the trailheads of Mount San Jacinto State Park.
Bring a warm layer even in summer, and in winter check for snow at the top; the trails can need proper footwear from December to March.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- On peak winter and spring weekends, buy timed tickets online in advance to avoid long waits at the Valley Station.
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Zoo · Palm Desert
2.Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
This zoo and botanic garden focuses on desert animals and plants from North America and Africa, with giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos, Mexican wolves and bighorn sheep spread across a large desert site. Children can feed giraffes, and the gardens show which plants survive the Colorado Desert.
Arrive at opening in spring or autumn; the animals are most active and the paths are long and exposed by midday.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Nature · Agua Caliente Reservation
3.Indian Canyons
On the ancestral lands of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Palm Canyon holds one of the largest California fan palm oases in the world, with a trail descending from the Trading Post at Hermit's Bench. Andreas Canyon has a gentle loop of about 1.6 km past rock formations and a stream, and Murray Canyon leads to a series of small falls.
Start at Andreas Canyon for an easy shaded walk, then drive on to Palm Canyon; carry plenty of water, as there is little shade on the upper trails.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
- Photo spot
Museum · Palm Springs Airport
4.Palm Springs Air Museum
Beside the airport, three hangars hold flyable and static aircraft from the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam, including fighters, bombers and trainers, with veteran volunteers on hand to explain them. It is one of the valley's best indoor options on a hot or windy day.
Ask at the desk about scheduled flight demonstrations or cockpit days, which run on some weekends.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Garden · South Palm Springs
5.Moorten Botanical Garden
Founded in 1938 by Patricia and Chester 'Cactus Slim' Moorten, this compact family-run garden on South Palm Canyon Drive packs thousands of desert plants from around the world into walking paths around their 1920s house. The glass-roofed Cactarium holds rare cacti and succulents.
It takes under an hour, so pair it with the Indian Canyons a few minutes further south.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Rainy-day ideas
- Palm Springs Air Museum — Ask at the desk about scheduled flight demonstrations or cockpit days, which run on some weekends.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and budget
South Palm Springs
South of downtown along South Palm Canyon Drive, neighbourhoods such as Deepwell and the Canyon Corridor mix 1950s ranch houses, Smoke Tree Ranch and condo complexes around golf courses. It is a natural base for families renting a house with a pool, and the Moorten Botanical Garden and the Indian Canyons are a short drive away.
- Good
- Holiday rentals with private pools; Quiet streets; Close to canyon trailheads
- Watch out
- You need a car for most things; A 5–10 minute drive to downtown dining
- Nearby
- Moorten Botanical Garden, Indian Canyons, Smoke Tree Village shops
Family travel tips
- Check age policies before booking: a large share of the city's small hotels do not accept children.
- Plan outdoor activities for early morning and spend afternoons by the pool, especially from April onwards.
- Andreas Canyon's short streamside loop is the easiest canyon walk for young children.
- Pack warm clothes for the top of the tramway, where it can be cold or snowy while the valley is warm.
- Joshua Tree's Hidden Valley and Jumbo Rocks areas are natural playgrounds for older children who like scrambling.
Day trips for families
- Joshua Tree National Park (About 1 hour to the West Entrance) — Two deserts meet in this national park: the higher Mojave with its forests of Joshua trees and granite boulder piles at Hidden Valley and Jumbo Rocks, and the lower Colorado Desert with the Cholla Cactus Garden.
- Idyllwild (About 1 hour 15 minutes) — A mountain village at about 1,650 metres in the San Jacinto Mountains, with pine forest, cabins, art galleries and trails such as Devil's Slide and the climb towards Tahquitz Peak.
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (About 2 hours) — California's largest state park surrounds the small town of Borrego Springs with badlands, slot canyons and palm oases.
- Cabazon (About 25 minutes) — On the way to or from Los Angeles, Cabazon has the giant roadside Cabazon Dinosaurs, the Desert Hills Premium Outlets and Hadley Fruit Orchards for date shakes and dried fruit.
When to go with children
The best months overall are February–April and November. February–April are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Palm Springs good for kids?
Palm Springs works well for families who rent a house with a pool or stay at a family-friendly resort, with the tramway, the Living Desert zoo and easy canyon walks as highlights. Note that many of the small boutique hotels downtown are adults-only.
+What can kids do in Palm Springs?
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Indian Canyons, Palm Springs Air Museum and Moorten Botanical Garden.
+Where should families stay in Palm Springs?
South Palm Springs: Deepwell, Canyon Corridor and golf-course condos on the road to the Indian Canyons.