On the way to Twentynine Palms, we stopped off at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve to stretch our legs. The preserve offers lovely trails through woodland and wetlands. From the Yucca Ridge Trail there are beautiful views of the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto mountains. We did a quick walk along the Marsh and Desert Willow Trails today, but we have hiked the other trails in the past and they are very enjoyable. The dirt path of the Desert Willow trail passes through cresote bush, Mojave yucca and desert scrub. It was very windy today, but the winds were warm and I enjoyed the dry desert air. We passed through honey mesquite and desert willow before connecting to The Marsh Trail which is a winding boardwalk that winds over a stream under the cottonwoods. The water here drains from the surrounding mountains and flows into a river through the canyon. The ground water rises up along the Morongo fault to form the marsh habitat. Unfortunately, part of the trail system was damaged by Hurricane Hillary earlier this year, but the preserve and volunteers are working to repair the damage. The preserve is also an internationally-recognized birding site and it is home to various wildlife. I highly recommend a stop here if you’re on your way out to Joshua Tree.

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