Indian Wells is renowned as a California resort town and has been since the beginning of the twentieth century. Visitors to the community can choose from the 1,460 hotel rooms at the four major hotels: the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort, Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Spa & Villas, the Miramonte Resort and the Indian Wells Resort Hotel. All offer scenic mountain views and provide a range of leisure and corporate amenities.
Indian Wells also boasts a number of attractions and events that appeal to all ages. One of the most popular tourist destinations in the area is The Living Desert, a desert conservation area whose mission is to conserve a portion of the Colorado Desert in its natural state through preservation, education and appreciation. The Living Desert was established in 1970 by several trustees of the Palm Springs Desert Museum who foresaw the impact that resort development would have on their local desert ecosystem. For almost four decades The Living Desert has been engaged in the important work of preserving, conserving and interpreting the desert and all its varied plant and animal life. Even as they take immense pride in their accomplishments over the last 40 years, they remain as dedicated as ever to the goals that initially inspired them when they first began operations in March of 1970.
Nestled at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, The Living Desert is home to rare desert animals including meerkats, coyotes, bighorn sheep and endangered African cheetahs. Ten different desert ecosystems are found in the attraction’s botanical gardens. Tram rides are available to see the desert scenery and the animals that call The Living Desert their home. There are numerous hiking trails for those who enjoy the rugged landscape and like to picnic along the way. The Living Desert also offers student, family and kid, adult and volunteer programs for those who aim to get even more involved with the cause. Plan your visit to The Living Desert at www.livingdesert.org.
As for golf, Indian Wells has multiple world-class golf courses. Enjoy a truly magnificent vista from each hole where seasonal flowers abound. The Indian Wells Golf Resort, owned by the city and is open to the public.
Last but not least, an impressive event that draws tourists from all over the world each year: the BNP Paribas Open, scheduled for March 9-22 2020. The BNP Paribas, formerly known as the Pacific Life Open, is a two-week combined ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier event featuring the best of men’s and women’s tennis. It is hosted at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden against the scenic backdrop of majestic desert mountain terrain, attracted 339,657 fans, making a more than ten-fold increase since the event’s humble beginnings. The venue is the second-largest tennis stadium in the world at 89 acres, 16,100 seats and a total of 22 courts. Learn more about the event at www.bnpparibasopen.com.