Palm Springs Living Desert

When you think of a desert zoo, what comes to mind?  Snakes?  Scorpions maybe.  Probably nothing too exciting.  What about a desert garden?  Even more bleak.  Just a bunch of cacti, right?  Wrong.  Allow the Living Desert to show you what the desert has to offer.

Palm Springs Living Desert

For nearly 40 years, the Living Desert has worked hard to educate the public on desert animal and plant life.  To call them just a zoo would give the wrong impression because they are so much more.  The Living Desert was always intended to act as a permanent wilderness preserve.  From this grew several programs which developed to not only preserve the natural desert but to increase the populations of threatened plants and animals an conserve those species.

An important element to continuing the work that the founders started is educating the public on the important of preservation.  The zoo (for lack of a better word) offers daily programs where visitors can learn more about nature through interactive sessions with animals and their keepers.  A key element to the zoo’s educational outreach is making the learning easy and fun with authentic exhibits that transport you to the desert of your choosing.

At this time of year, the zoo is open from 8 am to 1:30 pm (admissions end at 1 pm) which may seem like a short day, but in the summer heat, the desert is not the place to explore in the afternoon sun.  Plan on visiting early when it’s a little cooler and the animals will be a little more energetic.

If you’re traveling with that special someone and need a place to stay, check out Lake La Quinta Inn for a romantic retreat from the heat.