Chuckwalla National Monument
Managed by Bureau of Land Management
3,559 acres7.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Bureau of Land Management California · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Desert Center
Few parks or trails are on the map in Desert Center
The biggest trail networks: Chuckwalla National Monument (7.9 mi). 1% of Desert Center’s land is conserved, about 247 acres. 9.6 miles of mapped trail cross Desert Center, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
1%
247 acres · of 30.4 sq mi of land
Trails
9.6 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Chuckwalla National Monument, with 7.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
247 conserved acres
1% of Desert Center’s land. Who manages Desert Center’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits204 ac
State Department of Land43 ac
Conservation Easement · 204 acState Resource Management Area · 43 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 204 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State Lands Commission State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 43 | Open |
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Desert Center
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 67 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 103 | 107 | 106 | 101 | 89 | 76 | 66 |
| Rain (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
June is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 107 °F). 0.5 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 107 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Desert Center →
Questions about parks and trails in Desert Center
Where can I hike in Desert Center?
The longest trail networks: Chuckwalla National Monument, 7.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Desert Center’s trails?
Chuckwalla National Monument doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Desert Center?
60,795 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Desert Center or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,101 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Desert Center neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →