Coachella was built on land originally owned by the indigenous Cahuilla tribe, but the tribe sold the land to the Southern Pacific Railroad, which built a rail siding on the site. Like almost all areas near railroads, a city quickly sprung up, and it was originally named Woodspur. In 1901, the local homeowners settled on Coachella as the new name for their community in a vote at the local town hall meeting.
Coachella was originally just a 2.5-square-mile territory, and it wasn't until it was officially incorporated in 1946 that it began expanding into its present 32-square-mile area. Today, more than 40,000 residents call Coachella home, approximately 90% of which speak Spanish as their native language.
Perhaps best known for the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, generally referred to as simply "Coachella", the entire Coachella Valley is actually home to a wide variety of annual cultural and sporting events, including the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, Palm Springs Modernism Week, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the ANA Inspiration and Desert Classic golf tournaments, and the Indian Wells Masters tennis tournament.
Coachella is also the gateway to a number of outdoor wonders, including the Salton Sea to the south, Joshua Tree National Park to the northeast, and the San Rosa and the San Jacinto Mountains National Monument to the west. In fact, there are more than 50 state parks, national forests, or other outdoor recreation areas within less than 100 miles of Coachella.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival: This world-famous music festival and epic party in the desert is held on consecutive three-day weekends in April in Indio.
Stagecoach Country Music Festival: This festival is held each spring at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.
Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival: Held every year since 1947 to celebrate the date palm harvest in the Coachella Valley, the event takes place each February on the Riverside County Fairgrounds.
Just east of Coachella lies Joshua Tree National Park. Formed out of the area between the Mojave and the Colorado deserts, this national park offers a range of surrealistic natural wonders to explore, including a vast array of native plants and wildlife. Be advised, however, that there are very few facilities within the park's approximately 800,000 acres, making it a true desert wilderness.
Those who enjoy the stark vastness of some of the most inhospitable places on Earth will definitely want to take a trip to Death Valley National Park, where temperatures can exceed 120° F. In fact, the world's highest recorded air temperature was logged in the park's aptly named Furnace Creek, which saw 134° back in 1913. This desert is a great place to hike, bike, ride on horseback, or birdwatch during the three cooler seasons of the year.
For a complete about-face from the desert experience, you can take a short drive to the coast of Ventura, where you will find Channel Islands National Park. Covering five of the area’s eight channel islands, this park offers nearly 250,000 acres of area to explore and countless outdoor adventures including hiking, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, backcountry camping, and even scuba diving.
The Salton Sea State Recreation Area offers day-use parking lots, developed, undeveloped, and group campgrounds, picnic tables, hiking trails, and shoreline access to the water for recreational use. Available activities include biking, hiking, kayaking, wading, and wildlife watching. Restrooms and shower facilities are also available.
Mount San Jacinto State Park is a high-altitude wilderness area that offers both primitive campsites and developed areas that can accommodate trailers and mobile homes up to 24 feet long. The park's tallest peak, San Jacinto Peak, is 10,834 feet above sea level. The park offers spectacular views of majestic granite peaks and plenty of outdoor activities in its sub-alpine forests, high-country wilderness, and fern-bordered mountain meadows.
If you are headed to San Diego, don't forget to stop at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which is located in the Laguna Mountains. This park offers close to 25,000 acres of woodland forests, which are home to bobcats, mountain lions, badgers, foxes, and amphibians. Avid birdwatchers will be excited by the more than 100 bird species that call this place home, including sparrows, northern flickers, and red-tailed hawks.
Palm Springs has become a sort of mini-Hollywood, hosting the annual Palm Springs International Film Festival every January and the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival (or ShortFest) each August at the historic Plaza Theatre. The Sand to Snow National Monument covers a total of 154,000 acres and stretches from an elevation of around 1,000 feet on the desert floor to over 11,000 feet high in the San Bernardino Mountains. Roughly 30 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail pass through the monument, which was made famous by Cheryl Strayed who wrote the book "Wild," which became a feature-length film starring Reese Witherspoon.
The Indian Waters RV Resort & Cottages offers two swimming pools, lighted pickleball courts, 50-amp hookups, and city sewer service to all sites. There is also a large clubhouse that includes a fitness room, billiard room, office area, dining area, and lounge area with a computer center. Located just outside of Indio, it is one of the best, affordable, five-star, state-of-the-art RV resorts in the area.
While many RV resorts in the area cater to the snowbird crowd, the Rancho 51 Festival Campgrounds are geared more towards younger festival-goers. If you want five-star luxury a little closer to the center of the valley, check out Outdoor Resort Palm Springs, located in Cathedral City. This RV park not only offers sweeping mountain views but also all of the amenities of a small city, including not just one but multiple golf courses on-site and a recently renovated owner's lounge.
Motorhomes are divided into Class A, B, and C vehicles. On average expect to pay $185 per night for Class A, $149 per night for Class B and $179 per night for Class C. Towable RVs include 5th Wheel, Travel Trailers, Popups, and Toy Hauler. On average, in Coachella, CA, the 5th Wheel trailer starts at $70 per night. Pricing for the Travel Trailer begins at $60 per night, and the Popup Trailer starts at $65 per night.
Do you need to be a certain age to rent an RV in Coachella?Yes. The minimum age is 25 to be eligible to get an RV Rental in Coachella from RVshare.
Does RVshare have emergency roadside assistance?Yes. Every RV rental booked through RVshare receives 24/7 emergency roadside assistance.
Does RVshare offer one way RV rentals in Coachella?Yes. Prior to renting any RV, check with the owner since not all will offer this particular option.
