5 Reasons To Love Desert Hot Springs! | Palm Springs Limo Services

NICKNAMED SPA TOWN USA, Desert Hot Springs of Coachella Valley is a beloved destination for Palm Springs limo services. Here you can find an abundance of its iconic hot springs, great eateries, desert hiking trails, bars, and lots of activities for all. 

Situated approximately 1,000 ft. higher than its southern neighbor Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs experiences a cooler summer climate than Palm Springs. With a population of 28,000, the city has experienced a population boom since 1970, when the population was under 3,000. In the year 1900, only a hundred residents of Desert Hot Springs were of non-Native American background.

The City

Desert Hot Springs is surrounded by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the north and the San Jacinto Mountains to the south. Overlooking the City of Palm Springs, the city has an elevation of over 1,000 feet. It is an authentic desert town at the crossroads of the Colorado-, Mojave- and Sonoran Deserts. Although not incorporated as an independent town until 1963, the post office was already established in 1944. 

Desert Hot Springs's indigenous people are the Cahuilla (Ivilyuqaletem) Native Americans. This group of Native Americans still operates a reservation in town, known as the Mission Creek Band of Mission Indians. You can learn more about their history at the local Cabot’s Museum, one of the town’s most visited tourist attractions, or at Agua Caliente Cultural Museum or Indian Canyons in nearby Palm Springs. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum appears on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, although the city’s more than fifty resorts and hotels might be more popular for Desert Hot Springs limousine clientele.

The city is undoubtedly most known for its idyllic natural mineral hot springs, which can be found throughout the town. The more than fifty restaurants as well are popular limo destinations. With its close proximity to the vineyards of Temecula Valley, many residents here also book Temecula wine-tasting tours. Besides transportation throughout Coachella Valley and Riverside County, our Palm Springs limo company also focuses on wine-tasting tours to Temecula Valley as well as party bus nights on the town, airport transfers, and much more.

1. Spa Town U.S.A.

Two Bunch Palms Spa

Did you know Desert Hot Springs goes by nicknames such as “Spa Town USA” and the official nickname “California’s Spa City”? With nonetheless than 15+ spas and hot springs to pick from, you have many choices when picking a spa destination in Desert Hot Springs. A dozen of spas can be found all throughout town, and are frequent stops for our limo services. The many hot springs of Desert Hot Springs are what have made this area a beloved place for everyone from the Cahuilla Native Americans to today’s tourists and visitors. In fact so famous that the city decided to name itself after the unique hot water underground. There have even been people digging out their own hot pools on their properties to enjoy a personal mineral water hot tub. The town’s many hot springs and whirlpools make for ideal mineral spring spas. Many of these are regularly visited by dating couples on limo rides.

While the city boosts a dozen spas, pools, and hot springs, we have discovered Two Bunch Palms Spa to be the true jewel of Desert Hot Springs. By far the most popular destination in town. Here you will discover everything from natural springs to soak in, whirlpools, spa treatments, a restaurant, and a resort. This award-winning resort and spa facility has become one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Occupying nearly 80 acres of land, Two Bunch Palms is bigger than most hot springs. Their Grotto is over 600 years old and keeps a steady heat of over 100 degrees year-round. Miracle Springs Spa is another limo favorite and offers 8 hot springs to soak in. Their on-site Capri Restaurant and scenic mountain views make this another popular stop for limousines.

Other hot springs visited by limos in town include Hope Springs, Vista Ventana, Lido Palms Spa, Hacienda Hot Springs, Living Waters Spa, El Morocco Spa, Miracle Manor, Sagewater Spa, The Spring Resort and Spa, Tuscan Springs, Aqua Soleil Spa, and Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel.

2. Great Restaurants & Bars

Desert Hot Springs is home to a variety of tasty diners, bars, and eateries. For one of the best restaurants in town, check out the Mexican Casa Blanca Restaurant on Pierson Boulevard. Another great Mexican eatery is South of the Border, rated the city’s best restaurant by Trip Advisor. Other great choices for Mexican food include Zapopan Mexican Food, Las Palmas Mexican Cuisine, La Michoacana Restaurant, El Matador, and Don Tacorriendo - all located on the main street of Palm Drive.

For the town’s best Italian cuisine, check out Capri Italian Restaurant on Palm Dr. This Italian restaurant and steakhouse is famous for its great manicotti, tortellini, steaks, and other Italian dishes. Named the best restaurant in town by Los Angeles Times, Capri has become a local landmark and popular for local limo services. Besides their signature steak, the tomato broth and homemade meatballs are other great dishes found at Capri’s.

A fan of sushi? Rated the number one restaurant in Desert Hot Springs by Yelp, Domo Sushi on Palm Drive is a great choice for sushi. The Gray Cafe serves some great vegan- and vegetarian dishes, while the best pizza in town can be found at Rocky’s New York Style Pizza. For American cuisine head to Dillon’s Burgers & Beers on Dillon Road, or Essense on Two Bunch Palms Trl. The Best Thai food in town is found at Thai Palm Restaurant, while Kam Lun Chinese Restaurant offers the city’s best Chinese food. Great Vietnamese food is served at Pho Na Vietnamese Cuisine.

By far the most popular bar in town is Playoffs Sports Lounge, which stays open till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, but closes at midnight during weekdays. Escapade Cocktail Lounge and the bars at Dillon’s Burgers and South of the Border are also popular bars for our party buses. 

3. Movies Filmed in Town

A helicopter scene in Mission Impossible III was
filmed at San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm

Many limo renters may be surprised by how many movies were filmed in Desert Hot Springs. Did you for example know that a helicopter scene from Mission Impossible III (2006) was filmed by nearby wind turbines? While movie filming in Desert Hot Springs already began in the 1930s at the Circle B Guest Ranch on 20th Street, the city has become a more popular filming location in recent years. Did you for example know that Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa appeared in the movie The Player (1992)? The desert spa here was visited when Griffin (Tim Robbins) takes his date, June (Greta Scacchi) to the spa. 

Numerous scenes in 3 Women (1977) starring Sissy Spacek were filmed here, including a scene from west Palm Drive by Acoma Ave and Pierson Blvd. The former Coffee's Hot Mineral Baths were featured as a hospital in the same film. Flamingo Resort Hotel can be seen in The Night Crew (2015), while scenes from 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) were also shot in Desert Hot Springs. Jane and the House of Miracles (2015) was filmed in its entirety within the town, while Traders of the Lost Surplus appears in Do It or Die (2017). Bubbling Wells Ranch appears in the 2013 episode “Which Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland Is Most Fun?” of the TV series After Hours (2010-). 

The James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) features several scenes from Palm Springs, including the Elrod House on Southridge Dr. Cinematic movie tours by Palm Springs limo services are available throughout the Coachella Valley.

See Also: Best Movies Filmed in Palm Springs, California!

4. Untouched Wilderness

With its breathtaking desert climate and surrounding mountains, Desert Hot Springs is bordering incredible natural preserves such as Joshua Tree National Park to the east and Big Morongo Canyon Preserve to the north. We’ve even had airport transfers with international tourists landing at Ontario Airport and heading to explore the national park by limousines. Although not as popular for limo rides, there are several impressive hiking trails within city limits, most notably the Swiss Canyon Trail and the city loop. A connector for various trails is Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, a local Hopi Native-American museum. 

Desert Hot Springs Loop is a 1.1-mile loop that offers magnificent views of the surrounding San Jacinto Mountains, cities, and untouched parts of the Low Colorado Desert. The trail loop usually takes about an hour and is an easy hike well worth your time. Remember to bring a camera and tons of water! Swiss Canyon Trail is a 2.1-mile hike with gorgeous views of Palm Springs, sand rock formations, San Gorgonio Pass, Colorado Desert wilderness, and panoramic views of the San Jacinto Mountains and the City of Palm Springs. Swiss Canyon Trail takes a little more effort, but the views and natural solitude are well worth the hike. The train usually takes about two hours and has an elevation gain of 800 feet. The easier before-mentioned Desert Hot Springs Loop has a lower elevation gain of 200 feet.

The trailhead is located on Verbena Road, a little north of Yucca Street, on the eastern side of Verbena Rd. Coordinates: 33°58'21.7"N 116°29’33.8"W. For an easier loop, park along Verbena Rd. and begin your journey on the sandy trail on the east side of the road. Approximately halfway, after 0.5 miles, turn right and follow the path for 0.3 miles. Start your way back by descending into the canyon and follow the loop as it turns back into the main dirt road.

Joshua Tree National Park is a 30-45 minute drive from Desert Hot Springs, a park visited by over 1.5 million people per year and one of Southern California’s most visited national parks.

5. Abundant Wildlife

Being an epicenter of the Mojave-, Sonoran- and Colorado Deserts, wildlife here is unique and thriving. Bordering an over 1,230 mi2 protected national park, wildlife is also abundant in Desert Hot Springs. Just some of the species you can encounter here include Desert Bighorn Sheep, Kit Fox, Desert Iguana, Desert Tortoise, Pronghorns, Horned Lizard, Chuckwalla, Roadrunners, Cougars, and the venomous Gila Monster. Neighboring Joshua Tree National Park is home to 220 species of bird, and an abundance of endangered endemic animal species. You might just see a Desert Bighorn Sheep climbing the mountainside, an adorable Kit Fox, or one of the half-a-dozen snake species that can be found here. As many as eleven species of rattlesnake can be found in the nearby deserts, more than in any other place on Earth.

Prefer a shorter trip to Joshua Tree National Park? Desert Hot Springs borders Big Morongo Canyon Preserve to the north, yet another protected nature area. At this 30,000+ acre, you can experience a jewel of the Mojave Desert. An important bird sanctuary, more than 250 species of bird can be found in this wildlife preserve. It is situated in the Little San Bernardino Mountains and is a crucial riparian- and avian zone and habitat in the Colorado Desert. It is a natural oasis and entry here is free of charge. Some of the animals commonly observed here include an array of bird species and large numbers of Ring-Tailed Cats and as a result of being located in the mountains, also a larger population of Desert Big Horn Sheep have been observed by limousine customers here.

Whether in or around Desert Hot Springs, your best chances of seeing reptiles are from spring to fall, while May is your best chance of spotting rare birds. Oases are great places to look for wildlife, including Joshua Tree National Park and Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. Mammals, eagles, hawks, falcons, and other animals are present throughout the year.

The outdoorsy types may consider tent camping to increase their chances of seeing wildlife. There are various campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park, but you can also bring a tent and camp at Sam’s Family Spa Hot Water Resort or Desert Springs RV Park in town.

For whatever reason you are searching for a Desert Hot Springs limousine service or limo services in Palm Springs or any other city, we will be able to accommodate your needs for luxurious transportation. Palm Springs Limo Services has a wide selection of stretch limousines, party buses, sedans, SUVs, and more. Besides local city tours, we offer exclusive Temecula wine-tasting tours and party bus nights out in town. We are a top provider of local airport transfers, including rides to and from Ontario and LAX airports.

Best Movies Filmed in Palm Springs!

From James Bond, Rain Man, Mission Impossible, and Ocean’s Eleven, limousine clients have told us about the hundreds of great movies and films shot in Palm Springs and the greater Coachella Valley. With filming beginning as early as 1915, the Coachella Valley has become a popular place for the movie- and TV productions. Starting with Lone Star Rush (1915), Hollywood discovered Palm Springs early and producers fell in love with the city for a host of reasons. For one, with its sandy deserts, the city made for a great Middle East or Sahara lookalike. 

With the snowy San Jacinto Mountains, scenes with winter climates could also be filmed in the same city. And for the movie scenes with greenery, Temecula was a short drive away with its ever-green rolling vineyards and greenery. Although the city began as an ideal locale for filming Western movies and television series, all genres of films are produced in Palm Springs today. Whether you’d like cinematic limousine tours of the area by our party bus rentals or limo services, transfer to the airport or just to educate yourself on the great cinematic history of the town, these are our limousine services favorite movies filmed in Palm Springs and the larger Coachella Valley!

Top movies

James Bond meets Thumper at Willard Whyte's mansion
(Elrod House)

First of all, did you know Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) was filmed in the area? Based on the true story, the movie follows Willie Boys' escape from the law through the Mojave Desert. Our Palm Springs limo service and party bus rental company are located in the Willie Boys Saloon and we know all the filming spots for this and other great movies! An example, we've taken tourists from the local airport directly to Willie Boy’s grave, located in the area and a place tourists and others often visit by limo or party bus. 

A maybe more famous movie with scenes filmed here is Ocean’s Eleven (2001). The Vegas home of Reuben Rishkoff in the movie is actually located at 996 N. Patencio Road here in Palm Springs! Furthermore, the home of the film’s producer Jerry Weintraub is also located by the city’s private Bighorn Golf Club. Another movie featuring scenes from Palm Springs is Mission: Impossible III (2006). In this movie, there’s a helicopter chase filmed at the San Gorgonio Pass Windfarm, just outside of the city. Many heads up the Aerial Tram with our party bus and limousine rentals to get a picturesque view of this rather huge windmill park. 

Yet another movie you might not know had scenes from Coachella Valley is James Bond's film Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Where Bond meets up with Thumper and Bambi in the rocky mansion of Willard Whyte in the film, the scene is actually filmed inside the Elrod House, located at 2175 Southridge Dr.

"The Rock" gets attacked by fire ants in Scorpion King
(Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)

Furthermore, did scenes from the movie Scorpion King (2002) look familiar to you? The fire ants scene in this film was filmed at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which offers stunning desert views from the film! This nearly 600,000-acre state park in the Colorado Desert is named for its many Bighorn sheep and is California’s biggest state park and one of the largest ones in America. Here people in Palm Springs get limo service or party bus to come to see the magnificent rock formations, and Native American petroglyphs, hike in nature, look for wildlife, and enjoy seeing the location where limousine customers' favorite film was made. While the cable car in Into the Wild (2007) in fact is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, when Alex stays at Ron’s house in the film it is also located in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. 

The Flamingo resort in the movie Bugsy (1991) is to many’s surprise, not the one located in Las Vegas, but was rather situated in Thermal, CA by the Salton Sea. Numerous scenes from Behind the Candelabra (2013) were filmed in Palm Springs. Liberace’s funeral was for instance held at Our Lady of Solitude Church, a popular destination for limousine services. When the car gets stolen in Constantine (2005), the parking lot at 17729 N. Indian Canyon Drive is where it actually took place!

Epic helicopter chase in Mission: Impossible III
(San Gorgonio Pass Windfarm)

Palm Springs became early a Hollywood celebrity’s favorite resort town with its own Palm Springs International Airport, and consequentially, many early movies were made here. As previously mentioned, the first movie to ever be filmed here was Lone Star Rush (1918), and many movies soon followed. Some examples include Salomé (1918), the Lone Star Ranger (1919), the Orphan (1920), the Leopard Woman (1920), the Covered Wagon (1922), Desert Gold (1926), and many more. Italian-American actor Rudolph Valentino played in numerous films here, including The Sheikh (1921) and later The Son of the Sheikh (1926). As these stories took place in the North African Saharan desert, the producers looked for a similar climate and geology and decided on filming the movies in the Palm Springs deserts. The same was the case for numerous movies to follow, due to the early opened airport. Some of these include A Night in Casablanca (1946) and Sahara (1943). 

A film that won four Oscars, Rain Man (1988), has numerous scenes filmed in the area. The shop where Tom Cruise puts sunscreen on Dustin Hoffman’s nose is in Windy Point on Highway 111. This convenience store is located at 60490 Overture Dr in Palm Springs and is a popular limo service or party bus destination for people who love the film! The windmills by the highway are also featured in the movie and can be a cool stop for limo or party bus rentals. Many tourists and locals enjoy seeing where scenes from Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) and American Gigolo (1980) were filmed. We recently had international tourists flying in and using our airport transfers to see the Rheiman’s home from American Gigolo, which is located at 2389 Yosemite. Another popular place includes the Cliffhouse restaurant in La Quinta featured in City of Industry (1997), located at 78250 Highway 111. The La Quinta Resort Hotel was used for several scenes in Hart To Hart (1979-1984) and is therefore also a trending destination for limousine and party bus rental.

See also 6 Best Palm Springs Tours! Featuring Camel-Riding, Balloon Rides, Celebrity Homes, and More!

Even more TV series have used Palm Springs as a filming spot. The city has been featured in everything from the Real L Word (in 2010), Real Housewives of Orange County (2010 and 2011), Amazing Race (2011), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2006), Cops (2006 and 2007), the O.C. (2004), Mad Men (2008), the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), and many, many more. Many actors in these have used local limousine services. 

I Love Lucy has for example many episodes filmed here in the ’50s including episode 26 of season 4 from 1955. Whether to go on a cinematic tour to your favorite filming locations, rentals, transfer to the airport, or just for a luxurious day or night out in Palm Springs, call us for an unforgettable Palm Springs limo service experience in Southern California!