Indio area guide
A national park, a legendary roadhouse, a hand-painted mountain, a desert zoo and a resort casino, with drive times from our Indio homes.
Joshua Tree sits where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, so the landscape changes as you drive through it. The Cottonwood entrance is about 45 minutes from our Indio homes, while Hidden Valley and Barker Dam are about an hour and a half away, so plan a full day. Buy your pass online at Recreation.gov, and in summer go early and carry plenty of water.
A roadhouse, Santa Maria style BBQ restaurant and live music venue in Pioneertown. Paul McCartney, Robert Plant and Vampire Weekend have all played its small stage. Open daily from 11am to 11pm, with last dinner seating at 9:30pm. Dining is first come, first served, and parties of 8 or more can email the events team for priority seating. Pair it with a Joshua Tree day.
Leonard Knight's hand-painted adobe-clay mountain near the Salton Sea, three stories tall and covered in scripture, flowers and bright folk-art color. Entry is free, and donations help preserve it. It is open dawn to dusk year-round, and summer heat can top 115°F, so go early or late.
A zoo and botanical garden set within 1,200 protected acres of desert, accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, where you can feed the giraffes. Open 8am to 5pm from October through May and 7am to 1:30pm from June through September, with last entry an hour before closing (closed Christmas Day). Buy tickets online before you go.
A resort casino with about 1,800 slots, 40 table games and a 250-room hotel. The Rock Yard hosts free outdoor concerts in its fall and spring seasons, and the Special Events Center books touring shows and comedy. Eagle Falls Golf Course (closed for reseeding through November 1, 2026) and Fantasy Lanes bowling are on site too.
This guide covers the Indio area. For our other two markets, start with these.
We checked these details against each venue's own website in October 2026. Hours and seasons change, so call or check the venue's site before you go. Photos are credited on each image and some are cropped or resized.
Stay, play, and wander into unforgettable moments.
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