Mecca Hills Wilderness

some of this text from Hiking in Palm Springs: Painted Canyon, in the heart of the hills, exhibits many mineral deposits in hues of rose, pink, red, purple and green. The canyon runs in a general north-south direction, and is distinguished by sandy washes sprinkled with Ironwood, Smoke Trees, and Palo Verde. Keen eyed wildflower enthusiasts will also find the rare Mecca aster, a lilac tinted bloom resembling a daisy. Along the rim of the canyon and...

This is actually 2 days hiking in the canyons around Painted Canyon off of Box Canyon Road between the Salton Sea (the town of Mecca) and highway 10.   Photogenic slot canyons and hills form a maze of washes from centuries of erosion.  Painted Canyon Road is dirt the 5 miles to the trail head, but well maintained and any car can easily drive it despite the washboarding.  The middle trail is called...