The 5 Most Beautiful Places to Spend Time in Nature Near Palm Springs, According to a Travel Photographer on Reddit
Palm Springs sits at one of the most dramatic natural intersections on the planet — a desert city wedged between the 10,000-foot wall of Mount San Jacinto and the vast sweep of the Coachella Valley. Most visitors come for the pools and mid-century architecture. But travel photographers know the real show is outside the city limits, where ancient canyons, alien rock formations, and wildflower blooms create landscapes that rival anywhere on Earth. Reddit communities — r/PalmSprings, r/EarthPorn, and r/travel — have built a strong consensus on where to point your lens. Here are the five most beautiful spots, straight from those who've actually been there.
1. Indian Canyons — Ancient Palm Oases at the Edge of the City
Just minutes south of downtown, the Indian Canyons — managed by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians — contain one of the largest natural California fan palm oases in the world, with thousands of native palms towering above spring-fed streams and boulder-strewn creek beds. Palm Canyon is the most expansive, with golden canyon walls fringed with rustling palms. "The morning light through the palm fronds is unlike anything I've photographed anywhere," wrote one r/EarthPorn contributor. Andreas Canyon is smaller and more intimate, praised for stream reflections and lush vegetation that feels wildly out of place in the Sonoran Desert.
Photographer's Tip
Arrive within the first hour of opening (usually 8 a.m. in peak season). Canyon walls glow amber and shadows stay dramatic. By midday the light flattens and crowds arrive. Commercial photography requires a permit from the Agua Caliente tribe.
Best Time to Visit: October through April | Difficulty: Easy to moderate
2. Joshua Tree National Park — The Desert's Most Iconic Landscape
No nature list from the Palm Springs region is complete without Joshua Tree National Park, and Reddit photographers are emphatic about it. Located roughly 45 minutes northeast, the park sits at the junction of two distinct desert ecosystems — the Mojave and the Sonoran — creating a landscape of staggering visual drama: gnarled Joshua trees with their upstretched arms, massive stacked granite boulder formations, and a silence so complete it feels almost physical.
Reddit's photography community has identified several unmissable spots. The Cholla Cactus Garden at sunrise, when backlit cholla spines ignite like fiber optic cables, is frequently cited as one of the most breathtaking 15 minutes in California photography. Skull Rock — an eroded granite boulder that bears an uncanny resemblance to a human skull — is easily accessible and endlessly photogenic. Jumbo Rocks Campground at golden hour bathes the enormous granite formations in a warm copper light that Redditors describe as "honestly unreal."
For astrophotography, Joshua Tree is one of Southern California's darkest designated sky zones, and Reddit's night photography threads consistently rank it among the top five locations west of the Mississippi.
Photographer's Tip
Shoot the Hidden Valley Nature Trail at dawn before the crowds arrive. The combination of Joshua tree silhouettes against a pink and purple sky is the shot that defines this landscape. Bring a wide-angle lens and sturdy tripod.
Best Time to Visit: November through April (summer heat is extreme) | Difficulty: Easy to strenuous, depending on trail
3. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway & Mount San Jacinto — From Desert to Alpine in 10 Minutes
One of the most jaw-dropping nature experiences in the continental United States costs a tram ticket and takes about 10 minutes. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway ascends 5,873 vertical feet from the Sonoran Desert floor to the cool pine and fir forests of Mount San Jacinto State Park — the equivalent of driving from Mexico to Canada in ecological terms, according to one r/travel commenter who couldn't believe what they were seeing.
The views from the top station at 8,516 feet are staggering — a 360-degree panorama sweeping across the entire Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea shimmering in the distance, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness to the north. From the mountain station, hikers can push further on trails ranging from gentle loops to a demanding 11-mile round-trip summit ascent to San Jacinto Peak at 10,834 feet.
Reddit photographers rave especially about riding the tram at golden hour, when the desert below turns from gold to orange to deep violet as the sun drops. "The colors from the top at sunset look like a painting someone decided was too beautiful to be realistic," wrote one r/PalmSprings photographer. Note that the tramway has annual fall maintenance closures, typically from September to mid-October.
Photographer's Tip
Take the last tram up and the first tram back down the next morning — overnight camping is allowed in the wilderness above with a free permit from California State Parks. Sunrise above the clouds from San Jacinto Peak is a once-in-a-lifetime frame.
Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall | Difficulty: Easy (tram) to very strenuous (summit)
4. Thousand Palms Oasis — The San Andreas Fault's Hidden Garden
The Thousand Palms Oasis Reserve is one of the desert's best-kept secrets, and Palm Springs-based photographers on Reddit return to it again and again. Managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management, this 20,000-acre preserve sits directly atop the San Andreas Fault — and it's that geological tension that creates the miracle: groundwater is pushed to the surface along the fault line, nourishing a dense oasis of California fan palms that shelter coyotes, great horned owls, and desert bighorn sheep.
The McCallum Trail winds through increasingly lush palm groves before opening into the main oasis, where towering palms create a cathedral-like canopy over a still, reflective pool. Reddit photographers describe it as "the most cinematic 30 minutes of hiking you can do anywhere near Palm Springs." Spring wildflower season transforms the surrounding desert into a riot of color — yellow brittlebush, purple phacelia, and orange desert poppies blanketing the approach trails.
Photographer's Tip
The midday light is actually beautiful here — the canopy creates dappled leaf patterns on the water and palm trunks. Visit on a weekday to have the oasis almost entirely to yourself.
Best Time to Visit: February through April for wildflowers | Difficulty: Easy
5. The San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm — Unexpected Industrial Beauty
Few Reddit recommendations surprise first-time visitors quite like this one. The vast San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, stretching along both sides of I-10 as you approach Palm Springs from the west, is not a traditional nature destination — but travel photographers on Reddit are unanimous that it deserves a spot on this list. More than 4,000 white turbines rotate against a backdrop of the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Mountains, their geometric precision set against the raw, craggy wilderness behind them.
"I never expected wind turbines to be one of the most beautiful things I'd ever photographed," wrote one r/travel photographer. "At sunrise, the turbines glow orange and the mountains behind them are still purple-blue." The best viewpoint is a dirt service road on the west side of Indian Canyon Road, north of Palm Springs — a location Reddit's photography community has quietly passed along for years.
Photographer's Tip
Shoot at sunrise heading into Palm Springs — the light illuminates the turbines against the dark mountain backdrop, with a mix of still and spinning blades creating natural visual rhythm.
Best Time to Visit: Year-round | Difficulty: Easy (roadside)
Plan Your Nature Itinerary
| Location | Distance from Palm Springs | Best For | Golden Hour Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Canyons | 5 minutes | Canyon & oasis photography | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Joshua Tree NP | 45 minutes | Desert & astrophotography | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Aerial Tramway | 10 minutes | Panoramic & alpine scenery | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | 25 minutes | Wildlife & wildflowers | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Wind Farm | 20 minutes west | Unique industrial landscape | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Reddit's universal advice for desert photography: Always carry more water than you think you need, start early to beat the heat and the crowds, and never underestimate the speed with which desert light changes. The difference between a good shot and a great one is often measured in minutes — sometimes seconds. Set your alarm.