Pioneertown Mountains Preserve

Our Mission Creek Preserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife! Coyotes live in family groups but most often travel alone or in pairs and are typically most active at dusk and dawn. If you see a wild animal keep your distance and show them respect. Remember, we are are the visitors in their habitat. #wildlife #coyote #palmsprings #coachellavalley #hiking #nature #outdoors #whitewaterpreserve #missioncreekpreserve #pioneertownmountainspreserve #trailcam #pioneertown

Always a beautiful day in Pipes Canyon #pioneertown #hiking #mojavedesert #pioneertownmountainspreserve #nature #conservation

Welcome to the official Instagram of Pioneertown Mountains Preserve! It all started here as @thewildlandsconservancy first preserve in 1995! We are excited to have the opportunity to share a closer look at PMP and to help facilitate a better understanding and respect for nature, conservation and the outdoors! Stay tuned for more updates and behind the scenes looks from Pioneertown Mountains Preserve! #pioneertown #hiking #conservation #nature

It was a beautiful snowy morning here at our Ranger Station in Pioneertown!

Take a look at the beautiful patterning on this Long-nosed Leopard lizard. If you look closely you may notice red dots near the base of its tail indicating that it is a female in breeding season. Females will develop more pronounced red splotches as they near ovulation and will keep these red markings until after she has laid her eggs. Long-nosed leopard lizards range from 3.25-5.75 long. They are ambush predators feeding on small rodents, snakes and lizards, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, leaves and berries.

"A deadly and highly contagious rabbit disease, first reported in California in Palm Springs in May, has also been confirmed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to have killed a rabbit in Pioneertown. Managing editor Tami Roleff has more information about the rabbit hemorrhagic disease" @Z107.7FM http://z1077fm.com/deadly-rabbit-disease-found-in-pioneert/

This #GivingTuesday take the opportunity to explore, connect, and protect your local nature preserves. The Wildlands Conservancy owns and stewards the largest nonprofit nature preserve in the state, opening these amazing preserves to the public free of charge for hiking, camping, and more. https://getinvolved.wildlandsconservancy.org/givingtuesday2 #givingtuesday #optoutside #opttoact #thewildlandsconservancy #hiking #california

Happy National Wildlife day! Here we have one of our favorite members of the wildlife community: the bobcat (Lynx rufus)! Bobcats are medium sized nocturnal predators that are most active at dawn and dusk. Although they are very elusive, every now and then we catch a glimpse of one, such as in this photo taken right outside of our ranger station here at Pioneertown Mountains Preserve! They are commonly mistaken for mountain lions, even though they are only twice the size of a... house cat. Notice the characteristic facial ruffs and ear tufts, and the distinctive white lining round their eyes. Bobcats have adapted well to live in a variety of habitats, and are very cautious living among people. Their coat colors vary from a grayish-brown to tan with a spotted pattern which helps them camouflage very well into their environment! This camouflage combined with their speed and stealth makes the bobcat a formidable predator that is built for stalking and ambushing prey such as cottontail rabbits, birds, reptiles, raccoons, and squirrels. See more