Whitewater Preserve

Whitewater Preserve is a 2,246-acre canyon just off Interstate 10, a few miles past the bottom of Highway 62, where the Whitewater River runs all year below the San Bernardino Mountains. Admission is free, there are shaded picnic tables, lawns and ponds by the parking lot, and leashed dogs are allowed on its trails, which you can't do in Joshua Tree National Park. From Yucca Valley it's about 45 minutes to an hour by car.

About the preserve

A trout farm and lodge operated on this land from the 1930s. In 2006 Friends of the Desert Mountains bought the property with state bond funds and passed it to The Wildlands Conservancy, the nonprofit that runs it today. The old lodge is now the ranger station and visitor center, and the former trout ponds are still there, along with lawns, shaded picnic tables, drinking fountains, accessible restrooms and paved paths.

The river starts on San Gorgonio Mountain and flows through the canyon year-round. In 2016 the preserve became part of the new Sand to Snow National Monument, and in 2019 the Whitewater River was added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The preserve sits between about 2,075 and 3,050 feet, lower than Yucca Valley at roughly 3,300 feet, so expect it to feel a little warmer on the same day.

The trails

Canyon View Loop

The preserve's best-known hike starts at the ranger station, follows the river wash, crosses the water on small wooden footbridges, then joins the Pacific Crest Trail and climbs a ridge. From the ridge you get views of the Coachella Valley and the San Jacinto Mountains. Published numbers vary: the Friends of the Desert Mountains trail guide lists 3.6 miles with about 670 feet of elevation gain, while other guides put it near 4 miles and closer to 800 feet. Plan on two to three hours. Expect a stone staircase and switchbacks, and no shade to speak of once you leave the canyon floor.

Tropical Storm Hilary washed out Whitewater Canyon Road and damaged the trails in August 2023. The preserve reopened that December, but for a while the loop couldn't be completed and was hiked as an out-and-back to a viewpoint. A hiker's report from March 2026 describes walking the loop again, with signs of heavy flood-control work along the wash. Conditions change after every big storm, so ask at the ranger station before you start.

Red Dome

For a flatter walk, follow the Pacific Crest Trail up the river's floodplain to Red Dome, a red rock outcrop that stands out against the pale stones of the wash. The Pacific Crest Trail Association lists it at about 4.3 miles round trip. The river crossing near the start is usually easy but can run higher during spring snowmelt.

Short walks

If you'd rather stay close to the car, the paved paths, ponds and lawns around the ranger station make an easy hour with kids or older relatives, and the interpretive displays in the visitor center explain the canyon. Staff there can tell you which trails are open that day.

Wildlife

The Wildlands Conservancy lists desert bighorn sheep, deer and black bears among the preserve's animals, along with two endangered songbirds, the southwestern willow flycatcher and least Bell's vireo. Summer tanagers and vermilion flycatchers are on its list too, and more than 200 bird species have been recorded in the area, so bring binoculars if you have them. The conservancy also names mountain lions, black bears and rattlesnakes as hazards. Keep children close, stay on the trail and watch where you put your hands and feet.

When to go

Winter and spring are the most comfortable months for hiking. Summer is when many families from the Coachella Valley and the Banning area come to cool off in the river, and under a Riverside County fire closure order the preserve has required reservations for summer weekends, requested by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before. Weekdays have stayed open without reservations, weather permitting. Rain matters most: the road and trails sit in a flood-prone canyon, and the preserve closes during flash flood warnings and reopens day by day.

The gate is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is locked at closing, so don't start a long hike late in the afternoon. The preserve also closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Getting there

Take Highway 62 south from Yucca Valley through Morongo Valley and down to Interstate 10, then head west about three miles to the Whitewater exit (exit 114). Turn right on Tipton Road, then left on Whitewater Canyon Road, and follow it about 5 miles to where it ends at the preserve's parking area. It's roughly 28 miles from Yucca Valley, and parking is free.

Bringing your dog

Dogs are welcome at Whitewater on a leash, which makes it a good outing if one is traveling with you. Joshua Tree National Park doesn't allow dogs on any of its trails; our notes on visiting Joshua Tree with a dog cover where they can go in the park. Carry water for both of you and keep your dog close, since rattlesnakes are on the conservancy's hazard list. The house is dog-friendly too, on a fully fenced lot.

Pair it with

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is just off Highway 62 in Morongo Valley, so it's easy to visit both on one morning; see our Big Morongo Canyon guide. Whitewater also makes a good first stop on a Palm Springs day trip or before a ride up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

Know before you go

• Free. No entrance fee and free parking. Check The Wildlands Conservancy's website or call the preserve for current hours and closures before you drive down.
• Hours. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the gate locked at closing.
• Summer weekends. Reservations have been required on summer weekends; request one by 5 p.m. the Wednesday before.
• Not allowed. Fires of any kind, charcoal grills, alcohol, smoking, drones, bikes and e-bikes, fishing and collecting. Propane stoves are allowed.
• Getting in the water. The posted rules for the river and the ponds differ and have changed over the years, so read the signs before anyone wades in.
• Storms. The canyon floods. Skip it when rain is forecast and expect closures afterward.

After a morning by the river, the stock-tank pool and hot tub at the house are about an hour back up the hill. Check dates and save Whitewater for a cool, dry morning.