Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is a green oasis where desert scrub meets cottonwoods, willows, and mesquite. Hummingbirds gather near the entrance, tanagers move through the canopy, and Ash-throated Flycatchers call from the drier edges.

On our way to camp in Joshua Tree, we stopped at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve for a shady walk among fall migrants, desert birds, and one startled California striped racer.