Lost Palms Oasis

The hike to Lost Palms Oasis begins at a smaller oasis, Cottonwood Springs, right at the trailhead. From there, hikers will head east to Lost Palms Oasis over mostly even terrain. The trail is very well marked and visitors can follow signs in and out of various washes over the fairly level ground before arriving at a bluff overlooking the oasis, which holds the highest concentration of native California fan palms in the park. The trail departs from a wash just southeast of the Cottonwood Springs Oasis before beginning a path over rolling desert hills. Soon after beginning, hikers will reach the junction with the Mastodon Peak Loop Trail, which adds about two miles to the hike's total distance. Staying on the Lost Palms trail takes you through boulder piles and desert washes as it climbs before making a sharp drop to the bluff. From here, you can see into the canyon below as well as into the oasis itself. Visitors can scramble down for a closer look, or use this as the turnaround point for the hike. The trailhead for this 7.2-mile, moderately strenuous roundtrip out-and-back hike is at Cottonwood Springs Campground.