Palm Springs Summer Activities

The sun in Palm Springs is one of our most popular attractions. That’s because the sun smiles on Palm Springs 360 days a year!

When other cities are having rain, gloom, or frigid temps – you can count on Palm Springs’ warm sunny days for poolside lounging, hiking, biking, and all outdoor adventure including shopping, dining, and exploring.

Palm Springs’ sunny serenity has long been a relaxing respite for sybarites, sanctuary seekers and sun worshippers.

By day, Palm Springs simply offers the best of all worlds– environments from the sublime to the serene, and for every mood from revelry to relaxation.

Fun in the Sun

The options for enjoying Palm Springs summer activities are endless. Just read on.

You may gaze at the towering San Jacinto Mountains and see them as stark unforgiving landscape but that’s a really big misconception. Surprisingly, our mountains hold secrets you wouldn’t expect. These mountains feature a lush oasis of spring-fed streams, refreshing pools, and a spectacular 80-foot waterfall.

Indian Canyons

You can discover these secrets for yourself just minutes from downtown Palm Springs with a visit to Indian Canyons. Located on the ancestral reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Indian Canyons are comprised of several canyons including Palm Canyon, the world’s largest fan palm oasis listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

For other memorable Palm Springs summer activity, take a trip on the world’s largest rotating tram cars of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway –– it’s the ultimate Palm Springs experience. The tram cars transport you up a mile-and-a-half to the top of the magnificent Mt. San Jacinto Peak in 10-minutes. At the 8,500-foot mountain top, you can hike along 50 miles of hiking trails. Be sure to check the weather at the top – there can be up to a 30 to 40 degree temperature difference from the desert floor! This is a year-round fun day trip. In winter you’ll be able to play in the snow, in summer you can enjoy the cool mountain air. At the top there are restaurants, an observation deck and a gift shop.

Moorten’s Botanical Gardens

Founded in 1938, Moorten’s Botanical Gardens is another top Palm Springs summer activity you should put on your list. Moorten’s is an enchanted historic garden of more than 3,000 specimens of rare cacti and succulents. This three-generation family-run business is carrying on the legacy of Cactus Slim and Patricia Moorten. You can even take home a specimen from their retail garden.

Palm Springs Summer Fun Poolside

Of course, our poolside parties are the ultimate Palm Springs summer cool fun. There are several hotels throughout Palm Springs that host poolside parties with live DJ’s such as the  ACE, the Saguaro, the Arrive, the Margaritaville and many other hotels. The biggest poolside party is the annual Splash House held in the summer months.

And don’t forget about one of our favorite spectator sports in Palm Springs – people watching. You can find numerous outdoor patios at which to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or coffee or a drink while watching the world go by.

Magical Starlit Evenings

Palm Springs’ days may be leisurely languid but at night, the celestial and celebrity stars come out to shine. When the days turn to dusk, the fun in Palm Springs heats up. By night, you can count on purple mountains and twinkling stars, the perfect time for dining, imbibing, romancing and/or dancing with a variety of options for every mood.

The party in Palm Springs hasn’t stopped since the 1930s and 40s when Hollywood glitterati escaped to unwind in our desert community. The party continued in the 1950s and 60s when the Rat Pack burnished our glamorous hospitality. Sipping martinis in the footsteps of legends has never been more fun.

The new rooftop deck at Kimpton’s The Rowan Hotel, the tallest structure in the city, is the perfect vantage point to experience the sun setting behind the mountain and to plan your evening of fun.

Summer Food and Cocktails