Agritourism in Palm Springs? While Palm Springs and Riverside County are known for pools, mid-century design, and festivals, the region’s agriculture tells a deeper story.
In a single day throughout the Coachella Valley, you can ride a tram up a 10,000-foot mountain, see a wildflower super bloom, drink coffee beside a Sinatra-era cactus garden, tour a working date ranch, and finish with a farm-to-table dinner sourced within twenty miles.
This region is California at its best: historical, agricultural, adventurous, and purely delicious. Here are 15 agritourism-friendly things to do in Palm Springs and greater Riverside County, organized so you can build your own day.
See Local Agriculture Up Close
Shop the Palm Springs Certified Farmers Market
The Palm Springs Certified Farmers Market runs year-round on Saturday mornings in downtown Palm Springs. There is a second Thursday market in winter. Coachella Valley growers bring dates, citrus, peppers, chilies, greens, eggs, honey, and specialty products. It is the single best way to see the region’s agriculture in one place.
Get a Date Shake at Shields Date Garden
Shields Date Garden in Indio has been selling date shakes since 1924. The date shake, medjool dates, vanilla ice cream, and milk, is a local classic. The on-site theater plays the classic “Romance and Sex Life of the Date” film on loop, and the gift shop carries date varieties you will not find in supermarkets.
Tour Flying Disc Ranch
Flying Disc Ranch in Thermal is one of California’s most influential permaculture date farms. Robert Lower has run the ranch since 1979. They grow more than 30 date varieties under a layered canopy of citrus, figs, pomegranates, mangoes, and native fan palms. Public access is limited to event days (including an annual Outstanding in the Field dinner) and mail-order shopping through flyingdiscranch.com, so plan ahead.
Explore Desert Landscapes & Native Plants
Walk Moorten Botanical Garden and the Cactarium
Moorten Botanical Garden is the Palm Springs cactus institution. It was founded by Chester “Cactus Slim” Moorten and Patricia Moorten in 1938, now run by their son, Clark. More than 3,000 desert plant species grow across two acres. The on-site Cactarium is the world’s first and is worth the entry fee alone.
Visit The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
The Living Desert in Palm Desert is a 1,200-acre zoo and botanical garden focused on the flora and fauna of the world’s deserts. Expect giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos, and a major cactus and succulent garden, plus a model train exhibit. Plan a half day.
Visit the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza and Museum
Opened in 2023, the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza is the flagship home of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. It is a spa-park complex and public gathering space owned and operated by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
The museum tells the history of the tribe and the land on which Palm Springs was built. You can also wander the Oasis Trail, which is a permanent outdoor display of native plants and water features inspired by those found in the Agua Caliente Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon.
Eat Locally Grown and Fresh From the Region
Cheeky’s
Cheeky’s is the Palm Springs flagship of F10 Creative, the restaurant group founded by Tara Lazar. The menu changes weekly based on what local farms are delivering. Next-door Birba is its dinner counterpart.
The Barn Kitchen
The Barn Kitchen at Sparrows Lodge is a small, seasonal restaurant inside one of Palm Springs’ most atmospheric boutique hotels. The menu is built around Coachella Valley and Southern California growers. And the property’s firepit patio is one of the quietest dinner settings in town.
Boozehounds
Boozehounds is a Palm Springs favorite for seasonal, veg-forward cocktail-bar dining. The room is full of plants, the menu leans on valley produce, and the cocktail list rotates around what is in season at local farms.
Experience Nature
Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
This dramatic elevation shift, from desert agriculture to alpine forest, highlights the extreme growing conditions that shape what can be farmed across Riverside County. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the world’s largest rotating aerial tram.
The tram climbs from the desert floor to 8,500 feet, with a 30–40 degree temperature drop. In winter, the top station opens onto a snow-covered pine forest with hiking and snowshoeing trails. A summer tram ride is the fastest way to escape the 110-degree heat in the valley.
Hike the Valley
Winter through early spring is prime hiking season, when the desert landscape that supports the region’s date farms and native plants is at its most accessible.
The Indian Canyons, managed by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, contain some of the most iconic desert hiking in Southern California. Palm Canyon winds through the world’s largest California fan palm oasis, while Andreas and Murray Canyons provide shorter, shaded trails with waterfalls and year-round streams. Access is via the tribal entrance just south of downtown Palm Springs.
Drive Out to Coachella for Desert Hikes
East of the city of Coachella, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument and the Mecca Hills Wilderness open up into some of the most striking desert terrain in California. Painted Canyon and Ladder Canyon are about a 45-minute drive from Palm Springs and feel far removed from the valley’s resort core.
Cycle the Coachella Valley
Riverside County’s east side is one of the best road-cycling regions in Southern California for much of the year. Dedicated bike paths run alongside the valley’s main arteries. The CV Link multi-use trail already connects several valley cities and is expanding. Mornings in winter and spring are ideal. Several outfitters in Palm Springs and Palm Desert rent road and e-bikes by the day.
See Wildflowers in Bloom
In a good year, the desert wildflower bloom is one of North America’s most impressive natural events. Late February through early April is the typical window. Nearby viewing grounds include Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (about an hour’s drive south), Joshua Tree National Park (45 minutes north), and the foothills around Palm Desert and La Quinta. A super bloom year is unforgettable.
See Cabazon Dinosaurs
The Cabazon Dinosaurs, a roadside stop off I-10, sit along a historic agricultural transit corridor linking inland farms to coastal markets. About 20 minutes west of Palm Springs on Interstate 10, these two massive roadside dinosaur sculptures (“Dinny” the Apatosaurus and “Mr. Rex” the T. Rex) are a classic roadside stop.
Pair the Day With Riverside Citrus History
West of the Coachella Valley, downtown Riverside offers the Parent Washington Navel Tree at Magnolia and Arlington and the California Citrus State Historic Park, a 248-acre state park dedicated entirely to California’s citrus heritage. Combine the two for a half-day Riverside citrus loop and add a farm-to-table meal in downtown Riverside on the way back.
Plan Your Palm Springs and Riverside County Trip
Here are tips to experience Riverside County agriculture over three days:
Day 1 in Palm Springs (tramway, Moorten Botanical Garden, Cheeky’s or Birba)
Day 2 in the Coachella Valley (Shields Date Garden, a pre-arranged visit to Aziz Farms or Flying Disc Ranch, and a sunset hike in Ladder Canyon)
Day 3 in Riverside (the Parent Washington Navel Tree, California Citrus State Historic Park, and downtown Riverside dinner).
For a shorter day trip, pair the tramway with a visit to Moorten Botanical Garden and a dinner at Cheeky’s or The Barn Kitchen. For a broader look at the region’s agriculture, see what grows in Riverside County. Browse additional CA GROWN grower profiles on the blog or plan your next stop at Experience California Agriculture.
Frequently Asked Questions About Palm Springs and Riverside County Things to Do
When is the best time to visit Palm Springs for agritourism?
November through April is the ideal window. Winter temperatures are mild; date-palm harvest wraps up in late November; citrus is in peak season from December through March; and the spring wildflower bloom (in good years) typically runs from late February through early April.
How many farm-to-table restaurants are in Palm Springs?
Palm Springs has a robust farm-to-table scene anchored by Cheeky’s, Birba, Mr. Lyons, The Barn Kitchen at Sparrows Lodge, and Boozehounds, plus newer Indio restaurants like F10 Creative’s Tack Room. Many smaller independent restaurants source from farms in the Coachella Valley and farmers’ markets.
Can I visit a working date farm in the Coachella Valley?
Yes. Shields Date Garden in Indio is open daily with visitor programming, Aziz Farms and other valley date growers offer direct sales and (in some cases) tours, and [Flying Disc Ranch](#) opens to the public during Outstanding in the Field dinners and special events. Peak visitor season aligns with harvest (September through November) and winter (December through March).
Is Palm Springs family-friendly?
Yes. The Aerial Tramway, Cabazon Dinosaurs, The Living Desert zoo, Shields Date Garden, and Moorten Botanical Garden are all easy with kids. Several Coachella Valley farms and markets are also kid-friendly, especially during the winter farmers-market season.