By Winter Hike #4: La Quinta, CA
When I woke up around 7 am, the temperature was in the 30’s and it was still very windy. Gusty at times. The day before, there was a winter storm warning in the high desert area. Winter storm? Where am I? This was the exact reason why I moved out of the East Coast a decade ago. At least those thick clouds from yesterday were gone by the morning.
Traveling pushes you to get out of your comfort zone at times especially when you travel solo. As a natural introvert and trained centrovert, traveling solo challenges me all the time. It was my last day in La Quinta. Going for a hike in 38 degrees in the windy condition isn’t my preference but it sure wasn’t going to stop me from exploring. Xena wasn’t opposed to the idea either.
I found several decent trails in La Quinta cove online but none of them allowed dogs. After searching for a while with no luck, I started to get antsy so I decided to go out there anyway. Sometimes, the Alltrails website isn’t accurate. I hoped this was one of those times. I actually had to use the defrost feature of my car! That was just for a show until then. I was happy to know that it works. 🙂
As I pulled into the East Cove Trailhead parking lot, what do I see? A sign for dogs on leash. YEAH!! The sun was just peeking out behind the mountain. Perfect timing.
Dogs are prohibited on the trails (Bear Creek Canyon Oasis, Boo Hoff & Cove to Lake) that lead to the mountains and Lake Cahuillato to protect bighorn sheep. However, the smaller trails near the trailheads allow dogs. The blue and orange stars below are the East Cove and West Cove trailheads, respectively.
The views were breathtaking and serene.
I never thought the desert was pretty until that morning. I saw the beauty of the desert for the first time and I was in awe. Travel, it sure expands your horizons. This short hike was sweet and definitely memorable.
Details on this Hike:
- Trailhead – East Cove (Parking lot and free street parking)
- I made a loop and walked 1.62 miles in total and gained 134 ft. Kid-friendly.
- Pass the first 2 junctions. At the 3rd junction, turn right. You are on DIKE. Stay on the trail until you meet a trail on your right. That will take you to Cove Oasis where the palm trees and picnic tables are. Once you reach Cove Oasis, turn right then left to go back to the trailhead.
Good to Know:
Nearby La Quinta Resort and Spa is dog-friendly and has beautiful golf courses. There is a $100 one-time pet fee.
Hiking Girl with Dog 
Xena is lucky to have you! Your blogs are always interesting too. Simply awesome 🙂
Thanks for reading my blog, Kurt! The truth is, I am lucky to have Xena. 😊
Beautiful scenery . . . love it!
Thanks for following, Laura. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Love your pictures!! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this trailhead and see where it leads me! I’ll be out there without my pups for this one, so I might be able to go on a few of the longer trails.