If you’re in the Palm Springs area (or you feel like a little day trip from LA) Oak Glen Preserve is the perfect destination for an outdoor kid-friendly activity. Last week we decided to escape the heat for the afternoon and head deep into the San Bernardino mountains to explore a new-to-us preserve. I didn’t do any research prior to our trip and I was pleasantly surprised by what a hit it was!

As we drove up to Oak Glen Preserve we noticed tons of cute little food stands and farms which we didn’t visit but we did bookmark for future trips. Once we arrived at the preserve, which spans over 900 acres, we found that although there were other people there, everyone was respectful of the mask rule and it never felt overcrowded or overwhelming.

We decided to head past the gardens towards the pond which was an easy 15ish minute walk from the parking lot. After admiring the pond (and identifying every duck… and frog… and turtle) we continued to explore the area until deciding to make a loop around the rest of the preserve. We had planned to walk back the same way we came but another parent suggested we continue on to make a loop along the boardwalk (the map makes it look like a longer walk than it is). I’m so glad we ended up going that way because it was really beautiful (and shady!).

We passed a cute little stream which occupied us for a good amount of time and then walked along the boardwalk until we emerged in the most beautiful valley full of yellow flowers with an amazing view that made me feel like I was in the Alps (I’ve never actually been to the Alps so forgive me if they don’t look anything alike lol). One note, make sure to look out for the prickly plants along the boardwalk. There are signs that point them out but beware of little hands trying to touch them!