A Pick-Up on the Way Home: A Birding Hike at the Big Morongo Preserve

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Date: November 30, 2025

Place: Big Morongo Preserve, Yucca Valley, California

Coordinates: 34.050394, -116.570635

Length: 2.6 miles

Level: easy 

 

 I first visited the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in 2012 during on a road trip I did with Pappa Qauil and the chikas. One year after I was there again with my friend when we looked for desert bloom. Pappa Quail remembered the place and wanted to incorporate it into the itinerary of our 2025 Thanksgiving break, and so we did. The morning of our travel back home we packed up early, checked out of the lodge and drove westward to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. 

Twelve years is a long time and since my last visit at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve a new toilet facility was installed there, as well as a nice kiosk with information, photos and brochures. 

 

A docent was sitting at a desk by the trailhead, and he was happy to answer our questions before we headed out on the trail. He told us that the education center was open and that there were birds there. I didn't even remember that there was an education center in that place. perhaps there was and it wasn't open at the time. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS

The preserve isn't very big but it has quite an extensive trail system. We decided to take the right trail that went by the education center. The trail started on a boardwalk that curved eastward along the edge of the thick vegetation area which marked where the creek was. South of the trail was an open flat covered with low brush. Little sparrows and towhees tweeted from the desert scrub but all we could see of them was some moving twigs. 

On the way I came upon a drying bush that had a very healthy looking mistletoe growing on it. The mistletoe was carrying berried which weren't fully ripe yet. 

Mesquite Mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum

We entered a more wooded area of mostly cottonwood trees. On top of one of the more distant trees was an American kestrel. 

American Kestrel

In the canopy of a closer cottonwood tree was a small group of western bluebirds. The bluebirds were out in the open enough to be photographed but they were quite high and wouldn't come down to the ground. 

Western Bluebirds

We arrived at the education center, where we found a small botanical garden and a number of bird feeders. 

There, at the bird feeders and below them, we found saw plenty of birds. Some of these birds were very familiar to us, such as the California scrub jay, which is a common species throughout most of California. 

California Scrub Jay

Also of a common species - house finches were enjoying the seed mixture plated for them on a hanging tray. 

House Finch

There were hummingbird feeders too - the red-bottomed containers of sugar-water with holes that fit the long and thin hummingbird beaks. Most of the hummingbirds there were Anna's hummingbirds, also a common species. 

Anna's Hummingbird, female

Although the Anna's humingbirds are fairly common and are the only species of hummingbird that stays year-round in Northern California, it was nice to see them up close and posing here. 

Anna's Hummingbird, male

At the hummingbird feeder we saw also a Costa's hummingbird - a species that we see in Northern California only in the summer. To see it in the winter we needed to be there at the Bog Morongo Canyon, in Southern California. 

Costa's Hummingbird, male (right), and Anna's Hummingbird, female (left)

A Nuttall's woodpecker appeared in the feeders area. Now, that was a bird species we don't get to see every day. 

Nuttall's Woodpecker

The chika and I went into the education center. The activities they had set up there were fitting young children, so we didn't stay inside very long. When we exited the building Pappa Quail called me over and pointed at the ground - a California thrasher was scanning the soil for seeds that fell off the feeder trays. 

California Thrasher 

There thrasher was out in the open but behind him, partially hidden by the low vegetation was a small group of Gambel's quail. Occasionally they ventured a bit into the open only to scurry quickly back into shelter each time someone walked nearby. 

Gambel's Quail

There were plenty of other hikers in the preserve that day, most of whom were birders as well, carrying long lens cameras and binoculars. Needless to say, they too visited the feeder station by the education center. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

When we've had enough of the education center and no new birds showed up at the feeders we continued along the trail. 

The trail curved to the southwest and for a little bit we had a nice view of the snow-capped peaks of Mount San Gorgonio. 

Mount San Gorgonio

We were off the boardwalk now. The trail was dry and pretty dusty. Once again we were out in the open, enjoying the warming day under the direct sun. 

The beautiful golden canopies of the cottonwood trees were a present reminder that autumn was here now. California isn't known for its fall colors display but here and there the local autumn gold can represent very well our golden state. 

The trail curved again, to the southeast. East of us were the mountains. Nestled below the mountains was the thick riparian vegetation that lined the Big Morongo creek. 

The trail curved again to the east, delved into the vegetation, and crossed the creek on a small wooden bridge. 

When we came up from the creek we found ourselves on a narrow trail squeezed between the thick riparian vegetation on the west and the mountain slopes on the east. 

At the curve of that trail was a junction. The trail that would have taken us looping back to the parking area was blocked and the sign didn't provide an explanation. Our choices there were to go back on the same path or take the loop that went up the hill and down the canyon itself. Since we've only seen very little of the preserve up until then, we elected to go on he larger loop that went up the hill and down to the Big Morongo Canyon. 

The uphill part of the loop led us directly south, along the boundary fence of the preserve. We were out of the main creek line and the riparian vegetation that lined it. Near the trail was the usual high desert scrub, including some very healthy looking cholla cacti. 

Cane Cholla, Cylindropuntia bernardina

On one of my former visits to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve we did make it up the hill all the way to the fence, but at that time that was where the trail ended and we had to backtrack downhill on the same path. Since then the trail was extended into a large loop, and when we reached all the way up to the crest of the hill we had a lovely view of the south-eastern ridge of mountains, and of the beautiful canyon below. 

We followed the trail down to the bottom of the canyon. The loop trail marked on the preserve's brochure map was following the creek downstream all the way back to the main area of the preserve. The canyon trail however, extended also south into the wilderness and I wondered how far and into which agency's land. I noted it to myself as something to explore sometime in the future. 

Canyon Trail

Still fascinated with the geology of the area I paid attention to some of the more colorful and interesting rocks that I saw along the way. 

At the bottom of the Big Morongo Canyon we rejoined the thick riparian vegetation, of which a very big component were the mesquite bushes. 

Parched at the top of the tallest branches of the tallest mesquite bushes were a few phainopepla birds, a species that is very common in the southern California desert areas, but a fairly uncommon sight in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I only saw them once.  

Phainopepla, male

 

Although we see more frequently the male phainopepla perched at the penthouse floor we do sometimes see also females occupy that top bush level. 

Phainopepla, female

East of the creek towered the mountain ridge - steep, rugged, and mostly naked of vegetation. What lay beyond that mountain ridge I could only guess. 

After photographing the phainopepla and dedicating some time to searching (unsuccessfully) for more birds we resumed our hike, following the marked loop trail back north along the creek. 

Canyon Trail

Pappa Quail was losing hope of seeing any other birds on the hike and he quickened his pace. The chika followed him, leaving me, still checking out the plants, at the rear. 

Creosote, Larrea tridentata

Naturally, most of the vegetation, definitely the greenest, was right by the creek bed. The slopes flanking the creek were arid and had more sparse and grayer vegetation/ Occasionally however, I did see a colorful plant, usually some sort of a cylindrical cactus. 

Most of the vegetation along the creek comprised of tall bushes. Here and there were also tall trees, of which the most common was the Fremont cottonwood tree. We were there at the right time to see these magnificent native trees turning colors before dropping their leaves for winter. 

Fremont's Cottonwood, Populus fremontii

 

The California fan palm wasn't as common on this part of the preserve but occasionally we did see one growing over the bushes. 

California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera

 

Our chika noticed a movement behind a large mesquite bush and called out, 'rabbit!' There were in fact, two rabbits there, and for a few long moments both Pappa Quail and me tried to get a good photo of the shy mammals. Eventually one of them braved stepping out a bit and Pappa Quail got him on his camera. 

Desert Cottontail Rabbit

Birding wasn't any better on this part of the trail. There were a few sparrows, usually white-crowned, as well as some dark-eyed juncos that were pecking at the trail's dirt and flew away as soon as we came near. They were too common and too hyperactive for Pappa Quail to bother photographing them. 

We reached the main part of the preserve. Since we couldn't loop back to the parking area by the closed trail we turned onto a connector path to get to the trail we came up on originally. The connector path was cut right through the chick vegetation, crowding us from both sides. 

I was surprised to find an old wreck lying there on the trail. I have no idea what was the story of this car and there wasn't any sign about it. 

We continued past the wreck and through tall walls of desert willow, a plant that was very useful to the local native Californians, and isn't related to true willows at all. 

Back on the trail we went out on, we turned north again to get back to the parking area. Ahead of us were the fall-colored canopies of the cottonwood mixed with the lovely stands of California fan palms. 

Pappa Quail wanted to stop again at the education center. As we approached the building I noticed the figure of a mountain lion on the roof, looking real enough to take its photo. 

At the bird feeders near the education center were all the usual suspects, but Pappa Quail had another opportunity to take their photos. 

Anna's Hummingbird

He did see another species of sparrow, one that we didn't see when we came by the education center earlier on the hike. It is otherwise, a pretty common species of sparrow.  

Song Sparrow

The chika and me didn't want to wait so we left Pappa Quail at the feeders and continued quickly back to the parking lot. 

I passed the time until Pappa Quail rejoined us to study the information sign at the preserve's parking area. I think it was the first time I realized that the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was managed jointly by the Bureau of Land Managements and the Forest Service. 

The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was the last place we visited and hiked at on our 2025 Thanksgiving vacation. I suppose that birding might have been better at a different place but neither of us was disappointed - we had a lovely trip, hiked new trails and saw many interesting things. By the time of writing this post, the young chika had completely recovered from her close encounter with the Joshua tree.