Cottonwood Spring

This oasis is a natural spring that Cahuilla tribespeople depended on for centuries. Look for morteros – rounded depressions in the rocks used for grinding seeds. Miners came searching for gold here in the late 19th century. It's a promising birding spot and launchpad of such hikes as the 7.5-mile round-trip slog to the Lost Palms Oasis Trail.

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