Lost Palms Oasis Trail

Lost Palms Oasis Trail is a 7.5-mile round-trip out-and-back from the road-end trailhead at Cottonwood Spring. It crosses open desert washes and rocky ground before dropping to a fan-palm oasis in Lost Palms Canyon. Budget about four hours, then add time if you want to linger among the palms. Published totals range from about 7.2 to 7.5 miles, so plan around the longer figure. This is a good choice if you want a long desert day with an unusual destination; it is a poor fit for a quick stop or a shaded stroll.

The first half mile shares a path with the Mastodon Peak Loop before Lost Palms branches away. That is only a shared approach; the 7.5-mile figure does not include a Mastodon Peak side trip. From there, the route heads east over coarse sand, crossing in and out of washes and over low, rocky rises. Much of the approach is fairly level, but the repeated rises and rough footing make the miles add up. Trail markers help where a wash spreads out. Keep to the marked line instead of assuming the wash bottom is the route, and carry an offline map for the open stretches.

Spring can bring yellow wildflowers across the desert slopes. They are a seasonal bonus, not a reason to expect a carpet of blooms every year. The long approach moves from open washes toward the canyon rim, where the main view finally opens over the palms.

Near the far end, the route descends through a canyon to a bluff above the oasis. From the overlook, a steep, rocky path drops down among the palms. The climb back up is the hardest part of the outing, and the park describes it as strenuous. You can turn around at the bluff and see the palms from above, but that leaves out the short, rough drop into the grove itself. If you go down, save enough energy for the return climb.

For a photograph, frame the palms with the canyon walls from the bluff so the grove sits in its rugged setting. The palms are clustered in the canyon, not spread across a broad lawn or lake shore.

Cottonwood Spring is a smaller oasis beside the trailhead; Lost Palms is a separate destination several miles farther on. Lost Palms is one of the park's five fan-palm oases. A permanent water source supports the palms and other plants and gives birds and mammals a reason to gather there. Bighorn sheep are seen occasionally, but wildlife is never guaranteed. Treat the oasis as habitat, not as a place to refill your drinking water.

There is very little shade on the route. The park advises against hiking it in summer heat, and its trail guidance is to bring adequate food and water and protect yourself from the sun. Carry all the water you need for the full round trip; the oasis is not a reliable drinking-water stop. Pets are not allowed on park hiking trails.

Start at the Lost Palms Oasis Trailhead at the end of Cottonwood Spring Road, about one mile east of Cottonwood Visitor Center. The parking area is also the access for the short walk to Cottonwood Spring. If you are going only to see palms and do not want a long exposed hike, the spring beside the lot is a much shorter stop, though it is not the Lost Palms destination.