If you’re looking for a kid-friendly Palm Desert hike that feels like a real desert adventure, the Wilderness Loop Trail is well worth considering. This Living Desert Hike gives families a chance to leave the zoo paths behind and hike through rocky desert scenery, a fun boulder field and beautiful views from the slopes of Eisenhower Mountain.
It’s one of the best Kid-Friendly Palm Springs hiking trails for families who want something more active than a short nature walk, but not quite as demanding as some of the bigger desert hikes nearby.
We hiked the Wilderness Loop With Kids during our family trip to Palm Springs with Kids, and it ended up being one of our favourite hikes in the area. Since it starts inside The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, it’s easy to combine with a zoo visit, but don’t worry, this is not a gimmicky zoo hike. The Wilderness Loop Trail feels like a proper Palm Desert hiking trail, with enough rocks, views and variety to keep kids interested.
That said, this hike is longer and more rugged than you might expect from a trail connected to a zoo. In this post, I’ll share what the Wilderness Loop Trail is really like with kids, including the trail distance, difficulty, seasonal closures, what to expect on the boulder field, and the practical tips that made this hike work well for our family.
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Why We Liked This Living Desert Hike with Kids
The Living Desert Wilderness Loop hike is one of the most popular Palm Desert hikes. Here are the top reasons our family enjoyed the Wilderness Loop hike:
This Living Desert hiking trail leads you through a 2,700-foot (820 m) ‘boulder field.’ There are warning signs about the boulder field which sound intimidating, but it wasn’t nearly as difficult as we expected. In fact, our kids thought it was one of the most fun parts of the hike. The black and white speckled rocks in the boulder field add to the beauty of this mountain canyon.
The rugged Eisenhower Mountain terrain along the Wilderness Loop Trail is so interesting that even our kids noticed. The unique terrain is fun for kids to play and climb on and is a big part of what makes this one of the best kid-friendly hiking trails in Palm Springs.
As you reach the far end of the Wilderness Loop Trail and start to come back down along a ridgetop trail, the elevated views of Palm Desert, Palm Springs and the surrounding mountains are incredible.
Because the Wilderness Loop starts inside The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, it makes for an especially kid-friendly outing. The Living Desert Zoo has been named one of the Top 10 Zoos in the United States, making it worth a visit even without hiking the Wilderness Loop Trail.
What to Expect on the Wilderness Loop Trail
As you may guess by the name, this kid-friendly Palm Desert hike is a loop trail, giving you two directions to choose from. We hiked the Wilderness Loop trail counter-clockwise as the slope of the incline is less steep going counter-clockwise and the scenery is better suited to hiking in this direction.
We recommend you hike the Living Desert Wilderness Loop trail counter-clockwise as well.
The Flatlands and San Andreas Fault Detour
The Wilderness Loop hike begins in the flatlands leading up to Eisenhower Mountain. The flat and wide hiking trail has a rocky hill on the right with arid desert scrub on the left.
There’s an opportunity to take a small detour up the side of the hill to see and learn about the impact the nearby San Andreas fault has had on the local geography.
After the second picnic area, you’ll see a bunch of warning signs about how difficult the trail is about to become. We recommend you read the stats and our description of the Wilderness Loop hike below and make your decision based on your knowledge of your family’s hiking capabilities. Only you will know if the Living Desert Wilderness Loop hike will be too hard for your family.
The Boulder Field
At this point, the Wilderness Loop starts to feel more like a true hiking trail at this stage as it enters a beautiful Eisenhower Mountain valley. You’ll see another intimidating sign warning hikers about the boulder field, but we didn’t find it nearly as challenging as it sounded. In reality, it’s more like a ‘small rock field‘…
Sure, there are boulders on either side of the hiking trail, but the biggest rocks you’ll encounter on the path can be stepped on (or over) without any climbing or scrambling required. In fact, we discovered that these rocks are perfect for playing an epic game of Hot Lava with your kids!
Before entering the boulder field, we talked to hikers who had turned back because of the warning sign. They encouraged us to turn back too. We’re so glad we went to see for ourselves as it was so much fun! Not scary at all!
Check out our pictures of the Boulder Field, the rocks don’t get much worse than that.
Middle Slopes of Eisenhower Mountain
The first 1.7 miles (2.8 km) of the Living Desert Wilderness Trail is easy and quite flat. As you exit the boulder field, the trail starts to climb up the side of the canyon wall.
Here, the Wilderness Loop Trail becomes narrower, with rock steps and the occasional steep drop-off. The rocky canyon scenery keeps getting better as you hike farther into the canyon, with the mountains in the distance feeling bigger the higher you climb. It’s a very beautiful scene.
At the end of the canyon, the Wilderness Loop Trail turns sharply to the left and continues its moderate climb up the slopes of Eisenhower Mountain. The rock formations along this section are really fun, and our kids loved them so much that the uphill walk felt almost effortless.
After 2.8 miles / 4.5 km, you reach the highest point on this Eisenhower Mountain trail. Here you can stop at the Eisenhower Mt. Picnic Area and treat your family to a well-deserved rest at the covered picnic table.
Ridge Walk Back to The Living Desert
The final leg descends along an Eisenhower Mountain ridgeline back toward The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, with spectacular views in all directions. The green golf courses of Palm Springs really stand out against the giant arid mountains which surround the city.
The descent down Eisenhower Mountain is mostly a moderate decline, but there is a short stretch where it gets a little steeper. The hiking trail is gravel, so it can get slippery in spots.
Before long, you’re back in the flatlands making a beeline back towards the Living Desert Zoo. No really, there’s literally a bee exhibit right next to the trailhead!
The Wilderness Loop Trail Hike Stats
Wilderness Loop Trail Distance
The full round-trip distance of this Living Desert hiking trail is 5.4 miles / 8.7 km.
Elevation Gain on the Wilderness Loop Trail
This kid-friendly Palm Desert hike is a slow, steady climb up the lower western slopes of Eisenhower Mountain. The total elevation gain on this hike is 745 feet / 227 m.
You may be interested to know that the elevation of Eisenhower Mountain is 1,922 feet (586 m) above sea level. Your family will make it more than halfway up as this Mount Eisenhower hiking trail tops out at 1,007 feet (307 m).
How Hard is the Living Desert Wilderness Loop?
We’d rate this Palm Desert hiking trail as a ‘moderate family hike‘, mostly due to its length. The Wilderness Loop hike can be split into three distinct difficulty sections:
The first 1.6 miles (2.5 km) are easy. Here, the Wilderness Loop trail is so flat you’ll barely notice the 98 feet / 30 m elevation gain.
The next 1.2 miles (2 km) is the only section of noticeable uphill hiking on this Eisenhower Mountain trail. You’ll gain roughly 490 feet / 150 m over this stretch for an average slope of 8%.
The remaining 2.7 miles (4.3 km) is either downhill or flat.
As you can see, only 1.2 miles of this Living Desert Zoo hiking trail will present any physical challenge. It’s not an easy hike by any stretch, but you’re not summiting San Jacinto Peak either. It’s a moderate Palm Desert hike and our 4 & 6-year-old kids did it without breaking a sweat.
If your family is reasonably active, you should have no trouble hiking the Living Desert Wilderness Loop with kids.
How Long will the Wilderness Loop Hike Take?
It took us 3.5 hours to hike the Wilderness Loop trail with our kids (4 hours including breaks). This is a little faster than usual for a hike of this length as our kids were having so much fun, they ran a decent amount of the hike.
At our typical adult hiking pace, we’d expect hikers without kids to complete the Wilderness Loop in 2 to 2.5 hours. By way of comparison, the Living Desert Zoo webpage estimates the Wilderness Loop hike will take between 3-5 hours. Budget your time based on your capabilities.
Hiking the Wilderness Loop Trail with Kids
This Living Desert hiking trail may seem a bit long for some kids, but it’s fun and not that hard. Chances are good your kids will handle this hike without issue if they are reasonably active.
Here are a few other considerations for hiking the Living Desert Wilderness Loop hike with kids:
Because the hike starts inside The Living Desert, there are washrooms around the animal exhibits. Make sure everyone goes before starting the hike, as there are no facilities on the trail.
There are also drinking water stations throughout the zoo, but none on the trail. The Living Desert Zoo recommends hikers bring a minimum of 2 quarts of water per person on the Wilderness Loop. We recommend both parents carry water bladders for maximum ergonomic water storage.
It was cloudy and even a bit chilly on the day we hiked the Wilderness Trail in mid-February. But typically, your biggest risk on this Living Desert hiking trail is sun exposure. Be sure your kids wear hiking hats, have ample sunscreen on and stop for frequent water breaks. If they are not asking to stop and pee, they haven’t had enough water.
The Wilderness Loop hike is not stroller accessible, but it’s common in Palm Springs for parents to carry their baby or toddler on their backs in a carrier.
Dogs are not allowed in the Living Desert Zoo, and as such, are not permitted on the Wilderness Loop Trail either.
Most kids love climbing on rocks and there are plenty of opportunities for them to show off their monkey skills on this fun kid-friendly Palm Desert hike.
The Wilderness Loop Trail Location
The Wilderness Loop Trail is within The Living Desert’s nature preserve and can only be accessed with paid admission to the zoo. The Palm Springs zoo has been ranked one of the top zoos in the USA.
Visiting the Living Desert Zoo and adding on the Wilderness Loop hike is one of the best things to do in Palm Springs with kids.
The Living Desert Zoo is in the southern part of Palm Desert. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Central Palm Springs, but it only took us 15 minutes from our kid-friendly Palm Desert hotel.
The Wilderness Loop Trail is on the eastern edge of the Living Desert Zoo. Its location is easy to find on the map of the zoo and by using the helpful sign posts within the zoo.
Living Desert Hiking Trails Seasonal Closure
Please note the Living Desert hiking trails are closed for the summer. The hiking trails are open from October 1 – May 31 every year.
Wilderness Loop Trail Map and Navigation
The good folks at the Living Desert Zoo have put up a lot of useful signage all along the hiking trail, so you likely won’t need a Wilderness Loop Trail map. Simply enter the hiking trail near the Native Bee Garden and you’ll be on your way – just follow the trail signs.
When we need a hiking trail map, we always use the AllTrails hiking app when we go hiking with our kids. We downloaded the Wilderness Loop trail map in the AllTrails app on our phones and followed along using GPS.
AllTrails Map
Download the Living Desert Wilderness Loop trail map for peace of mind knowing you are on the right hiking trail.
Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break
There are several covered picnic tables along the Wilderness Loop hike, all of which are noted on the trail map.
We stopped for lunch at one of the lower picnic tables to eat our packed lunch and then at the Eisenhower Mountain Picnic Area at the very top to eat raspberries and the yummy freshly baked cookies from our hotel lobby.
If the picnic tables are full, there are plenty of spots along the trail to lay down a hiking picnic blanket. Finally, there are plenty of benches found along the lower parts of the trail in the flatlands below Eisenhower Mountain.
Wilderness Loop Safety Tips
The Wilderness Loop hike is a popular, kid-friendly Palm Desert hike. The vast majority of families hiking here will not have any safety incidents, but here are a few safety tips for hiking in Palm Desert with kids:
There are a few sections of trail where there are steep drop-offs. Hold little hands for safety during these sections.
Some potentially dangerous animals live around the Living Desert hiking trails, including bobcats, coyotes, and rattlesnakes. We didn’t see any of these animals and chances are very good you won’t either but be aware especially if your kids like to run ahead or dawdle behind.
What to Bring for Hiking in Palm Desert with Kids
We do a ton of hiking with our kids and know that bringing the right kids hiking gear along is important. Equally important is not bringing too much unnecessary gear.
Specific to hiking in Palm Desert with kids, we’d like to reiterate the importance of each parent having a hydration pack filled to the brim with water, hiking hats, and sunscreen.
You could probably manage this hike in regular shoes, but hiking shoes with good grip are a better choice with the boulder field, rocky terrain and the steep gravel downhill section.
Read More
As you can see, we hike with our kids a lot. Learn from our experiences with our best tips for hiking with kids.
Is the Wilderness Loop Worth Hiking with Kids?
The Wilderness Loop is a beautiful, kid-friendly Palm Desert hike and an easy add-on to a visit to The Living Desert. The Living Desert Zoo is an excellent thing to do with kids in Palm Desert, so combining the Wilderness Loop hike with a visit to the zoo will make for a memorable family outing.
We hope you enjoy this kid-friendly hike as much as we did. We think it’s one of the best hikes in Palm Desert for kids!
Our Palm Springs and Joshua Tree Family Trip
Our experience on the Wilderness Loop Trail was part of a two-week family trip to the Southern California desert. During our vacation we enjoyed visiting Palm Springs with kids, before heading out of town to enjoy the best things to do in Joshua Tree National Park with kids.
Our Travel Journal for Kids
Based on our family travels, our kids helped us design this Travel Journal for Active Kids! This engaging travel journal encourages kids to document their adventures, spark creativity, and stay entertained on the go – grab yours now on Amazon!
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