Nine national and state park sites sit within the Colorado Desert, of which the best known are Joshua Tree National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The others are Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, Picacho State Recreation Area, Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, and Salton Sea State Recreation Area.
The Colorado Desert mostly encompasses low-elevation lands below 1,000 feet (300 meters), with some areas below sea level. Hikers and other explorers may spot wildlife such as lizards, desert tortoises, and bighorn sheep, as well as cacti and wildflowers.