so many Things to do

There's always something happening at The Living Desert. Plan your visit around our Today at the Zoo program schedule. Find out what’s going on today, tomorrow, and later this month you social butterfly.

Today at the Zoo

Rhino Encounter

Meet your new one-ton bestie through this unique Rhino Encounter experience. This semi-private encounter will take you to an exclusive animal care area to meet one of our black rhinos – Nia or Jaali – up close.

The Rhino Care Team will introduce you to The Living Desert's black rhinos, while offering fascinating insights into the species’ natural biology, what it takes to care for these massive mammals, and an insider’s perspective about their individual personalities. You’ll walk away with life-long memories and insights into how we can collectively work to protect rhinos from extinction.

Encounters are offered daily and are $45/person for members and $50/person for non-members. Each session accommodates up to 10 guests.

Make your plans today!

Come nose-to-nose with the world’s tallest animal. An experience of a lifetime, giraffe feeding gives guests a one-on-one encounter with these graceful giants.

Be sure to have your camera ready! Photos and fun are part of this experience.

Members: $8 per feeding
Non-members: $10 per feeding

October 1 - May 31 9:00am – 3:00pm 

June 1 - September 30 8:00am – 12:00pm

By participating in the giraffe feeding, guests agree to follow directions and guidelines provided by staff to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all of our guests and animals.

For the safety of the animals, you are only permitted to feed food that is provided by the Zoo. The giraffes' diet is carefully monitored and approved by The Living Desert's animal care and veterinary teams.

Dine at one of four delicious restaurants, picnic with family and friends, stay hydrated at our many water stations, order and pickup food from The Thorn Tree Grill, get a snack at the new Crash Cafe and discover unique gifts to remember your visit. 

Treat yourself

Rhino Savanna in Now Open

Located just inside the Zoo’s main entrance, the sprawling multi-species and state-of-the-art habitat is home to 12 African species. Among those include the Zoo’s largest animals, two black rhinos, Nia (pronounced Ny-a) and Jaali (pronounced Jolly). Expansive look-out points and picturesque views await guests at Rhino Savanna where they also will encounter waterbuck, springbok, two species of pelicans and a variety of other birds, plus fascinating subterranean animals such as the naked mole-rat, among others.

The world Down Under comes to you in this delightful new experience. Stroll among Australia’s most treasured animals in this amazing interactive journey.

Open daily

October 1 – May 30
8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily

May 30 - September 30
7:00 am – 1:30 pm daily

Choose your own adventure with one of The Living Desert’s tours and enhance your experience.

Book a tour today and see the Zoo like you’ve never seen it before.

Private Safari Tours 

For questions and bookings, contact group sales at (760) 346-5694 or email GroupSales@LivingDesert.org.

Take a hike on the wild side

Discover the untouched beauty of the pristine Colorado Desert in its natural state through a series of nature and hiking trails. Your Zoo admission or membership includes access to The Living Desert’s nature preserve and three trail loops. Open October 1 through May 30, the trail system is a memorable way to experience Coachella Valley nature at its best.

Loop 1: The Discovery Loop

Stroll through The Discovery Loop, a flat, sandy trail through a palo verde and smoketree desert riparian woodland. Interpretive signage along the path will help you interpret the desert world. This 1/2 mile trail is a brief 15 minute interlude from your tour of our grounds. A quiet place with unimpeded desert views.

Loop 2: The Adventure Loop

Get a little more adventurous on our exciting Adventure Loop. You travel through the same desert riparian woodland in Loop 1 then onto a rocky desert mountain slope or bajada. You will also experience a desert wash or arroyo, and can climb to an interpretive exhibit of the San Andreas Fault with broad views of this world famous fault. This trail is about one mile on a smooth dirt path, and includes interpretive signage. With exception of the dip into the wash, it is a very gentle rise and fall as you travel the loop.

Loop 3: The Wilderness Loop

Ready for more? The Wilderness Loop is for the adventurous or those ready to explore. This trail traverses a very rocky desert canyon if you travel the loop in a counter clockwise manner, or a desert mountain ridge if you travel in a clockwise manner. Either way, you peak at a covered picnic area at 1,000 feet elevation and can clearly see Eisenhower Peak at 1,952 feet. The path is narrow, but marked. You will climb over, scramble around, or jump from one boulder to another in the canyon. This desert experience is intimate with opportunities for wildlife viewing exceptional, and the views of the Coachella Valley at the top peak spectacular. The trail is 3.5 miles long from the junction with the Middle Loop or 5 miles from the parking lot. Expect to spend 3 to 5 hours on this loop.

These nature trails take you through various Sonoran Desert biological communities and habitats, including desert riparian woodland with smoketree, palo verde, desert willow, and desert scrub or creosote bush and white bursage in the canyon and on the ridge, plus a small dune near the Fault exhibit. You might even see a number of animals along the way!

Know Before You Go:

• The nature and hiking trails are open October 1 – May 31
• Carry and drink plenty of water; at least 2 quarts per person is recommended for the Wilderness Loop
• Dress appropriately for the weather including a hat and sunscreen
• This is a nature preserve; respect and stay on the trail
• Leave no trace; carry out what you carry in
• Understand that you hike at your own risk. The Living Desert assumes no liability. This trail is not patrolled, so it is recommended not to hike alone. Make sure a family member or friend knows where you are hiking before you go
• Be aware of your surroundings; watch where you put your hands and feet
• The trailhead gate closes at 4 pm. No overnight camping permitted

• Only working service animals are permitted. If you require a service dog, you must notify the Admissions staff to alert our Animal Care Department. Certain areas of the Zoo are restricted. Please view our complete Service Animal Policy.

  Pets are not allowed. For safety reasons, please do not leave a pet in your car.

What will you discover?

Get a deeper look at the local environment at The Miriam U. Hoover Discovery Center. This indoor interactive space allows children and visitors to discover how sun, wind, sand and water work together to create the unique desert of the Coachella Valley.

Take a spin!

You’ll love going around and around on the Endangered Species Carousel featuring many of the animals found at The Living Desert.

Standard Operating Hours:

October 1 – May 31: 9:00am – 4:30pm daily

Members and Non-members: $3 per ride

Unlimited carousel rides: $8 per wristband

Corral the goats!

Go behind the fence and get close to the action.

All ages can experience the domestic livestock of Africa including Sicilian dwarf donkeys and interact with and groom Nigerian dwarf goats.

Open daily, located within Village WaTuTu.

Keeper Connections and Animal Encounters

Our dedicated animal keepers provide exceptional care to all of the animals at the Zoo, making sure they're happy and healthy. They also help save animals in the wild and inspire Zoo guests to make a difference. Keeper connections and animal encounter times vary; visit the daily schedule for specific times and details.

Daily Schedule

Care is at our core!

Go behind-the-scenes with our specially trained animal caregivers at The Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center and glimpse into the high level of care the Zoo’s residents receive. Open to the public during normal park hours, you can view medical exams and procedures, hear animal care stories from volunteers, tour the facility, and interact with the exhibits and displays.

Check our Daily Program Schedule for the next scheduled animal exam!

Immerse yourself in more than 3,300 feet of track laid for 8 different loops as train on the Bighorn Railroad come and go. Our G-scale model train sits on ¾ of an acre and offers unique views such as the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, and even Old Indio. This large layout allows us to run 19 or more lines at one time. The trains are designed to operate during day or night and offer a luminous addition to our Wildlights event too. The trains run with one full time staff member along with a crew of 25 volunteers.

The G-scale Model train is open daily throughout the year. During summer months we may run fewer lines due to the heat.

Time to play!

Gecko Gulch is an interactive outdoor play area that encourages children to use their imaginations and create their own fun. Spread over one-acre, the play area features slides, climbing features, and more.

Located near the Discovery Center.