On Friday, Sept. 4, at 4 p.m., the City of Palm Springs switched South Palm Canyon Drive between East Palm Canyon Drive and Acanto Drive to one lane in each direction. The stretch runs about 2.1 miles from the Highway 111 junction toward Indian Canyons. In its Oct. 7 update for the week of Oct. 12–16, the City said crews were still adjusting manholes and other utilities to the new road surface and that final striping was underway.
The timing is the story. The new layout went in during the quiet part of the year. October is when the places this road serves go back to full hours. Indian Canyons returned to daily operation on Oct. 1. Moorten Botanical Garden started its fall hours the same day. Indian Canyons Golf Resort's North Course reopens Oct. 30. So the first busy season on the redesigned road is happening now, with cars, cyclists and trailhead traffic all sharing one lane each way.
What the road looks like now
The City's project, CP 22-21A, turns a four-lane road into three lanes: one travel lane in each direction and a continuous two-way left-turn lane down the middle. The plan also adds Class II bike lanes, repaving, new signs and striping, and new sidewalk segments and ADA-compliant curb ramps at selected spots. Eagle Paving Company is the contractor.
The most noticeable change for drivers is a rule the City keeps repeating in its updates: stay in your lane and do not pass other cars on South Palm Canyon Drive. On a four-lane road, someone heading to the Indian Canyons gate could pull around a slower car. Now everyone moves at the speed of the car in front. Left turns into side streets and driveways happen from the center lane instead of blocking traffic.
For questions during construction, the City's project hotline is (442) 221-0015, and the email is [email protected].
Why this stretch was on the list
The Palm Springs Post reported in 2024 that the project dates back to 2017, when the City began work on its Pedestrian Master Plan, and that South Palm Canyon and Racquet Club were two of the 37 locations the plan identified for pedestrian-safety improvements. According to an October 2025 City Council staff report, the finished plan was developed in December 2021.
The City's own project fact sheet calls the corridor an active-transportation gap. It describes the work as adding bike facilities, visibility upgrades and safety improvements that link residential areas, trailheads and shopping areas such as the Plaza Del Sol Shopping Center. The fact sheet also says road reconfigurations have been shown to manage speeds and improve safety. Plaza Del Sol, at 1555 South Palm Canyon Drive, is the shopping anchor the City names at the north end.
When the bike-lane plan was presented in 2024, The Desert Sun reported that Desert Bicycle Club vice president Rob Schwartz welcomed the new lanes. In the same story, the City's principal civil engineer said the goal was safer conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. The Palm Springs Post covered the community meeting where residents gave their views on the design.
According to a City construction notice, the work is paid for with Measure J and Measure A funds, City capital funds, and an SB 821 grant from the Riverside County Transportation Commission. A City Council staff report from October 2025 records that RCTC chose both the South Palm Canyon and Racquet Club projects for SB 821 funding, and that the Council accepted the South Palm Canyon funding on Sept. 10, 2025.
The season started on the same road
The redesign is about who uses the road, so the calendar matters. The places at the south end of South Palm Canyon are moving to fall schedules in the weeks right after the new lanes went in. Two made the switch Oct. 1, and the North Course follows on Oct. 30.
| Destination | Fall 2026 status | Admission as posted |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Canyons, toll gate at 38520 S. Palm Canyon Drive | Daily 8 a.m.–5 p.m. from Oct. 1 through July 5; last vehicle entry 4 p.m. | Adults $12, seniors 62+ $7, children 6–12 $6, free with U.S. military ID |
| Moorten Botanical Garden | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. from Oct. 1 through May 31; closed Wednesdays | Adults and seniors $7, veterans $5, children 5–12 $3, under 5 free |
| Indian Canyons Golf Resort, North Course, 1100 E. Murray Canyon Drive | Opens Oct. 30 | See resort |
| Indian Canyons Golf Resort, South Course, 1097 E. Murray Canyon Drive | Open; golf shops and restaurants daily 6 a.m.–3 p.m. | See resort |
Indian Canyons shows the change most clearly. From July 6 to Oct. 1, the canyons were open Friday through Sunday only. Now they are open every day, so the weekend surge of trip traffic is spread across the whole week. That traffic now runs on the new layout. Prices can change, and the Indian Canyons hours page and Moorten's site have the current figures. Day-hike tickets are sold at the toll gate.
The North Course reopening adds tee-time traffic on Murray Canyon Drive near the south end of the project. The resort's south clubhouse restaurant serves breakfast and lunch daily, with patio seating facing the course and the mountains.
Ranger hikes, trailheads and the side streets
From October through June, Indian Canyons runs ranger-led interpretive hikes Friday through Sunday, free with admission. The 10 a.m. hike leaves from the Trading Post and goes through Palm Canyon. The 1 p.m. hike starts from the Andreas parking area. Monday through Thursday, rangers give talks at the same two spots and times.
Several of the area's best-known trailheads are reached from side streets off this corridor. This is where the new center turn lane comes in, since every one of these trips starts with a left turn off South Palm Canyon.
- Bogert Trail. Visit Palm Springs gives the directions for its Bogert-to-Wildhorse route: drive South Palm Canyon toward Indian Canyons, turn left on Bogert Trail, and park at the end.
- Thielman/Frank Bogert trailhead. The Friends of the Desert Mountains list it off Bogert Trail and Andreas Hills Drive. From there, their Murray Hill route follows the Wild Horse and Clara Burgess trails to Murray Peak.
- Garstin trailhead. Visit Palm Springs puts it on Barona Road, as the start of its Murray Hill Loop, with the Garstin Loop as a shorter option.
- South Lykken. The Friends trail listing describes this route as starting at South Palm Canyon and climbing to the picnic tables before turning back.
These route descriptions come from guides published in 2024 and 2025. Trail conditions change after storms, so check them before you go. The Visit Palm Springs hiking guide and the Friends of the Desert Mountains trail list are the best places to start.
The construction zone north of the junction
If you head north from the corridor into town, there's a second project to plan around. The City is replacing the South Palm Canyon Drive bridge over Tahquitz Creek, just south of East Sunny Dunes Road. It is a separate project, CP 12-02, which the City lists as under construction. Completion is expected in late 2026. The City says nearby businesses remain open during the work. The project site scheduled concrete work and intermittent traffic delays for Oct. 20–21.
A drive from Uptown to the Indian Canyons gate this season can pass through both projects: bridge work near Sunny Dunes, then the new one-lane-each-way stretch from the East Palm Canyon junction to Acanto.
The same conversion is underway across town. CP 22-21B covers Racquet Club Road and North Farrell Drive from North Palm Canyon Drive to Via Escuela. It brings the same four-to-three-lane change, plus Class II bike lanes, repaving, sidewalk segments and ADA curb ramps. The October 2025 staff report shows a $727,986 SB 821 award for Racquet Club. It also notes that most people at four community meetings supported the project, while comments raised speeding, parking, delays and pedestrian and cyclist safety. NBC Palm Springs reported that paving on Racquet Club began Sept. 21, with heavy equipment and lane closures.
The City's weekly updates for both projects are posted on the Engage Palm Springs road reconfiguration page, along with the striping schedule and any new parking restrictions on South Palm Canyon.
Small changes like a center turn lane, a new bike lane or a reopened course on Murray Canyon Drive affect what a home feels like day to day, from the morning drive to the trailhead you can reach in five minutes. Kimberly Oleson follows changes like these in south Palm Springs and across the Coachella Valley. If you're thinking about how changes on your street affect your home or your next move, Work with Kimberly.
