Now that things are starting to open up again, we decided to dip our toes in the water and check out the newly reopened The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert. They just opened on Monday, June 15 and like all places, have a long list of new policies and procedures in place to ensure the safety and comfort of all guests.

My in-laws live in Palm Springs so we’ve been regulars at The Living Desert for the last three years and it’s always been one of our daughter’s favorite spots (and ours too if I’m being honest!). I was excited for this to be one of our first family outings because we know the space really well and have always felt very comfortable visiting. I’m happy to report that we had a great experience and I would definitely encourage others who are interested to visit as well.

We made our way to the zoo on a weekday morning during the first week after reopening. Entry was easy since you have to pre-purchase your tickets. Once in the park you’ll notice that there is a set one-way route you must follow to get through the zoo. It goes in a counterclockwise loop which is how we usually make our way through anyways so you shouldn’t really feel impacted by this. All visitors over two years-old are required to wear masks and everyone was very respectful of that rule. Although I was very happy that masks were required, I do have to mention that it was hard for me because it was already so hot by the time we went there. Definitely not meant to deter anyone, but depending on your comfort level in extreme heat you might want to book your visit for as early in the day as possible.

As you make your way around the zoo you’ll see that there are clearly marked signs indicating safe social distancing so you never have to worry about being too close to anyone else. In general there were very few people at the zoo the day we went, in part I’m sure because it was the first week open but also because they are limiting the total number of visitors per hour (hence the need to pre buy tickets).

Now that I’ve gone through some of the new policies, the most important update at the zoo is the new Australia section! This was a major highlight for us. You enter the new section through sliding glass doors that we initially thought were installed for socially distancing purposes, but it turns out it’s because there are wallabies jumping freely through this section! My daughter loved seeing them roam around at close distance and I loved seeing tons of animals I had never seen before like the Kookaburra (which obviously made me sing the song all day long) and the Tawny Frogmouth.

If you’re in the desert make sure to plan a visit! The zoo is open from 8:00am-1:30pm, with last admission at 1:00pm during the summer.

Enjoy!