Lost Palms Oasis Trail
The hike to Lost Palms Oasis begins at a smaller oasis, Cottonwood Springs, right at the trailhead.
Plan Around Lost Palms Oasis Trail
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Lost Palms Oasis Trail Details
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 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.
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
7.2 miles
Estimated time
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Lost Palms Oasis Trail
Compare nearby parks around Lost Palms Oasis Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Lost Palms Oasis Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Lost Palms Oasis Trail while the map context is still fresh.
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Lost Palms Oasis
The hike to Lost Palms Oasis begins at a smaller oasis, Cottonwood Springs, right at the trailhead.
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Cottonwood Spring Nature Trail
The Cottonwood Spring Oasis, seven miles from the southern entrance to the park, was used for centuries by the Cahuilla Native Americans.
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Cottonwood Spring Oasis
Seven miles from the southern entrance of the park, Cottonwood Spring Oasis offers plentiful day-use activities as well as nearby camping.
0.1 mi away
Mastodon Peak Trail
Mastodon Peak, at 3,440 feet, stands sentinel over Cottonwood Spring Oasis and portions of the Lost Palms Oasis Trail.
0.6 mi away
Cottonwood Picnic Area
The shady Cottonwood Spring picnic area is located at the Cottonwood Spring Campground.
