Rancho Mirage, CA

Trails begin directly behind Rancho Mirage City Hall, where the Mirada system enters the Santa Rosa Mountains through the Bighorn Overlook, Chuckwalla, Jack Rabbit, and Road Runner routes. That close contact with the mountains is a defining piece of geography for this low-density Riverside County city, which lies in the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert just east of Palm Springs. Resorts, golf courses, and country clubs occupy a prominent place in its built environment. Rancho Mirage incorporated in 1973 as one of the Coachella Valley's nine cities; in 2020, it had 16,999 residents. Rancho Mirage Community Park combines courts, an informal playfield, picnic space, exercise stations, and an amphitheater that supports concerts and performances.

The 2.2-mile Clancy Lane Trail starts there and follows the Whitewater storm channel beneath Bob Hope Drive; the city labels it an easy route. The city's public library adds a particularly local cultural-science pairing. Rancho Mirage Observatory opened beside the library in 2018 and runs tours, public stargazing, astronomy programs, and special events. Since 2022, its telescope-lending program has made nearly 30 portable tabletop reflectors available for seven-day checkout, with a brief handling lesson and a constellation guide included. The library also hosts adult, children's, and observatory programming and is home to the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival.