Mecca Hills Wilderness
The Mecca Hills Wilderness is near the town of Indio, about an hour southeast of Palm Springs, California. The dramatic and colorful Mecca Hills were formed by the convergence of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate along the San Andreas Fault. The powerful fault system there has pushed up and overturned layers of rock—some over 600 million years old—which provide important information to scientists about the impact of earthquakes on the Earth’s crust. And mineral deposits in the Mecca Hills result in hues of rose, pink, red, purple and green.

 

In addition to countless opportunities for cross-country exploration for adventurous hikers, two marked trails offer hikes to particularly scenic spots. Painted Canyon offers a moderate hike of up to five miles round trip through colorful rock formations. The entire canyon is scenic, so shorter hikes are also rewarding. A second six-mile roundtrip hike accesses Hidden Springs, an oasis of California fan palms that surprises visitors as they come upon it in the stark desert canyon.

 

Photo by Jesse Pluim, BLM.