We will be in Palm Springs in April for 5 nights/4 days. We love to hike and visit the desert/mountains. I'm looking at the following areas as possibilitis:

1) Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
2) Joshua Tree National Park
3) Palm Canyon in Indian Canyon
4) Mystery Canyon - can anyone tell me how to get here? I can't find it on any maps.
5) San Andreas Fault - what is a good place to see the Fault near Palm Springs?

About any of the above, I would love to hear opinions on the park, how long we should spend there, any suggested routes from Palm Springs. Are any of these places close enough together that we could go to two in one day? Thanks a million!!

I forgot to mention that we are renting an SUV so hopefully that will help us see some of the sights in these parks!

Your #1 choice is a bit of a drive. With the shorter daylight hours this time of year, I think you'd be on the road for too much of the day to get to see much. Joshua Tree and Palm Canyon are both very doable.
I've never heard of anyone visiting the faultline. It's not like something that you drive along and is visible.

There are various stables in Palm Springs that rent horses for riding through the canyons. Here's information on some of the stables in case that might be of interest to you. It's a fun way to see the canyons and some of the waterfalls.

Los Compadres Stable, Guided trail rides and elite personalized tours, 1849 S. El Cielo Road, Palm Springs. 760-327-5411.

Coyote Ridge Stables Guided trail rides through the cool foothills of Morongo Valley. Specializing in private rides for small groups. 50639 Panorama Dr. Morongo Valley, CA 92256
760-363-3380
By Reservation Only

Smoke Tree Stables
Riding in the Desert, Mountains and Indian Reservation Canyons. Hay wagon rides, Western cookouts and horseback luncheon rides.
2500 Toledo Ave., Palm Springs,
760 327-1372

If you're really into hiking, you might also consider taking the tram to the top and do some hiking up there. Be warned though that this is a pretty strenuous hiking area.

You might also want to contact the local museum, since they sometimes host guided hikes in the local area for various levels.

Enjoy the area - April is a great time of year in the desert.

joshua tree is great and if i recall correctly, only about 1/2 hour from palm springs.
i've had friends that have purchased the "package" that includes the tram ride and dinner at the top. so, you could go up early afternoon and waunder for a while then have dinner. i hear it is a good deal & good food.

We visited Joshua Tree National Park 2 years ago for a day. It was a hot summer day, and we spent most of the time in the car. We did take some of the small hiking paths through the different varieties of cactus plants. In its own way, it was very beautiful. In one spot there is a nice view of the valley, but on this day, we could see a lot of pollution too. If we are in the area again, I would go back and see some of the areas we didn't get to. Be sure to stop at one of the interpretation booths for more information.

There is a great natural history museum in Palm Desert, can't remember the exact name but lots of fun.

A 3rd vote for Joshua Tree - don't miss it and allow one full day there. It would take 2 hours + to get to Anza-Borrego so you might not want to go there. I have heard of Mystery Canyon, but don't know where it is either. Have fun!

Wanted to disagree with the post saying you can't visit a fault line. You sure can. Look up Jurassic Expeditions on the Web and you will see a company that will take you on a tour of the area. While I work for a tour operator (not this one) I highly recommend a tour as opposed to trying to do this yourself. This is one thing that you will want pointed out and explained. I think it runs about $62 per person and is well worth it.

I highly recommend Joshua Tree. I was there in Decemeber and had a great time climbing on the rocks.

We rode the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The fault line was clearly visible from the mountain. (I didn't realize it was something that you could actually see.) I agree that the tour suonsd like a good idea- they'll know exactly where to take you for an up close and personal visit with the fault line.

In addition to Joshua Tree..

you can take the aerial tram up the mountain ( mt peak is about 8500 ft) and hike along 54 miles of trails in Mt. San Jacinto State Park

The peak of Mt. San jacinto is actually almost 11,000 feet msl. The top of the tram, where you would start the hike via Round Valley is about 8,500'. The summit trail is a good hike.

And yes, per the other posters, you can take jeep tours of the San Andreas fault and see many of the palm oases that are created by the upwelling of water between the Pacific and North American plates. Because there has been an historic and prehistoric source of water, there is a lot of ethnography along the fault line (e.g. artifacts, petroglpyphs, etc). The tour is worthwhile. You can easily see the fault line from all over the valley, as evidenced by the palm trees lining it.

My recommendation would be to do Joshua Tree, the Indian Canyons and maybe the fault tour if you want to spend the money. Anza-Borrego is not that far, perhaps an hour and a half at best, but you should be easily satisfied by the others without having to spend a lot of time in the car. Joshua Tree itself is immense. If you have an RV you might consider overnighting at Black Rock, jumbo Rocks or another campground. The NPS website has good info on the park.

For a good overview of the ethnology, geology, flora and fauna of the lower Colorado desert, I suggest a trip to The Living Desert in Palm Desert.