Hike of the Month: Randall Henderson Loop Trail

Named for the editor of the original Desert Magazine and founder of the city of Palm Desert, the 2.5-mile Randall Henderson Loop Trail starts at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitors Center on Highway 74. The trail’s easy terrain, which gains a gentle 448 feet, and numerous informational signs make for a relaxed exploration of the area’s ecology and geology. Keep your eyes peeled for Peninsular bighorn sheep, darting lizards, and hummingbirds flitting around flowering plants. You’ll see a variety of desert plants and flowers, including barrel cactus, chuparosa, and ocotillo.