Palm Springs Bike Trails, Paths and Tours: Where to Ride

The best Palm Springs bike trail for most riders is CV Link, a paved pathway that runs almost 20 miles from the Palm Springs Visitor Center to Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City. For easy sightseeing, ride the flat neighborhood streets past mid-century homes, then roll up Palm Canyon Drive for lunch. It's one of the easiest ways to fill a morning on a Palm Springs weekend getaway, and you can add bike rentals to your stay at The Muse.

What are the best bike trails in Palm Springs?

Palm Springs is mostly flat on the valley floor, which makes it a friendly town for casual riders. Here's where we'd point you.

CV Link

The Coachella Valley's big multi-use path, roughly 40 miles in total. The West Valley stretch is the one for Palm Springs: 19.63 miles from the Palm Springs Visitor Center to Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City. It's shared with walkers, runners and low-speed electric vehicles like golf carts, so ride like you're at a party you want to be invited back to. Other open segments run through Palm Desert and from La Quinta to Coachella if you want to keep going on another day.

Riding an e-bike? Check the current CV Link rules before you go.

The Palm Springs Visitor Center start

The Visitor Center sits in the old Tramway Gas Station, a mid-century landmark at the north end of town. Start here for CV Link, and take the photo the whole group chat expects.

Neighborhood rides past mid-century homes

The quiet residential streets of the Movie Colony and Old Las Palmas are the classic architecture ride. Flat, shady in spots, and lined with the low rooflines and breeze-block walls Palm Springs is known for. Go slowly, stay on the street, and remember these are private homes.

Palm Canyon Drive and the Uptown Design District

Downtown and Uptown are the ride-to-lunch routes. Lock up, browse the Uptown Design District, and pick a patio. Our lunch spots guide has the list. Palm Canyon Drive gets busy, so use the quieter side streets when you can.

Where can you rent a bike in Palm Springs?

The easiest option is at the hotel. Add bike rentals when you book, and that's one less line on the group spreadsheet.

In town, Bike Palm Springs Rentals and Tours at 194 S Indian Canyon Drive rents bikes, and its rentals come with maps, touring routes, locks and helmets, by the half day, full day or week. On big event weekends, reserve ahead.

Are there bike tours in Palm Springs?

Yes. For a Palm Springs architecture bike tour, the Palm Springs Historical Society runs guided rides under the Pedal Palm Springs name, focused on city history and mid-century homes. They're seasonal, with no summer rides because of the heat, and tickets go through the Historical Society's website.

Tour companies come and go, so book with an operator that's currently taking reservations and ask what's included. Many riders skip the formal tour and use a rental shop's route map instead: architecture in the morning, lunch downtown, pool by 2PM.

If architecture is the whole point, plan around Modernism Week, usually in February, when the city is full of home tours and talks. Ride between them.

Tour de Palm Springs: the big ride of the year

Tour de Palm Springs is a charity ride held each year, usually in February. It draws up to 8,000 riders, welcomes e-bikes, and has raised nearly $5 million for more than 150 local nonprofits since 1998. The 2027 ride will be the 29th. Registration opens well ahead, and so do the hotel rooms, so if your group wants to ride, book the whole hotel early.

When is the best time to bike in Palm Springs?

October through May. Ride early: summer afternoons often top 100 degrees, and even in spring the sun is stronger than it feels. Wind can pick up later in the day, which matters more on a bike than anywhere else.

• Start early. Be rolling by 8AM in the warmer months.

• Carry water. More than you think, even on a short loop.

• Wear a helmet and sunscreen. The desert doesn't grade on a curve.

• Use lights after dark. Evenings are lovely, and drivers still need to see you.

After the ride at The Muse

Sore legs have options. The six-person hot tub is the obvious first stop. In-room massages run 60 or 90 minutes per person and book at least 48 hours ahead. And private yoga for the whole group is $150 with three days' notice, which is the stretch your hamstrings were hoping for.

Palm Springs bike trails FAQ

Cancel your afternoon plans. The pool is warm. Check your dates and ride in the morning.