Whitewater Preserve

Address: 9160 Whitewater Canyon Road, Whitewater, CA 92282
Phone Number: (760) 325-7222
Website: wildlandsconservancy.org

Whitewater Preserve is a free, 2,246-acre Wildlands Conservancy preserve in Whitewater Canyon, northwest of Palm Springs. Centered on the year-round Whitewater River and a restored former trout-farm site, it gives visitors a cool-water stop with wading ponds, Pacific Crest Trail access, and routes into surrounding wilderness.

Water, Trails, and Picnics

The preserve combines river habitat, wading ponds, picnic opportunities, and access to wilderness trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail. Visitors come to hike, watch wildlife and birds, picnic, camp overnight, and join free staff-led education programs. A limited-capacity campground makes the preserve useful for people planning more than a daytime stop.

A Living Canyon Corridor

Mature native sycamores, cottonwoods, willows, and wetlands line this riparian canyon beneath desert mountains. The preserve forms an important wildlife corridor between the San Bernardino and San Jacinto ranges, with bighorn sheep, deer, bear, and endangered songbirds among the animals associated with the area. Observe wildlife quietly and from a distance.

Check Before You Go

Reservations may be required at busy times, including weekend visits during the hot season and camping, so check ahead before you go. Rangers ask visitors to check in before the posted closing time. Pack out everything you bring, and leave rocks and plants where you find them to help protect the preserve.

Bring a picnic, walking shoes, and a plan for your visit, then let the river corridor set the pace. Its canyon setting rewards a measured, low-impact visit for visitors.