Fall and winter offer the best weather to explore Palm Springs on a bike. Instead of cranking up the heat and bundling up on those cold days, come warm up in Palm Springs. With our blue skies and endless sunshine, it's an ideal place for catching a little fresh air and enjoying an outdoor biking adventuring.
A bike tour is a great way to see the city. You can either do your own, or book one with a local biking tour guide.
If you want to rent a bike, stop by Bike Palm Springs to kickstart your adventure. Bike Palm Springs is centrally located right downtown and offers a range of styles, including electric bikes. It's easy to spot with their candy-colored rainbow window, matched only by its mid-century modern storefront. Choose from a variety of bike options with help from owner, Tony Torrez, who prides himself on being a savvy guide who will help you ride with pride. Big Wheel Tours also rents a range of bikes. They also have a bike child seat and an easy to use bike trailer add-on option.
Many hotels and resorts also offer complimentary bikes.
Now for the fun part- choosing your Palm Springs biking experience. For the experienced and spirited, maybe a long ride on a mountain bike. For an easier ride, take a bike tour through some of the beautiful neighborhoods.
Palm Springs is home to the largest concentration of mid-century modern architecture. Marvel at these works of art up close and personal by biking through the neighborhoods.
For this easy self-guided bike tour, we recommend biking through the Vista Las Palmas and Old Las Palmas neighborhoods, where you'll find an abundance of famous mid-century modern homes all in close proximity of each other. Vista Las Palmas is where you'll find “The House of Tomorrow” Elvis Presley's famed Honeymoon Hideaway, the Swiss Miss A-Frame homes designed by Charles Dubois, and the Dinah Shore Estate, which Leonardo DiCaprio acquired in 2014.
Then, if you're really adventurous, take a long trek down to the Indian Canyons neighborhood to see the renowned colorful doors!
If you're a mid-mod enthusiast and all this architecture talk is giving you the travel itch, consider diving deeper into the Palm Springs neighborhoods with a little help from this Mid-Century Architecture Self-Guided Tour. Or, visit during Modernism Week and experience an 11-day festival featuring more than 350 events including the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, tours of iconic homes in more than 30 neighborhoods, and the popular Signature Home Tour on both weekends.
For more rugged terrains and experienced bikers, chart a course with Big Wheel Tours. The 20-mile Earthquake Canyon Express Bicycle Tour will showcase the San Andreas Fault zone on this geological adventure. You will see the start beauty of the desert as you descend a total of 1,600 feet over the route.
This Palm Springs Bike Tour can be self-guided or guided.
Big Wheel Tours offer a guided Indian Canyon Bike and Hike Tour. As the name implies, you will first bike through some Palm Springs older neighborhoods including Canyon Country Club. Then you enter Indian Canyons, home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, where you will take a scenic nature walk in Andreas Canyon.
If a tour isn't your style, Palm Springs is home to hundreds of trails you can explore yourself. The Indian Canyons offer numerous trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and sightseeing. Find the canyons just minutes from downtown Palm Springs, where admission gives you access to the Palm Canyon, Andreas Canyon and Murray Canyon.
If you're an experienced mountain biker, take on The Palm Canyon Epic Trail (PCE). This trail is known all around the world and is one of the longest continuous single tracks in California. Enjoy epic views along the trail and if you're lucky, sightings of longhorn sheep and tortoises. The PCE is a 28-mile route with 2400 ft of climbing and 5000 ft of descending (not for beginner riders)
If you're an experienced mountain biker, take on The Palm Canyon Epic Trail (PCE). This trail is known all around the world and is one of the longest continuous single tracks in California. Enjoy epic views along the trail and if you're lucky, sightings of longhorn sheep and tortoises. The PCE is a 28-mile route with 2400 ft of climbing and 5000 ft of descending (not for beginner riders)
Palm Springs is very bike friendly and bike lanes well marked. Download the Palm Springs Bicycle Map for a listing of bike lanes and bike racks to create your own Palm Springs biking tour.
Regardless of your travel style, Palm Springs is home to an adventure just for you. Get outside, enjoy a breath of fresh air and bask in the sunshine this winter.
Alright, who's ready for some 'wheel' fun!