Palm Springs Gay Cruising Areas

Palm Springs doesn’t really have public cruising grounds. Instead, the city’s cruising scene is centered almost entirely around its many men-only, clothing-optional resorts. These properties are legendary in their own right, offering a mix of social spaces, pool parties, jacuzzis, saunas, and designated play areas where cruising is an accepted part of the experience.

Here, cruising happens in a safe, private, and legal environment that blends seamlessly into Palm Springs’ reputation as one of the world’s most LGBTQ+ friendly destinations.

How Palm Springs Differs from Other Gay Destinations

The key difference is that Palm Springs’ cruising is resort-based rather than public. The desert city doesn’t have parklands or outdoor spaces with a long-standing reputation for sexual encounters. While there have occasionally been informal mentions of activity in more remote desert areas or rest stops outside town, these have never become the kind of culturally established spaces seen in European capitals, like London’s Hampstead Heath.

Instead, the unique resort infrastructure of Palm Springs has meant that sexual freedom has been channeled into private grounds, turning hotel courtyards and pool decks into the modern equivalent of urban cruising grounds.

A Brief History of Cruising in Palm Springs

Palm Springs rose to prominence as a gay playground in the mid-20th century, particularly from the 1960s onwards, when it began attracting LGBTQ+ travelers from Los Angeles and San Francisco. At a time when public cruising in parks and restrooms was still subject to police crackdowns in most American cities, Palm Springs offered a more discreet — and eventually more open — alternative.

Early gay-friendly motels quietly fostered a culture of freedom behind closed doors, with pools, gardens, and courtyards serving as safe spaces for men to meet and cruise. Over the decades, as LGBTQ+ rights advanced, these resorts became more explicit about their offerings, evolving into the openly clothing-optional and sex-positive venues that exist today.

In this sense, Palm Springs doesn’t have a “famous cruising ground” in the historical sense, but it does have a unique history of resorts themselves becoming the cruising grounds — a model that continues to thrive.