Litter Bugs Trash Hiking Trails in Desert Hot Springs

It’s peak season across the Coachella Valley which means trails from Indio to Desert Hot Springs are being used daily. But one Desert Hot Springs couple says they stumbled upon a mess while hiking on one of those trails last week and want those responsible to be held accountable.

The pathway is off Indian Avenue near Highway 62 and it is miles long. Along that path, the stunning views of the Coachella valley are easy to see.

"Just the beauty of it, the tranquility," said Cheryl Berry, a Desert Hot Springs resident.

That is, until you come across the noticeable pile of debris in the middle of the pathway.

"It makes me sick. Why bring it to the desert and dump it," asked Berry.

There are empty alcohol boxes, bed frames and even toxic chemicals exposed to anyone who walks by.

"Stuff that could fit in a trash can, stuff that the disposal company could pick up," she said.

Berry, her husband Allen and their dog hike the path daily. Last week is when they noticed the new pile of junk. It’s not the first time, they’ve seen trails get trashed.

"We used to go to another canyon but it is so overwhelming with trash, refrigerators, couches, clothes," she said.

So to see this happening again, they’re fed up. In that pile of trash, mail with one name in particular and several addresses, led us to knock on doors but no one answered. Berry hopes this story will get locals across the valley fired up to take a stand to protect the place they call home.

"very heartbreaking to see this going on," she said.

The couple say they plan to load all of the trash into their truck and take it to an appropriate location to discard it.