Crossing Water in the Desert

Coffman Trail

• 📍 Palm Springs, CA

• 🥾 3.5 miles

• 📈 Elevation Gain: 505 ft

Favorite moment: Walking through the water under the palm trees

There are places that feel familiar the moment you arrive — and then there are places that feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet.

My hike along the Coffman Trail felt like the latter.

The landscape was surreal. Jagged rock formations rose in every direction, sun-bleached and sculpted by time. The earth was a palette of sandy beige, rust, and soft gray, stretching wide beneath an endless blue sky. If someone had told me I was hiking across a distant desert moon, I might have believed them.

And yet — there were palm trees.

Tall, impossibly green palms clustered along the canyon floor, their fronds catching the light and swaying gently against the stark rock walls. Even more unexpected was the sound of water. Not just a quiet trickle, but steady, flowing water cutting its way through the desert.

The trail crossed that water again and again.

Each crossing felt like a small adventure. Carefully stepping from rock to rock, balancing over shallow currents, feeling the cool air rising from the stream — it was a rhythm: walk, climb, cross, repeat. The contrast between dry desert stone and flowing water made every step feel alive. The sound of moving water echoed softly off the canyon walls, a reminder that even in the harshest landscapes, life finds a way to thrive.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. About 70 degrees — warm enough for short sleeves, cool enough to move comfortably without rushing for shade. The kind of temperature that makes you want to stay outside all day. The sun felt gentle rather than relentless, and the breeze carried just enough freshness from the water to keep everything balanced.

What I loved most was the feeling of discovery around every bend. The canyon would narrow, then open. A cluster of palms would suddenly appear. Another crossing would challenge my footing. It never felt repetitive; it felt immersive — like wandering through a living, breathing desert oasis.

Palm Springs has always had a dramatic beauty, but hiking here reveals something more intimate. It’s not just vast desert views — it’s hidden water, unexpected greenery, and that constant interplay between rugged and soft.

Otherworldly, yes.

But also grounding.

And on a 70-degree day with water at my feet and palms overhead, it felt exactly like where I was meant to be.

Thanks for journeying with me!
~ Bridget