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Explore the variety of things to do when visiting The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Explore the variety of things to do when visiting The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

so many Things to do

interactive Attractions

Find out what’s going on today, tomorrow, and later this month you social butterfly.

Daily Program Schedule at the Zoo

Today at
the Zoo

Daily Program Schedule at the Zoo

Today at the Zoo

There's always something happening at The Living Desert. Plan your visit around our Today at the Zoo program schedule. Find out what’s going on today, tomorrow, and later this month you social butterfly.

Today at the Zoo

Meet your new one-ton bestie through this unique Rhino Encounter experience. This semi-private encounter will take you to an exclusive animal care area to meet one of our black rhinos – Nia or Jaali – up close!

Rhino Encounter at The Living Desert

Rhino Encounter

Rhino Encounter at The Living Desert

Rhino Encounter

Rhino Encounter

Meet your new one-ton bestie through this unique Rhino Encounter experience. This semi-private encounter will take you to an exclusive animal care area to meet one of our black rhinos – Nia or Jaali – up close.

The Rhino Care Team will introduce you to The Living Desert's black rhinos, while offering fascinating insights into the species’ natural biology, what it takes to care for these massive mammals, and an insider’s perspective about their individual personalities. You’ll walk away with life-long memories and insights into how we can collectively work to protect rhinos from extinction.

Encounters are offered daily and are $45/person for members and $50/person for non-members. Each session accommodates up to 10 guests.

Make your plans today!

 

Come nose-to-nose with the world’s tallest animal. An experience of a lifetime, giraffe feeding gives guests a one-on-one encounter with these graceful giants.

Feed a giraffe at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Feed a
Giraffe

Feed a giraffe at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Feed a Giraffe

Come nose-to-nose with the world’s tallest animal. An experience of a lifetime, giraffe feeding gives guests a one-on-one encounter with these graceful giants.

Be sure to have your camera ready! Photos and fun are part of this experience.

Members: $8 per feeding
Non-members: $10 per feeding

October 1 - May 31 9:00am – 3:00pm 

June 1 - September 30 8:00am – 12:00pm

By participating in the giraffe feeding, guests agree to follow directions and guidelines provided by staff to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all of our guests and animals.

For the safety of the animals, you are only permitted to feed food that is provided by the Zoo. The giraffes' diet is carefully monitored and approved by The Living Desert's animal care and veterinary teams.

Treat yourself at one of our many dining and shopping options, open daily.

Thorn Tree Grill

Dining and
Shopping

Thorn Tree Grill

Dining and Shopping

Dine at one of four delicious restaurants, picnic with family and friends, stay hydrated at our many water stations, order and pickup food from The Thorn Tree Grill, get a snack at the new Crash Cafe and discover unique gifts to remember your visit. 

Treat yourself

Crash the party and visit the new multi-species and state-of-the-art habitat home to 12 African species, including black rhinos, Nia and Jaali. 

Black rhino at The Living Desert

Rhino
Savanna

Black rhino at The Living Desert

Rhino Savanna

Rhino Savanna in Now Open

Located just inside the Zoo’s main entrance, the sprawling multi-species and state-of-the-art habitat is home to 12 African species. Among those include the Zoo’s largest animals, two black rhinos, Nia (pronounced Ny-a) and Jaali (pronounced Jolly). Expansive look-out points and picturesque views await guests at Rhino Savanna where they also will encounter waterbuck, springbok, two species of pelicans and a variety of other birds, plus fascinating subterranean animals such as the naked mole-rat, among others.

The world Down Under comes to you in this delightful new experience. Stroll among Australia’s most treasured animals in this amazing interactive journey.

Australian Adventures

Australian
Adventures

Australian Adventures

Australian Adventures

The world Down Under comes to you in this delightful new experience. Stroll among Australia’s most treasured animals in this amazing interactive journey.

Open daily

October 1 – May 30
8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily

May 30 - September 30
7:00 am – 1:30 pm daily

Private Safari Tours feature a two-hour private, guided experience through The Living Desert. Giraffe feeding and admission is included.

 

Private Tours at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

Private
Tours

Private Tours at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

Private Tours

Choose your own adventure with one of The Living Desert’s tours and enhance your experience.

Book a tour today and see the Zoo like you’ve never seen it before.

Private Safari Tours 

For questions and bookings, contact group sales at (760) 346-5694 or email GroupSales@LivingDesert.org.

 

Discover the untouched beauty of the pristine Colorado Desert in its natural state through a series of nature and hiking trails. Open daily for members and Zoo guests.

Nature and hiking trails at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Nature and
Hiking Trails

Nature and hiking trails at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Nature and Hiking Trails

Take a hike on the wild side

Discover the untouched beauty of the pristine Colorado Desert in its natural state through a series of nature and hiking trails. Your Zoo admission or membership includes access to The Living Desert’s nature preserve and three trail loops. Open October 1 through May 30, the trail system is a memorable way to experience Coachella Valley nature at its best.

Loop 1: The Discovery Loop

Stroll through The Discovery Loop, a flat, sandy trail through a palo verde and smoketree desert riparian woodland. Interpretive signage along the path will help you interpret the desert world. This 1/2 mile trail is a brief 15 minute interlude from your tour of our grounds. A quiet place with unimpeded desert views.

Loop 2: The Adventure Loop

Get a little more adventurous on our exciting Adventure Loop. You travel through the same desert riparian woodland in Loop 1 then onto a rocky desert mountain slope or bajada. You will also experience a desert wash or arroyo, and can climb to an interpretive exhibit of the San Andreas Fault with broad views of this world famous fault. This trail is about one mile on a smooth dirt path, and includes interpretive signage. With exception of the dip into the wash, it is a very gentle rise and fall as you travel the loop.

Loop 3: The Wilderness Loop

Ready for more? The Wilderness Loop is for the adventurous or those ready to explore. This trail traverses a very rocky desert canyon if you travel the loop in a counter clockwise manner, or a desert mountain ridge if you travel in a clockwise manner. Either way, you peak at a covered picnic area at 1,000 feet elevation and can clearly see Eisenhower Peak at 1,952 feet. The path is narrow, but marked. You will climb over, scramble around, or jump from one boulder to another in the canyon. This desert experience is intimate with opportunities for wildlife viewing exceptional, and the views of the Coachella Valley at the top peak spectacular. The trail is 3.5 miles long from the junction with the Middle Loop or 5 miles from the parking lot. Expect to spend 3 to 5 hours on this loop.

These nature trails take you through various Sonoran Desert biological communities and habitats, including desert riparian woodland with smoketree, palo verde, desert willow, and desert scrub or creosote bush and white bursage in the canyon and on the ridge, plus a small dune near the Fault exhibit. You might even see a number of animals along the way!

Know Before You Go:

  • The nature and hiking trails are open October 1 – May 31
  • Carry and drink plenty of water; at least 2 quarts per person is recommended for the Wilderness Loop
  • Dress appropriately for the weather including a hat and sunscreen
  • This is a nature preserve; respect and stay on the trail
  • Leave no trace; carry out what you carry in
  • Understand that you hike at your own risk. The Living Desert assumes no liability. This trail is not patrolled, so it is recommended not to hike alone. Make sure a family member or friend knows where you are hiking before you go
  • Be aware of your surroundings; watch where you put your hands and feet
  • The trailhead gate closes at 4 pm. No overnight camping permitted
  • Only working service animals are permitted. If you require a service dog, you must notify the Admissions staff to alert our Animal Care Department. Certain areas of the Zoo are restricted. Please view our complete Service Animal Policy.

    Pets are not allowed. For safety reasons, please do not leave a pet in your car.

This indoor interactive space allows children and visitors to discover how sun, wind, sand and water work together to create the unique desert of the Coachella Valley.

Visit the Discovery Center at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for details.

Discovery
Center

Visit the Discovery Center at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for details.

Discovery Center

What will you discover?

Get a deeper look at the local environment at The Miriam U. Hoover Discovery Center. This indoor interactive space allows children and visitors to discover how sun, wind, sand and water work together to create the unique desert of the Coachella Valley.

Take a spin on the Endangered Species Carousel!

Ride the endangered species carousel at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Endangered
Species Carousel

Corral the goats!

Go behind the fence and get close to the action.

Visit the petting kraal at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Petting
Kraal

Visit the petting kraal at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Petting Kraal

 

Corral the goats!

Go behind the fence and get close to the action.

All ages can experience the domestic livestock of Africa including Sicilian dwarf donkeys and interact with and groom Nigerian dwarf goats.

Open daily, located within Village WaTuTu.

Keeper connections and animal encounter times vary; visit the daily schedule for specific times and details.

Get up close at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Animal
Encounters

Get up close at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Keeper Connections

Keeper Connections and Animal Encounters

Our dedicated animal keepers provide exceptional care to all of the animals at the Zoo, making sure they're happy and healthy. They also help save animals in the wild and inspire Zoo guests to make a difference. Keeper connections and animal encounter times vary; visit the daily schedule for specific times and details.

Daily Schedule

The hospital doors are now open and welcoming visitors into the lobby and patio area.

Visit the Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Tennity Wildlife Hospital
& Conservation Center

Visit the Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center

Care is at our core!

Go behind-the-scenes with our specially trained animal caregivers at The Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center and glimpse into the high level of care the Zoo’s residents receive. Open to the public during normal park hours, you can view medical exams and procedures, hear animal care stories from volunteers, tour the facility, and interact with the exhibits and displays.

Check our Daily Program Schedule for the next scheduled animal exam!

Immerse yourself in more than 3,300 feet of track laid for 8 different loops as train on the Bighorn Railroad come and go.

Immerse yourself in more than 3,300 feet of track laid for 8 different loops as train on the Bighorn Railroad come and go.  Click for more details.

G-Scale
Model Train

Immerse yourself in more than 3,300 feet of track laid for 8 different loops as train on the Bighorn Railroad come and go.  Click for more details.

G-Scale Model Train

Immerse yourself in more than 3,300 feet of track laid for 8 different loops as train on the Bighorn Railroad come and go. Our G-scale model train sits on ¾ of an acre and offers unique views such as the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, and even Old Indio. This large layout allows us to run 19 or more lines at one time. The trains are designed to operate during day or night and offer a luminous addition to our Wildlights event too. The trains run with one full time staff member along with a crew of 25 volunteers.

The G-scale Model train is open daily throughout the year. During summer months we may run fewer lines due to the heat.

Time to play!

Gecko Gulch is an interactive outdoor play area that encourages children to use their imaginations and create their own fun.

Gecko Gulch is currently closed for maintenance.

Visit Gecko Gulch at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Gecko
Gulch

Visit Gecko Gulch at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Click for more details.

Gecko Gulch

Time to play!

Gecko Gulch is an interactive outdoor play area that encourages children to use their imaginations and create their own fun. Spread over one-acre, the play area features slides, climbing features, and more.

Located near the Discovery Center.

hiking trails of eisenhower peak

The Living Desert offers a unique opportunity to experience the pristine Colorado Desert in its natural state through a series of nature and hiking trails. Your Zoo admission or membership gives you access to The Living Desert’s nature preserve and three trail loops.

Open October 1 to May 31, our nature trails are a memorable way to experience the beauty of the Coachella Valley. 

TAKE A HIKE

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