Cabazon, CA

Sitting right in the windy San Gorgonio Pass between the Inland Empire and Palm Springs, Cabazon is a small desert community framed by dramatic mountain backdrops. Most travelers recognize it immediately for the giant roadside dinosaurs, the high-end Desert Hills Premium Outlets, and the Morongo Casino Resort along Interstate 10. Beyond the highway buzz, residential Cabazon is quiet and rural, with big skies and direct access to mountain hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail. Families have Cabazon Elementary right in town, while older students head down the road to neighboring Banning for middle and high school. It makes for an easy, low-key home base with quick connections to both Inland Empire job centers and the Coachella Valley.