Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, formerly the Living Desert Museum, is a non-profit zoo and desert botanical garden in Palm Desert, in the Colorado Desert, in California in the United States.
A zoo & aquarium inside Indian Wells
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 106–106°, and about 184 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Indian Wells
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is inside Indian Wells, which has 9 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Diego
San Diego is about 74 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 69–80°. When to go ↓
An airport 12 miles away
Palm Springs (PSP) has airline service, about 12 miles from Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Indian Wells. Green months are the mild ones.
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, formerly the Living Desert Museum, is a non-profit zoo and desert botanical garden in Palm Desert, in the Colorado Desert, in California in the United States. It is set on 1,200 acres of land, with 80 developed as zoo and gardens, and is home to over 500 animals representing over 150 species and receives over 500,000 visitors annually.
The zoo has been a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1983, and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). It has participated in species reintroduction programs including the peninsular bighorn sheep to the local mountains and returning Arabian oryx to Oman.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 500 animals · 150 species
- Area
- 1,800 acres
- Established
- 1970
- Wikipedia readers
- 5.8K a year
Where to stay near Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Indian Wells (9) and Palm Springs (198).
Palm Springs
45,315 people · 27% vacation homes
12 mi northwest of Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Living Desert Zoo and Gardens | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Wells 44% vacation homes | in town | — | 9 9 hotels | 4,992 | $1,078K | C+ |
| Palm Springs 27% vacation homes | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 198 178 hotels · 6 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks | 45,315 | $604K | D |
| Palm Desert 27% vacation homes | 3 mi north | 5 min | 38 35 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 53,259 | $542K | C− |
| Indio | 8 mi east | 10 min | 42 20 hotels · 12 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 9 RV parks | 94,269 | $458K | C+ |
| La Quinta 28% vacation homes | 7 mi southeast | 10 min | 18 17 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 39,440 | $662K | C |
| Rancho Mirage 35% vacation homes | 6 mi northwest | 10 min | 15 14 hotels · 1 RV park | 17,876 | $807K | C− |
| Cathedral City | 11 mi northwest | 15 min | 21 13 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 52,375 | $453K | C+ |
| Idyllwild-Pine Cove 51% vacation homes | 21 mi west | 30 min | 42 5 hotels · 1 motel · 7 inns & B&Bs · 19 lodges & cabins · 9 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,957 | $532K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Other well-known places within 54 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw39 mi LakeSalton Sea
Big draw32 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
16 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Arena
220 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak39 mi LandmarkForest Lawn Cemetery
38 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
30 mi State parkAnza-Borrego Desert State Park
54 mi MountainNiland GeyserPhoto credits
Salton Sea: NASA, Public domain · Joshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Acrisure Arena: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: No machine-readable author provided. Miskatonic assumed (based on copyright clai, CC BY 2.5 · Niland Geyser: California Department of Transportation, Public domain
Visiting Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Is Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Indian Wells?
Yes. It’s inside Indian Wells, CA.
When is the best time to visit Living Desert Zoo and Gardens?
January, February, March, November and December, with highs of 69–80°.
How far is Living Desert Zoo and Gardens from Riverside and San Diego?
About 61 miles west of Riverside and about 74 miles southwest of San Diego, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Living Desert Zoo and Gardens?
Palm Springs (PSP), about 12 miles away.
Where should I stay near Living Desert Zoo and Gardens?
Palm Springs (12 mi, 198 places to stay), Palm Desert (3 mi, 38 places to stay) and Indio (8 mi, 42 places to stay).
Tips from people in Indian Wells
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Indian Wells’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.