News from the City of Indio
Indio, CA: The public is invited to an opening celebration of the Indio Hills Trail on March 20th at 9:00 a.m. at the end of Golf Center Parkway and 42nd Avenue. The five mile loop trail was a joint undertaking of the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy (Conservancy), Friends of the Desert Mountains (FODM), City of Indio, Indio Water Authority (IWA) and the Bureau of Land Management. The project included new parking, fencing, access and safety improvements at the trailhead. Funding was provided primarily by the Conservancy, the City and IWA, and volunteers from FODM and local hiking clubs scouted the trail route, built new sections and cleaned up the area alongside it. The celebration will include a ribbon cutting and inaugural hike.
The trailhead is adjacent to the Coachella Valley Canal and future site of Indio’s Posse Park. The trail winds through canyons and leads up to the crest of the mud hills that feature rare views looking into the Coachella Valley and at its surrounding mountain ranges.
The new trail in the Indio Hills is also commonly referred to as the Indio Hills Badlands Trail, the East Indio Hills Trail, and the Golf Center Trail. It is the second of four trail projects spearheaded by the Conservancy and FODM to expand recreational options on public lands in areas underserved by outdoor amenities. The project will also improve conditions for wildlife and plants through bulk cleanup activities, and by blocking unofficial “social trails” and roads to reduce damaging human impacts, such as off-road vehicle use. Dogs and non-motorized bikes are allowed