Tahquitz Falls is a 60-foot seasonal waterfall on Tahquitz Creek in Tahquitz Canyon, on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation in Palm Springs, California. The canyon is owned and run by the tribe, and the falls are the goal of a ticketed loop trail.
The falls
The creek slides over a slab of granite and drops into a pool, with a rock protrusion on the canyon wall splitting the fall once. It is classed as a horsetail, and lidar data bears out the 60-foot figure, the same height the tribe gives. Like most falls in the Sonoran desert, it is seasonal and depends on rain.
Getting there
The Tahquitz Canyon Trail is a 1.8-mile round-trip loop with about 350 feet of gain. The tribe's trail page rates it strenuous because of high rock steps and little shade; the steps run 12 to 15 inches and the walk takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
Admission is $15 for adults and $7 for ages 6 to 12; children 5 and under, active or retired US military and first responders with ID, and members of federally recognized tribes enter free. Visitors under 18 must be with an adult. The tribe's calendar showed the canyon open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in late September 2026, and last entry is 3:30 p.m. The tribe pauses entry when the canyon reaches capacity, even for online ticket holders, and summer hours are cut to Friday through Sunday, so check the Tahquitz Canyon site before going.
When to go
Flow is strongest in winter and spring, usually peaking between February and April, and depends on recent rain. In peak season the gates have closed for capacity well before mid-morning. In summer, starting before 9 a.m. is advised, since the canyon walls throw off heat by late morning.
On site
There is no water and there are no restrooms along the trail. Each hiker must carry water, at least 32 ounces per person, and wear suitable footwear. Dogs and other animals are not allowed, and neither are drones, bikes, fires, smoking or alcohol.
History and name
In the tribe's account, Tahquitz was a shaman created by Mukat who was banished after harming the Cahuilla people, and the canyon carries his name. The falls appeared in Frank Capra's 1937 film Lost Horizon and in Jim Morrison's 1969 film HWY: An American Pastoral, and they lie within a National Register of Historic Places boundary.
Nearby
Murray Canyon Falls is about 4 miles away and Andreas Falls about 4.5 miles. Fuller Mill Creek Falls lies about 10.8 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.