Indio Hills Palms facts for kids
Indio Hills Palms Park Property and the Coachella Valley Preserve are super cool places in the Indio Hills. They are home to the amazing 1,000 Palms Oasis. This whole area is protected and is found in the Coachella Valley, which is east of Palm Springs and near Palm Desert, California.
Inside the Coachella Valley Preserve, you'll find the Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. All these spots are part of the Colorado Desert, which is a section of the huge Sonoran Desert. They are also close to the Lower Colorado River Valley region.
The Amazing California Fan Palm Oasis
The Indio Hills Palms Park Property is looked after by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. It's like a state park! The Coachella Valley Preserve is a big area, about 2,206 acres (that's like 1,670 football fields!). A group called the Nature Conservancy helps take care of it.
This preserve is special because it has an oasis in the desert. This oasis gets its water from natural springs. These springs help grow the only native palm tree in California, which is called the California Fan Palm.
You can even see the famous San Andreas Fault from the valley floor. It looks like a green line at the bottom of the hills. This fault helps by trapping groundwater, which then feeds the thirsty palm trees. The 1,000 Palms Oasis is easy to get to. You can walk right to it from the main path!
Meet the Desert Pupfish
In this special preserve, there are natural artesian ponds. These ponds are home to a tiny fish called the Desert pupfish. This fish is an endangered species, meaning it's very rare and needs our protection.
The Desert pupfish is small, about the size of a young goldfish. You can see these little fish in their ponds. They are part of the self-guided tour you can take among the California Fan Palm groves. It's a great chance to see unique desert wildlife!
Saving the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
The Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a special place with limited access. It's a protected habitat for the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard. This lizard is also an endangered species in California.
It's considered a threatened species in the United States. The IUCN, a big international group, also lists it as endangered. Protecting its home helps this unique lizard survive.
