The Living Desert — Better Than You're Expecting
We were skeptical of a desert zoo. We've now been back four times.
Our experience
The Living Desert in Palm Desert leans hard into desert-and-savannah ecosystems, which makes the animals feel genuinely at home rather than out of place. The gardens alone are worth the admission, the giraffe feeding is the rare 'tourist activity' we'd actually recommend, and the whole site is shaded and walkable in cooler months. We typically go early — gates open, two hours in, brunch nearby afterward.
Try it
Buy tickets via GetYourGuide, and stay nearby in Palm Desert through Klook or browse stays on HomeExchange using referral code roderick-15918.