The horrible Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating to people around the world, while Mother Earth has been able to breath a sigh of relief as our skies and waters have been the cleanest in years.
Southern Californians have been sheltering in place since late March 2020 to avoid overwhelming hospitals with Covid-19 cases, but have been allowed to exercise out of doors in small groups. Along the coast beaches have been closed because of dangerous overcrowding conditions. Out in the desert however crowds are much lower, as the snowbirds have fled, festivals and all tourist activities cancelled, and hotels and B&B’s shuttered. For a while the golf courses were closed as well, but they were eventually re-opened with safety precautions in place.
While the golf courses were closed, many of them allowed local residents to use them as parks for strolling and biking. I rode the cart paths in the golf community where I live for the first time in my 9 years of living here, and that was pleasant. However another nearby course called Desert Willow is the most beautiful in the desert, with rolling hills of native vegetation, lakes, waterfalls, expansive lush fairways, and being the high point in the Coachella Valley, panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The colorful desert fauna, blue skies, and fresh mountain snows from an unusually heavy April snowstorm combined to make this as beautiful a place as any. Perhaps you were able to cycle or stroll on a closed nearby golf course as well?
Desert Willow is a Palm Desert municipal course that contains two 18-hole courses, the original Mountain View course and the newer spectacular Firecliff course. Golf cart paths meander around both courses, resulting in a 12-mile paved bike trail when the course was closed. Although it became a fairly popular place to walk, there were only a handful of bikes taking advantage of it and the walkers were spread out nicely on the paths or fairways and did not create much of a hindrance to cyclists.
I rode the paths 8 days straight from when I learned about the possibility to when the course sadly (for me) re-opened. It was akin to having a fantasy bike park nearby, and I rode up to 20 miles at a time, taking in the vistas and watching the wildlife including road runners, a coyote (not chasing a road runner thankfully), colorful birds like the Vermillion Flycatcher and Scott’s Oriole, California Quail, giant lizards, and lots of bunnies. It was a “once in a lifetime” experience I shall never forget. Here are some photos from the experience.
View over the Mountain View course from the 1/2-mile entry road bike trail that is always open to us. (Part of enCYCLEpedia rides PD1 and RM1 and 2). Heavy April snows in the surrounding mountains as seen from the Firecliff course.Steve at Hole 18 of Firecliff. We saw numerous road runners. This one was cooing and bragging about his lunch, possibly to a female.Great White Egrets roosting along the Firecliff Course. Vermillion Flycatcher.Very bloomy prickly pear near a Firecliff tee.Ocotillo mixed in with other trees. Big lizard! Steve on a typical Firecliff cart path. Paths meandering around the Mountain View course. Firecliff course.Giant ocotillo from the Mountain View Course cart path. The wild lands surrounding the course are available for a hiking loop of about 1 mile when the course is open. Beautiful Firecliff Course from the cart path.Native vegetation along the entry road, always open.
by Richard Fox, Author, enCYCLEpedia Southern California– The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (2021)
Last Updated March 2024
While bike lanes are always welcome on roadways, they don’t guarantee cyclists’ safety, especially on high-speed boulevards where they are not sufficiently separated from traffic lanes. All too often distracted or impaired motorists swerve into the lanes and collide with cyclists with disastrous consequences. The chances of an individual on a particular ride being hit is extremely low, but the 3-5 incidents per year in the Coachella Valley of the Southern California desert is enough to give pause. Cyclists that have the need for speed have no good off road bike trail options in this region compared to other metro areas, and are relegated to ride on these sometimes dangerous byways. The CV Link regional path, when completed in the next few years, will improve that situation somewhat in Palm Springs-Cathedral City and La Quinta-Indio-Coachella, but the gap caused by its banning in Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells wrecked the potential for a valley-wide path that could have enticed more cyclists off of the high speed boulevards.
Too many ghost bikes have been installed around the valley, like this one for William Campbell.
More casual cyclists, like those who follow our enCYCLEpedia offerings, and are content to travel at 15 mph or less, can enjoy a much safer alternative in the Coachella Valley. Many of the valley’s sidewalks have been designated as bike paths and are a delight to ride on, with beautiful landscaping, and in the areas with large gated communities, long uninterrupted stretches. I call them “sidepaths.” Many sidepaths are not signed as bike paths but still provide an ample alternative. There’s no reason for a casual cyclist to risk being hit by a speeding car on the 55-mph boulevards when there’s a perfectly good sidepath adjacent. However, sidepaths do come with their own set of hazards, and cyclists must ride defensively, using extreme care at every crossing of a road or driveway. Attention to obstacles is also important, especially in unfamiliar territory, and although sprinklers can be refreshing on a hot day, they can also make the path slippery in places. Slow way down around pedestrians and other cyclists, announcing your approach if from behind. Helmets are highly recommended on any bike path, since you can fall over and hit your head on the concrete. What I appreciate about riding on sidepaths in this area is that my safety is more under my own control. As long as I take the appropriate precautions, I am unlikely to be severely injured, versus riding on the busy roadways where I am always wondering whether a speeding vehicle will swerve into the bike lane or do a “right hook” and hit me. In addition to sidepaths, many un-gated neighborhoods with low speed limits are enjoyable to ride through, the best of which is Old Las Palmas in Palm Springs.
For enCYCLE’s 3rd Edition (2021) I added a new ride, RM3, comprised of 10+ miles of beautifully landscaped sidepath loops around the Mission Hills Country Club area of north Rancho Mirage. Along that route alone there have been 3 fatal bicycle accidents on the adjacent roadways in recent years. That inspired me to research other fatal bike accidents to see whether there were alternate off-road paths adjacent or safer routes nearby. Not to say that the victims would have selected to ride on sidepaths versus the roadways, but it illustrates that for the casual cyclist, safer options are available. Country Club Drive centered around Cook St in Palm Desert is another nexus of fatal accidents with 3 occurring in less than a 2 mile stretch where alternate sidepaths are available.
For every fatal accident there are numerous accidents resulting in injury, but there was not enough information available to report on those incidents. Following are some of the reported fatal accidents since 2007 where safer enCYCLEpedia alternatives exist:
PALM DESERT – COUNTRY CLUB DR at COOK, at ELDORADO, and at MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS: Sadly, three fatalities have occurred within a 1.3 mile stretch of Country Club Drive, centered around Cook St. Both are main busy multi-lane boulevards with Class II bike lanes.
On March 12, 2024 at 7:30 pm, 62 year old Jay Groth of Indio was hit and killed by a driver who stayed and cooperated with authorities at the corner of Country Club and Cook. A ghost bike was installed there soon after to memorialize the five cyclists killed by cars in Palm Desert in recent years (photo below). On Oct 10, 2023 33-year old Christopher Thomas was hit and killed at 3:40 AM on Country Club near Eldorado by an on-duty Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputy. On May 14, 2018 Diana Lynn Young, 61, was struck and killed mid-day in the bike lane of Country Club Drive in front of the Marriott Desert Springs resort in Palm Desert where she worked.
Ghost bike at Cook & Country Club installed March 2024. Photo courtesy Coachella Valley Cycling Communities
enCYCLE rides RM1, RM2 and PD1 all use the beautifully landscaped sidepaths available on both sides of Country Club and Cook through there. They continue for miles in both directions. I sometimes rode in the bike lanes through here to get a good sprint going, until the first incident occurred. Be extra careful to avoid right hooks when crossing at Cook & Country Club if riding on the sidepaths..
This is the approximate area of the 2018 incident. The bike lane width is reduced by the concrete apron forcing cyclists closer to vehicles. The south sidepath along the Marriott property shown here is wide but with some curves, and is lightly used. The preferred sidepath on the north side along Desert Willow Golf Resort has more gradual curves, interesting desert landscaping and is lit at night.
The beautiful sidewalk paths surrounding and into Desert Willow Golf Course (shown here) make a safer more scenic alternative to riding along Country Club.
INDIO – AVE 48 NEAR JEFFERSON: On March 28, 2021, 73 year old lndio resident William Mohan was struck on Avenue 48 about a quarter mile east of Jefferson, around noon. No details were published regarding where on the road this happened. Ave 48 has both ample bike lanes and sidepaths as shown on the latest enCYCLEpedia maps, all the way from Washington to Monroe and beyond. Casual cyclists will more likely be safer sticking to those sidepaths and crossing very carefully with traffic signals at intersections, than riding with traffic, even in bike lanes. Mr. Mohan may have been trying to make a left turn into the unsignaled Outdoor Resorts property.
Ave 48 looking east, east of Jefferson. Note ample bike lane and sidepath. No details were available as to how the crash occurred.
PALM SPRINGS – GENE AUTRY TRAIL NEAR VISTA CHINO: On April 14, 2020, William Camp, 62, of Palm Springs, was killed at 4:05 p.m. on North Gene Autry Trail near Vista Chino, after being struck by a big rig. No details were available as to where he was on the roadway when he was struck. On rides across Palm Springs, we use bike-friendly Via Escuela, then transition to the wide sidepaths along Gene Autry rather than riding on that busy road. To head south on the Gene Autry bike path along the airport stick to the west side, or to connect to the CV Link, carefully cross with the Via Escuela light to the east sidepath, then to the south sidepath along Vista Chino, to the east (left) to reach CV Link (enCYCLE ride PS4). In 2020 there were several other bicycle fatalities in the valley, but enCYCLE does not have alternate paths at those locations in Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Thousand Palms. The same holds true for other years.
The completed 3-mile section of CV Link in Palm Springs/Cathedral City between Vista Chino and Ramon, east of Gene Autry, is a sample of things to come in the future after the Ramon bridge is rebuilt.
PALM SPRINGS – S PALM CANYON NEAR MESQUITE: On October 21, 2019 at 9:20 pm, 30-year-old Raymundo Jaime of Desert Hot Springs was killed in a hit-and-run crash on South Palm Canyon Dr near Mesquite Ave and Morongo Rd in Palm Springs, leaving a widow and young daughter. This road is dangerous enough during the day and is not recommended at night. Take alternate routes like Belardo or through the Deepwell district if possible (PS1, 2).
PALM DESERT – HWY 74 NEAR HAYSTACKAND AT MESA VIEW: On September 9, 2019 65-year old Thereseem Smith of Palm Desert was cycling north on the west sidewalk of Hwy 74 south of Haystack at 7:45 a.m. when a car from the opposite direction veered across lanes and jumped the west sidewalk to strike her in a freak accident. This shows that although sidewalks are safer from high-impact collisions with vehicles than roadways, it’s not a guarantee. On January 6, 2015 Rose Peters, 73, a cycling enthusiast who’d ridden cross country several times and was using a hand-cycle because of hip replacements, was broadsided while riding in the Hwy 74 bike lane in Palm Desert by a vehicle turning left onto Mesa View, which is one of the routes to The Living Desert. enCYCLE’s ride in that area (RM2) uses Hwy 74’s frontage road and corresponding sidepaths rather than busy Hwy 74, but that still involves side street crossings that require extra caution because of turning vehicles.
There are a lot of less-busy options than Hwy 74 to ride to Palm Desert’s Living Desert, a great cycling destination.
RANCHO MIRAGE – BOB HOPE AT CASINO WAY: On April 5, 2019 Palm Springs resident Jack Peterson, 77, was struck by a northbound vehicle while riding his bike east across Bob Hope in the crosswalk on Casino Way toward Agua Caliente Casino at 1:30 pm. It is not known if the vehicle blew through a red light there. enCYCLEpedia doesn’t recommend riding along busy Bob Hope in that area. There is a so-so all-sidewalk route using Varner and Monterey connecting to rides RM1, 2 or 3 (see Bonus Map RM3 on enCYCLEpedia.net.)
INDIAN WELLS – HWY 111 NEAR COOK: OnMarch 25, 2019, Alberta snowbird Paul Jackson, 67, riding along the Hwy 111 shoulder near Cook in Indian Wells, crashed into a parked minivan. What resembles a bike lane is actually just a wide shoulder with parking allowed, although since vehicles are rarely parked along there it seems like a Class II lane. Sidepaths run along both sides of Hwy 111 (enCYCLE ride IW1). I have been told that bike riding on the sidewalk paths are “functionally allowed” in Indian wells (i.e. cops will not hassle well behaved cyclists). The city removed the Bike Route signs along the south sidepath a few years ago, most likely for liability reasons (Photo, below). Extending the CV Link regional path through Indian Wells would get a lot of cyclists off both the roads and sidepaths, but the city has banned CV Link within its boundaries.
Indian Wells Hwy 111 south sidepath was formerly a signed bike trail, as shown below, but the city un-designated it. The shoulder along Hwy 111 is not a designated Class II bike lane and parking is allowed.
RIVERSIDE – VICTORIA AVEMarch 23, 2019: This is not in the Coachella Valley, but is a nearby Riverside County enCYCLE ride used as illustration: Family man and outdoorsman Brian Sabel, 52, was the victim of an early morning hit-and-run in an ample bike lane along beautiful and historic Victoria Avenue in Riverside. This road is very popular with road cyclists and seems like a safe place to ride. However, enCYCLE ride R2 uses the adjacent paved Class I Rosanna Scott Bike Trail instead, which is much safer.
The bike lanes along Riverside’s historic Victoria Ave are very popular with cyclists. The lesser-used Rosanna Scott Bike Trail adjacent is a safer alternative.
RANCHO MIRAGE – RAMON RD NEAR RATTLER: On December 13, 2018, William Campbell, 32, a local avid cyclist, was struck in the Ramon Road bike lane near Rattler in Rancho Mirage by an alleged street racer traveling close to 95 mph who fled the scene. New enCYCLE ride RM3 is along a wide sidepath adjacent to the bike lane, although the path does not continue east past Los Alamos.
William’s memorial is adjacent to the Ramon Rd bike lane he was hit in. A nice sidepath makes a safer alternative through here.
RANCHO MIRAGE – BOB HOPE NEAR GINGER ROGERS: On April 2, 2018, BC Snowbird Peter Harvey, 74, was hit in the bike lane on Bob Hope Drive near Ginger Rogers in Rancho Mirage. New enCYCLE ride RM3 is along the pretty designated bike/golf cart path along the west side of Bob Hope between Gerald Ford and Dinah Shore.
A typical sidepath in this area. This is actually around the corner on Gerald Ford.
LA QUINTA COVE: On June 26, 2017, Larry Lee Ortner, 81, hit a parked landscaping truck when gliding down the Avenida Bermudas hill in La Quinta Cove. While this seems to be a safe road to ride on, always watch out for what is in front of you, even in a bike lane. We prefer to ride both up and down the paved Class I Bear Creek Trail (enCYCLE ride LQ1) in The Cove instead when not crowded with peds to avoid vehicular traffic and enjoy the great scenery in both directions.
Scenic Bear Creek Trail in La Quinta Cove.
PALM DESERT – HOVLEY LANE: On February 7, 2015, Todd Barajas, 52, was struck while riding late at night on Hovley Lane near Corporate Way, where there is no bike lane. However, there is an ample sidepath along the north side of the road. This is an alternate route to Country Club when riding enCYCLE ride RM2.
PALM SPRINGS – S PALM CANYON AT PALMERA: On November 30, 2012, Corey Holley, 38, was struck along South Palm Canyon at Palmera (near Stein Mart). This road is not safe. Much better alternatives now exist along South Belardo Rd to the west between downtown and South Palm Springs, or through the Deepwell District (enCYCLE rides PS1, PS2).
Paths like the new CV Linker near Demuth Park and other new infrastructure provide more and more options to stay off dangerous roadways in Palm Springs.
INDIAN WELLS – FRED WARING NEAR ELDORADO: On June 2, 2012, Gerald Weiss, 52, a well respected physician and family man, was hit on very dangerous Fred Waring Drive west of Eldorado, in traffic lanes after dark. Indian Wells lost a lawsuit because the road was determined to be unsafe, and as a result erected signs banning bikes along there. It’s not an enCYCLE recommended stretch because the sidewalk alongside Fred Waring between Eldorado and Cook is narrow, though it still is rideable. We detour south, down Class II Eldorado to the 111 sidewalk paths, and back up on the Cook sidewalk path to avoid this stretch that CV Link would otherwise bridge if not banned in Indian Wells (rides IW1, RM2).
From the Eldorado Bridge, showing where CV Link would be an alternative to the dangerous stretch of Fred Waring Dr where bikes are banned, in the background.
RANCHO MIRAGE – DA VALL AT RAMON: On April 8, 2012, Donald McCluskey, 49, was on Da Vall waiting at the red light to cross south past Ramon in Rancho Mirage when a minivan heading north blew through the red light, was hit by a westbound vehicle on Ramon, and overturned onto McCluskey and the vehicle next to him. Our new ride RM3 uses the east sidewalk of Da Vall at that location on both sides of Ramon, which would have been out of the line of fire in this case. However, in situations with sudden catastrophic vehicle crashes, cars can just as easily end up on a sidewalk or bike path, so vigilance at all times can’t hurt.
Da Vall sidewalk path near Ramon.
LA QUINTA – 54TH NEAR JEFFERSON: On December 4, 2010, Joseph P. Szymanski, 56, was the victim of a hit-and-run midday while riding westbound in the bike lane on 54th between Madison and Jefferson in La Quinta. It would seem like a safe road to ride on, but not this time. Since then the bike lanes have been widened (photo) with a little more protection. We use the pretty landscaped sidewalk along the south side of 54th for enCYCLE ride LQ2, and pay careful attention if sprinklers make the sidewalk wet and slippery. La Quinta has since upgraded many of it’s bike lanes to be more separated from the traffic lanes, and we do ride on those, such as along Madison between Ave 54 and Ave 58.
Ave 54, looking east from near Jefferson. The bike lanes have been widened since this incident that occurred in the westbound direction. The south sidepath is fine, but not as good as some others.
Many La Quinta boulevards have ample bike lanes, but we frequently opt for the sidepaths alongside them when riding between Old Town and Lake Cahuilla Regional Park, its RV park shown here.
CATHEDRAL CITY – HWY 111: On March 7, 2007, Athlete Kim Raney, 26, on vacation from Washington, fell off her bike and was hit by a truck while riding on Hwy 111 in Cathedral City. enCYCLE feels Hwy 111 is too dangerous to ride on, although some improvements have been made recently in this area. All of our rides that encounter Hwy 111 are either on sidepaths alongside it, or via alternate routes. This includes PS1 – PS4, CC1, RM1, and RM2. The CV Link path will add some great alternatives to riding along Hwy 111 for all cyclists, although it is hindered by its boycott by the cities of Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells.
Palm Desert opened a 3-mile section of CV Link as a Class IV Cycletrack along existing roadways in 2021 between Cook St and the Bump ‘n Grind trailhead. Someday it will continue east from Cook along and across the Whitewater River channel and up to Hovley Lane at the Indian Wells border. Since Palm Desert is bounded by Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage, its CV Link trail is an isolated segment. Other sections are under construction in Palm Springs and between La Quinta and Coachella. Cathedral City has not yet begun its segments.
Following is a list of known cyclists killed by cars in the Coachella Valley since 2003 compiled by Coachella Valley Cycling Communities. Those where no alternate enCYCLEpedia routes could be offered were not included in this post.
Enjoying a meal al fresco on a perfectly sunny desert day is a sublime experience, but incorporating it into a bike ride adds beneficial exercise and fun. enCYCLEpedia presents our favorite combinations of easy scenic bicycle rides and al fresco dining experiences in the Coachella Valley. Bike routes that include these restaurants as destinations are described in the book “enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides” (3rd edition Oct ’21). Don’t be ashamed to ride on the pretty landscaped valley sidewalks when it’s a safer option, but be extra careful anytime you cross a driveway or street. More info: enCYCLE’s website (Palm Springs area is Chapter 9). Banner photo: Escena Lounge & Grill (courtesy of Sunrise Golf).
What to wear? Most places mentioned are super casual. For the more upscale establishments like Spencer’s or those along El Paseo perhaps bring or wear a more appropriate frock. Golf course establishments typically require a collared shirt. Personally I carry a light Hawaiian shirt to wear over my tee!
1. Downtown Palm Springs
Palm Springs is THE place in the Coachella Valley to cycle on a beautiful winter’s day and find a delightful patio to savor a well deserved meal. Most of the patio restaurants are along South Palm Canyon Drive between Tamarisk and Baristo, but there are plenty others a block or two farther afield. Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon now have sharrows (bike symbols) in their left lanes between Alejo and Ramon. You can also cycle on parallel roads to the west that comprise the city’s bike routes, and just ride a block or two east to Palm Canyon to get to your patio restaurant of choice, including Cheeky’s for imaginative breakfasts, Blue Coyote or Las Casuelas Terraza for a festive al fresco Mexican experience, Lulu’s with varied menu and people-watching patio (photo), friendly Chicken Ranch (which has worked well on several of my group outings) or Ruby’s family style diner, to name just a few. Or, you can pedal west on Baristo Road a few blocks to experience the fabulous outdoor patio of upscale Spencer’s. Along Indian Canyon Drive, at La Plaza are Bill’s, a pizza favorite (photo), Tyler’s, a burger favorite, Farm for French breakfast/lunch, and others. Wang’s Chinese restaurant’s popular Zen Patio is north of Ramon. Thai Smile for lunch and Oscar’s Cafe for breakfast/lunch are al fresco at Tahquitz Canyon, with Sherman’s Deli’s large patio another block to the east. Tropicale’s patio is fun for an upscale brunch, located east on Amado. Near the Movie Colony El Mirasol has a beautiful patio. And to the south of downtown Townie Bagels on Sunny Dunes is popular with cyclists. [enCYCLE ride: PS1,3]
Gary & Elizabeth on Lulu’s patio.
Colin and Richard at Bill’s Pizza.
Steve cycles by Tahquitz Golf Course.
2. El Paseo, Palm Desert
This upscale district gained even more outdoor dining options during the pandemic and is located at the crossroads of bike rides in Palm Desert and Indian Wells. From Indian Wells head west on the 111 sidewalk, or for a better ride head south on Eldorado to Fairway. In Palm Desert the CV Link pathway crosses town. From the Municipal Park area head south on the San Pablo bike paths and cross 111 to reach El Paseo. From the western terminus at the Bump ‘n Grind trailhead continue across the bike bridge next to Target and make your way to El Paseo from there, stopping at the Palm Desert Sculpture Garden en route. El Paseo is a busy road but you can take a lane, or cycle on the adjacent Shadow Meadow to the south and hop into town for grub. Some popular patios in this area are California Pizza Kitchen, Daily Grill, Pacifica Seafood, Tommy Bahama’s, Café Des Beaux-Artes, or Wilma & Frieda in The Gardens. To the west of Monterey, Westfield Mall offers Stuft Pizza and City Wok, each with a large mountain-view patio. Louise’s Pantry for breakfast/lunch is along the 111 frontage road across from Palm Desert’s new location of Bill’s Pizza, for fabulous pizza on a patio. Real Italian Deli near Tri-A-Bike on San Pablo has a large outdoor patio. The Living Desert a mile south of El Paseo has a couple of outdoor cafes, and makes for a great frequent biking destination for members like me.[enCYCLE ride: RM2]
Uncrowded very early morning.
The median of El Paseo is adorned with modern sculptures.
3. The River at Rancho Mirage
Reached via the sidewalk bike trails along Hwy 111 or Bob Hope, or the serene streets of Rancho Mirage Cove, the refreshing pools of The River complex are not a mirage, but will revive you on a warm day, and the choice for eats here are first rate. The fabulous waterfront patio of Acqua California Bistro is closed at this writing. Current choices for lunch and dinner include franchises of Cheesecake Factory, Babe’s BBQ, PF Chang’s, and The Yard House, each offering an al fresco option. [enCYCLE ride: RM2]
Sidewalk path along Hwy 111 passes the Acqua California patio (currently closed), other restaurants and a winter ice skating rink.
4. Old Town La Quinta
Granted it’s a newly-built old town, but Old Town La Quinta charms nonetheless. Access it south from Hwy 111 on Washington, right on Eisenhower, left on Tampico, and right on Bermudas one block. La Quinta prefers that you ride in bike lanes or specifically marked sidewalk trails, but if you ride courteously on the unmarked sidewalk paths you will rarely if ever be hassled by the authorities. We particularly like the patio of Stuft Pizza, which has happy hour food prices from 3 to 6 pm. I love their Napa Valley Pizza (photo). For breakfast, Main Street Coffee is popular with cyclists where tables are set out on the square (photo). A few more options can be found around Old Town including The Grill on Main and Old Town Tavern. From Old Town you can ride uphill several miles on the scenic Bear Creek bike trail (photo), with some optional easy dirt paths at the top of La Quinta Cove. [enCYCLE rides: LQ1,2,3]
The Bear Creek Trail leads from just west of Old Town, parallel to the La Quinta Cove neighborhood, gradually rising 350 feet up to the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains. It’s perhaps the best Class I bike trail in the valley, even though it’s only 2 miles long. Ride LQ1 includes this trail and an exploration of Old Town, with some options.
My personal favorite Bike ‘n Brunch reward is the Napa Pizza on the Stuft Pizza patio.
Old Town Coffee, a cyclists’ handoout.
5. Escena Golf Club, Palm Springs
A stand-alone destination, Escena Lounge & Grill at the Escena Golf Club is a popular Bike ‘n Brunch choice with delicious food served on an expansive patio with fabulous mountain views (photo below and banner photo). From the bike path along the west side of Gene Autry next to the airport (photo), pedal east on the south sidewalk of Vista Chino to the community entrance on the right, then ride another half mile to the golf club. Then try the first 2.3-mile section of the regional CV Link trail just beyond the Escena entrance along Whitewater Channel between Vista Chino and Ramon. There are also several casual restaurants with patios at Ramon and Gene Autry, including Panera Bread and Dickey’s BBQ north of Ramon and Goody’s Cafe, Torakichi Ramen, and Raising Kane’s Chicken Fingers to the south. [enCYCLE rides: PS4, PS3]
6. South Palm Springs
This very popular district is fun to cycle around on its residential streets lined with classic Palm Springs homes. Your brunching options are the scenic patio at South Restaurant of Indian Canyons Golf Club along Murray Canyon, or try some choices along Hwy 111 east of Sunrise. Manhattan In the Desert (east of Barona) has a delectably huge deli menu that spans all three meals, and a tempting bakery counter. A detour north up South Palm Canyon from Belardo/ East Palm Canyon brings you to popular El Mirasol for Mexican food. Koffi is a local hangout for coffee and light fare at El Camino Real and 111. [enCYCLE ride: PS2]
View from South Course Restaurant at Indian Canyons Golf Course (Ride PS2).
Uncrowded very early morning.
The median of El Paseo is adorned with modern sculptures.
7. Desert Willow Golf Course, Palm Desert
The beautiful half-mile long sidewalk trail leading up the hill from the Desert Springs (aka Ralph’s) Shopping Center northwest of Cook and Country Club leads to the clubhouse of Desert Willow Country Club, an upscale city-owned golf course. Its Lakeview Terrace has a wonderful outdoor view patio and serves delicious food, perfect for your mid-ride meal. IW Coffee & Chai Bar next to Ralphs is popular with cyclists. [enCYCLE rides: PD1, RM1,2]
Along the path to the clubhouse restaurant.
Beautiful paths at a high point in the valley overlook pretty Desert Willow Golf Course and mountains in all directions.
8. Restaurant Row, Rancho Mirage
Cycle the bike sidewalk along Hwy 111 between Frank Sinatra or Country Club, or from Palm Desert, head west on either of those boulevards to the end. Las Casuelas Nuevas has a very popular patio for Mexican cuisine and an elaborate Sunday brunch. We love to go to The Palms Cafe II for al fresco breakfast, especially when we sub a giant banana nut pancake for toast. [enCYCLE rides: RM1,2]
9. Highway 111, La Quinta – Indio
A sidewalk path is now continuous along the south side of Hwy 111 from Indian Wells all the way through La Quinta to the Indio border so that you can extend your rides in La Quinta or Indian Wells to access plenty of al fresco dining options. Most are actually on the north side of the road, where the sidewalk has a couple of breaks. Choices start with Broken Yolk at Washington. Across from In ‘n Out Burger at Simon is Pokehana for a healthy poke fix, Panera Bread, Chipotle and Habit Burger past Adams, and Pho Vu Vietnamese and IHOP after Dune Palms. Mimi’s Cafe at the Costco entrance road has a small outside patio.. [enCYCLE rides: LQ3, IW1]
enCYCLEpedia-inspired cyclists Karin and Bryan at Jackalope Ranch, which has closed since then..
10. Indian Wells
If you ride on Indian Wells’ sidewalk path (once a designated bike path as shown in the photo) west adjacent to the south side of Hwy 111 toward the towering mountains you will reach Cook Street, across which is Eureka! Their semi-covered and fanned patio is the perfect stop along your bicycle exploration to enjoy fabulous gourmet burgers like the Fresno Fig (photo, below, shown next to enCYCLEpedia), salads and crafted brews. Continuing a bit farther west leads to El Paseo (#2 above). There are also lots of restaurants, some with patios, along Hwy 111 in the El Paseo area that you can access via frontage roads. And those up for something more upscale can venture into some of Indian Wells’ resorts along the route, including Vue Grille at Indian Wells Golf Resort.[enCYCLE rides: IW1, RM2]
The pretty Indian Wells bike trail along Hwy 111 is a great connector between Palm Desert and La Quinta.
The easy scenic cycling adventures of Richard Fox, author of the 2014 (2nd Ed 2017, 3rd Ed 2021) guidebook "enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides."
enCYCLEpedia Bicycling Blog 