Palm Springs · Things to do

1 Tram Way: rotating cars climb Chino Canyon in about ten minutes to a Mountain Station at 8,516 feet in Mt. San Jacinto State Park, with hiking trails at the top and often snow when the valley is baking. Adults around $39, children 3–10 around $25.50. Bring layers — the temperature drop is severe.

38520 S Palm Canyon Dr, run by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on their ancestral land: palm-lined canyons with rock art, ancient irrigation channels and marked hiking trails. Tahquitz Canyon, with a 60-foot waterfall and its own visitor centre, is a separate site. Check the site before driving out — the canyons close for tribal events.

101 Museum Drive, open Thursday noon–8pm and Friday to Sunday 10am–5pm, closed Monday to Wednesday. Modern and contemporary art plus shows on desert architecture; the same museum runs the Architecture and Design Center, the relocated Aluminaire House and the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden.

37977 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage, a short drive east down the valley. The Center & Gardens — desert planting, exhibitions and a café — are free, open Wednesday to Sunday 8:30am–4pm from mid-September to early June and closed for the summer. Guided tours of the Annenbergs' 25,000 sq ft midcentury house are ticketed at around $58 and sell out in advance.

A family-run desert plant collection going since 1938, with over 3,000 varieties and the Cactarium, a greenhouse of rare specimens. October to May 10am–4pm, closed Wednesdays; June to September 9am–1pm, Friday to Sunday only. $7 adults, $5 veterans, $3 children 5–12, under-5s free. An hour, not an afternoon.