Directions: 51500 State Highway 74, Palm Desert, 92260. Phone (760) 862-9984. www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/santarosa From Interstate 10 exit Monterey Ave. and go south for 6 miles to Highway 111. Continue south on Monterey (now called Highway 74) for another 3.7 miles and look for the visitor center on the left.

About the Site: The Monument was established by Congress in October, 2000, and encompasses 272,000 acres, including 81,070 acres of wilderness. The remaining acreage is a mixture of federal, state, tribal, and private lands, ranging from a few hundred feet above sea level to over 10,000 feet at the top of the San Jacintos. Management duties are shared by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. In 2007, the Monument was declared an “Important Bird Area” by the American Bird Conservancy.

Habitats: As you ascend Hwy. 74, you will pass through a variety of different biotic communities, each containing a unique suite of wildlife: creosote scrub, rocky hillside, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodland, oak woodland, and pine forest. One of the special features of the Monument is the ability to experience all of these communities in a day’s drive or hike. It’s like traveling from Mexico to Canada! A handy fold-out guide, listing common plants and animals in these communities, is available for purchase at the visitor center.

Birds and Other Wildlife: Signature Species (from low to high elevation): Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Cactus Wren, Phainopepla, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, California Quail, Calif. Thrasher, Calif. Towhee, Wrentit, Scott’s Oriole, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Scrub Jay, Oak Titmouse, Pinyon Jay, Lazuli Bunting, Acorn Woodpecker, Bald Eagle (Lake Hemet), Rufous Hummingbird (Hurkey Creek feeders), Red-tailed Hawk, White-headed Woodpecker (Idyllwild Nature Center feeders), Peninsular Bighorn Sheep (along Hwy. 74 below 4,000 ft.), Coyote, Gray Fox. Rarities: Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, Spotted Owl, Black Swift (near Lawler Lodge), Gray Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Zone-tailed Hawk, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Calliope Hummingbird, Mountain Quail, Spotted Skunk, Ringtail, Banded Rock Lizard.

Best Times to Visit: June – September (higher elevations), October – May (lower elevations).

Additional Notes: Visitor center is open 9am-4pm daily. (Closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day). No admission fee. Information on fauna and flora, cultural resources and hiking opportunities is available at the visitor center. Stops 3 and 4 of the Birding Trail are also included within the Monument’s official boundaries.