When most people picture fall travel, they see apple orchards, golden leaves and endless layers of flannel. But let’s flip the script. In Greater Palm Springs, autumn means cloudless skies, warm but breezy days and just cool enough nights for a firepit cocktail. Think of it as California’s version of sweater weather, only you’re swapping knitwear for swimsuits, sunglasses and the kind of cultural calendar you would expect in a big city. With nine distinct cities, including Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio and Cathedral City, Greater Palm Springs is a vibrant oasis year round, with fall bringing its own mix of sun-soaked days, breezy nights and a packed cultural calendar.
Where to Stay
Fall is resort season in Greater Palm Springs, when the pools are blissfully uncrowded and the temperatures finally hit that sweet spot between sunbathing and spa-ing. La Quinta Resort & Club offers Spanish-style casitas scattered across lush grounds, with Spa La Quinta rolling out seasonal specials during Greater Palm Springs Spa Month. For sweeping valley views, firepit lounges and on-site fine dining, The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage delivers desert glamour at every turn. Families flock to Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas, where sprawling pools and private cabanas make for a kid-friendly retreat. Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa doubles down on poolside fun, while Hotel Paseo in Palm Desert brings boutique energy and mid-mod design. For an ultra-private wellness escape, Sensei Porcupine Creek in Rancho Mirage feels like your own hidden sanctuary.
Where to Dine
Cooler nights in Greater Palm Springs call for something stylish, and Bar Cecil delivers. The menu is as playful as it is polished, where an Aperol spritz pairs well with a caramelized onion tart and an espresso martini feels just right alongside Aniston’s Pavlova. In Cathedral City, Daniel’s Table changes its menu each season to showcase the freshest, in-season ingredients, making fall an especially exciting time to book a table. Head to Indios’ Gabinos Creperie East with savory favorites like the chicken pesto loaded with cherry tomatoes and cheese sauce, the turkey cheddar with chimichurri, or even a chopped cheese burger crêpe for something hearty.
Dinner at Palm Spring’s Tac/Quila is a celebration in itself, with chipotle grilled shrimp tacos, jackfruit enchiladas and tequila cocktails that beg for a toast. If you are hungry for something bold, Sandfish brings desert sushi with Japanese-meets-California flair, and their new happy hour ritual makes it even harder to resist, featuring tuna tataki tacos, short rib bao buns and cocktails at early evening prices. Workshop Kitchen & Bar keeps its industrial-chic vibe as fresh as its farm-to-table menus, and on Sundays, their brunch lineup stretches from waffles to indulgent plates like a lobster burrito or squash blossom egg omelette.
Kestrel: A Richard Blais Kitchen + Lounge is one of Indian Wells’ newest restaurants, where Richard Blais reimagines American classics and coastal catches in a modern California setting. Cork & Fork in Indio leans into the season with a rotating menu built around peak produce, while Venue Sushi in Palm Desert keeps the Sandfish pedigree alive with a neighborhood twist. Farmers’ markets across the region add citrus, dates and artisanal finds to the bounty.
From stylish dining rooms to farmers’ markets piled high with citrus, the desert’s dining scene shines brightest in the fall.
Wellness & relaxation
September kicks off Greater Palm Springs Spa Month, when top resorts roll out luxe treatments at special seasonal prices. Think desert-inspired scrubs at Agua Serena, facials at Spa La Quinta and signature rituals designed to leave you glowing well into fall.
Just north of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs is ideal for crisp fall soaks. The city’s underground aquifer feeds natural mineral pools that have drawn wellness seekers for decades, and many local spots offer day passes so you can slip into the healing waters at your own pace. Set at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, Desert Hot Springs also puts you close to Mission Creek Preserve, where wetlands, streams and native flora add a dose of fresh-air therapy to your spa day.
Wellness in the desert also extends beyond the springs. In Palm Springs, Khaga Yoga offers classes for every level, from restorative meditation sessions to energizing flows with private instruction available if you want something more personal. For something completely different, book a Good Vibes Floating Sound Bath, where you’ll drift in a pool under the stars as sound waves ripple through the water. Yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds.
Where to shop
No trip is complete without a little retail therapy. El Paseo in Palm Desert is the most polished shopping mile, mixing luxury brands with local boutiques and galleries that invite you to linger as long as you like. In Palm Springs, Shops at Thirteen Forty Five is part design hub, part treasure hunt, with everything from midcentury décor and vintage jewelry to resort wear and globally sourced pieces. And when you need a pause between browsing, Sotto Voce is the perfect café stop for espresso, pastries, panini or even a glass of Italian wine. And in downtown Indio, The Place adds a modern community vibe with artisan makers and curated seasonal goods that turn souvenirs into something special.
Fall events
Greater Palm Springs’ fall lineup makes it hard to stay home. Pride season kicks off Oct. 25 with the inaugural Pride Equality Walk, a community stride through downtown Palm Springs that raises visibility and supports keeping the November Pride Festival free for all. This year also marks the unveiling of the LGBTQ+ Monument, a permanent art installation honoring the community’s history and contributions, followed by the colorful Pride Parade on Nov. 9 that winds through downtown and ends at the festival entrance.
Modernism Week returns Oct. 16-19, celebrating its 20th year with tours, talks and parties spotlighting midcentury and modern architecture, art, interior design and vintage culture. The October festival is a shorter but equally stylish counterpart to the signature February event, offering a packed calendar that draws design lovers from around the world while supporting local preservation and community programs.
Mid-November belongs to the La Quinta Art Celebration (Nov. 13-16), a four-day showcase of original works from jury-selected artists spanning the nation and beyond. Set at the Civic Center Campus, the festival is as much about the setting as it is the art, blending global talent with desert beauty, enthusiastic collectors, and a polished VIP-style experience that has earned it recognition as the #1 outdoor art festival in the country.
Cathedral City’s Hot Air Balloon Festival (Nov. 21–23) brings three days of color and celebration, with 20+ balloons filling the skies, sunrise launches, after-dark balloon glows, live music and family entertainment that draws more than 25,000 visitors each year. And if you’re there for the festival weekend, don’t miss the Props and Hops Craft Beer Festival on Nov. 22 at the Palm Springs Air Museum, where more than 40 breweries set up inside the hangar and tastings mingle with vintage aircraft taking off and landing just outside.
Outdoor adventure
Autumn is when the destination’s wild side shines. Indian Canyons is the place to start, with trails that wind through towering fan palms, unusual rock formations and streams that make the landscape feel like a true oasis. Tahquitz Canyon is home to a seasonal 60-foot waterfall and traces of ancient rock art, while Andreas Canyon offers lush greenery and more than 150 plant species along a short, scenic loop. For a quieter trek, Murray Canyon delivers palm-dotted trails where you might spot bighorn sheep or mule deer.
If you’re craving altitude, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is set to reopen in mid-October, carrying visitors from the desert floor up Chino Canyon to 8,516 feet in just 10 minutes. The ride itself offers sweeping views of the Coachella Valley, and once at the Mountain Station you’ll find observation decks, casual and fine dining and access to more than 50 miles of hiking trails inside Mount San Jacinto State Park.
Joshua Tree National Park turns into a stargazer’s paradise in fall, but that’s only part of the draw. Spanning nearly 800,000 acres, the park is where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts meet, creating a rare mix of landscapes dotted with ocotillo, cholla cactus and the park’s namesake Joshua trees. Cooler temps make it the perfect season to wander among surreal rock formations, hike through juniper and pinyon pine groves in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, or simply spread out a blanket and watch the night sky light up.
A Jeep tour through the San Andreas Fault offers another way to explore the desert’s rugged geology, with cooler fall weather making the ride even more enjoyable. And for a different kind of thrill, the Palm Springs Surf Club makes waves in the middle of the desert with state-of-the-art surf technology designed for every skill level. Beyond the swells, you’ll find a lazy river, resort-style pools, live events and on-site dining, turning a day at the Surf Club into a uniquely California escape.
Golden hour getaway
Forget pumpkin patches and foggy mornings. This fall, trade scarves for sunglasses and swap crowded trails for wide-open desert horizons. Greater Palm Springs is calling with golden sunsets, world-class spas, bold dining and an event calendar that rivals any big city; think Modernism Week tours, Pride celebrations, NBA preseason hoops, music festivals and big-name concerts at Acrisure Arena.
Ready to experience it for yourself? Check out these getaway offers and start planning your desert escape packed with dining, wellness and adventure.
A California local, Kathleen Hokit grew up on a farm but spent every chance she could at the beach. After earning her graduate degree in the social sciences in Finland, she built a 17+ year career writing and editing across lifestyle, entertainment, and culture. A longtime magazine lover, she now lives the dream as part of the editorial team at LOCALE. When she’s not on deadline, she’s hiking or sneaking in a beach day with her husband and son. Kathleen loves all things art—from writing and photography to spending time on the dance floor, where she teaches ballet to everyone from tiny tots to grown-ups on their pas de bourrée path.
