Palm Desert Aquatic Center

This is a nice facility and they just got new filter equipment, so the murkiness issue has been fixed. However, this pool gets uncomfortably warm during the summer because they don't have a way to cool it. Go to the Palm Springs Swim Center instead, they keep the pool clean and cool. I also agree with a previous review that the locker room feels like a factory. I gave this pool three stars because it's so unpleasant to swim laps here in the summer.

I swam at this pool when it first opened in 2011 and continued for a few years. I now swim at the Palm Springs Swim Center. Palm Springs is closed for repairs so I went back to Palm Desert. Palm Desert pool is cloudy and murky. It hasn't been clear in years. They've had to post extra guards because they can't see the pool bottom from one guard position, due to the cloudiness of the water.

The locker room is modern, but the ventilation is very loud and gives it a factory feel. It's uncomfortable.

The facility looks modern and new, but the cloudy pool and annoying locker room are not worth the experience.

I'm back to Palm Springs when repairs are complete.

I first swam in this pool in March, 2017 - weekdays around 8:00 AM.

This is a beautiful facility. The best public pool I have ever swum in. Pristine pool. Friendly staff. I had one of the 25-yard lanes to myself the whole time both days. The pool was set-up with about twelve, 25-yard lanes, and a section four-lanes wide that they called "open water". At first when they referred to it I was totally confused and was looking around for a lake!

But I agree that it can be a bit confusing to find out when the pool is busy or being used for other things. Then I found that the pool's website pretty well gives you exactly what you need for scheduling. If you go to www.pdpool.com you reach the home page, which has any major announcements about pool changes and closures. From there, click on the What's Happening link. On that page, at the top you'll see the "Daily Lap Swimming Hours of Operation"; scroll down a bit to "Lap Lane Availability", then click on any of the blue text descriptions, e.g., "Short Course (25 yards) - Lap Pool 2 lanes". That page won't tell you much but, if you then click on the Back to Calendar, link you can see the pool's hour-by-hour, day-by-day lane availability for a week or a month.

I have now used the pool many times over several trips to the area; it is spectacular.
[November, 2018]

NOTE: The navigation to the pool's lane schedule in the review above is no longer correct. Now, go to the pool's home page, Find the menu for "Swim Activites" select "Daily Lap Swimming" and the pool's schedule will appear. Click on the "Available Lap Swim Lanes" button and you'll find an hour by hour schedule of lane length and availability.Eds
February, 2025]

Do your due diligence (call ahead) to adjust your expectations, before you go. I was disappointed not to be able to swim the 50 meter lengths here. The printed schedules are not reliable, more of a guideline, since teams, lessons, parties, maintenance, etc. all have priority.

Great facility. Never more than two people per lane during morning long-course sessions.

This is the best aquatics facility in the Coachella Valley / Desert Cities area. The water is crystal clear and an ideal temp temperature for lap swimming. The lanes are plenty wide enough to share in 50m long-course configuration (M,W,F: 5:30 - 8:30 AM; Tu,Th: 5:30 - 7:30 AM). Locker room and showers available; the staff is friendly and helpful. The schedule, posted and online, is accurate, and the admission price is affordable. Don't miss swimming at this pool if you are in the area!

This is a fantastic pool. I called ahead to see if it was crowded and they told me "oh yeah, you'll probably have to circle swim." Hah! I think for them "circle swim" means there might be two people in one of the many lanes. That wasn't even true. About half the pool was empty. The water was incredibly clear and the pool has what I suppose you might call "infinity edge" gutters. There was hardly a ripple. I recommend this pool highly. Be aware that they switch from 50m to 25m around 8 AM; if you want to swim long course, get there early. Bring our own lock, there are no coin operated lockers.

The center is AWESOME! It opened in June 2011 and it’s HUGE. The 50m pool is configured for long course meters every morning, seven days a week. After the morning LCM session it is configured into 25 yard lanes. The water temperature of the 50m pool isperfect for getting out of the desert heat. Unfortunately, there are no pace clocks or backstroke flags for the 25y configuration. It is an exceptionally clean facility and certainly one of the best outdoor facilities in the United States.