Desert Hot Springs guide

Renowned for its relaxing hot springs, this residential spa town is located in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, across the Coachella Valley from Palm Springs.  The town rises from fairly level land into hills, and in the upper hills, middle and upper-middle homes have been constructed.

As with the rest of the Coachella Valley, this area is growing in size, and one will find custom homes commanding view lots (such as the Mission Lakes Country Club area) as well as established and modern suburban developments. Typical of the low desert, summers are hot but dry, spring and fall temperatures average in the 80's and 90's, with winters from the 50s to 70s.

View houses for sale in Desert Hot Springs.

The resorts have their own amusements: bathing, massages, facials, and swimming. But if you are not relaxing in the public hot spas, the town offers numerous other settings for almost any activity you can think of. There are parks, tennis courts, golf courses, museums, a library, and shopping in old downtown and other centers on Palm Drive. For recreation on a larger scale, you are never far from the attractions and activities of Palm Springs and the other cities of Coachella Valley, which are easily accessible by car or bus.

View websites in Desert Hot Springs of things and places to shop.

Bubbling beneath the town is a hot springs aquifer, the waters of which are believed to tone the blood and cure or lessen the severity of arthritis and neuromuscular diseases. Spas, hotels and motels can be found around the town (including the Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel, Desert Palms, Emerald Springs Resort, Flamingo Resort Hotel, Hacienda Riviera Spa, Mineral Springs Resort, Sam's Family Spa, and the Sandpiper Inn & Spa). One spa is run by the Crippled Children's Foundation. In the winter, Canadians and Europeans take to the restoring waters and bask in the desert sun. Cabot Yerxa, a pioneer, dug the first well in 1913 and soon after the visitors arrived.