You can make Los Angeles to Palm Springs in about 2 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 110 miles on I-10, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable close to the park gates.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Los Angeles
Aim to clear Los Angeles before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 37 miles to Ontario.
The headline stop on this route is Cabazon Dinosaurs. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Ontario
Ontario sits about 37 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Nearby, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Cabazon, the last stretch
Cabazon sits about 93 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Rolling into Palm Springs
The final 17 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Day trip to Joshua Tree National Park; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Cabazon Dinosaurs, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and Day trip to Joshua Tree National Park, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Palm Springs, CA is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-10 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
