Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Star Route
PALMS TO PINES HIGHWAY
BeginningatPalmDesert,thedrivefollowsRtes.74and243frompalm-studdedlow-
landstotheloftypinewoodsofSanBernardinoNationalForest.Atfirst,hairpinturns
lead up the dizzying slopes of the Santa Rosa Mountains, followed by a smooth cruise
through the grasslands of Garner Valley. Inviting trailheads await hikers at Idyllwild,
and the last leg of the drive winds through the lushly forested San Jacinto Mountains,
descending to the austere, boulder-strewn hills near Banning.
11.
Cottonwood Spring
Crossing the Pinto Basin and the ridges of the Hexie Mountain foothills, the drive eases
into Cottonwood Spring. The spring itself, which gushed profusely at the turn of the cen-
tury, now trickles gently through a grove of cottonwoods and palms. Indian bedrock mor-
tars invoke the spring's distant past, while present-day travelers find it a fitting spot to bid
farewell to Joshua Tree National Park.
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