Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Riverside County, United States

The Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge covers 3,709 acres (15.01 km2) in Riverside County, within the unincorporated community of Thousand Palms just north of Palm Desert. Its dune system holds most of the critical habitat for the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata). The lizard has a slender, grayish-brown body with small pale spots, a blunt pale head and a long tapering tail, and its splayed toes grip the coarse sand.

The refuge was established in 1985 to protect an endangered lizard species whose survival was threatened by regional development. This creation marked an important commitment to preserving desert landscapes from rapid changes.

The refuge lies within Thousand Palms, north of Palm Desert, and takes its name from the Coachella Valley. Its dunes hold most of the critical habitat of the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, Uma inornata, a threatened species. The refuge is almost entirely closed to the public, but a trail through one section is open to horseback riders.

The refuge is almost entirely closed to the public to protect the threatened Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard; only a trail crossing one section is open, and that is for horseback riders. There is no general visitor access, so plan to view the dunes from outside the boundary. The refuge lies in Thousand Palms, just north of Palm Desert, in Riverside County.

The refuge holds most of the critical habitat of the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata), a threatened species whose sand-dwelling range is limited to this dune system and a few small patches nearby. Sand sources and travel corridors linking those patches are threatened by surrounding development.