# Tortoise Chat and Storytime at the National Monument

> Event for families in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario area (CA). Times are Pacific Time.

- When: Sat, Nov 7 (+1 more date) · 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
- Where: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center, 51500 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA 92260
- Ages: All ages
- Price: No fee printed; no RSVP required
- Organizer: Friends of the Desert Mountains with the Bureau of Land Management
- Official page: https://www.desertmountains.org/
- Last checked: Sat, Oct 24

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 32 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/riverside/activities/tortoise-chat-and-storytime-at-the-national-monument--listing-ee4c6064b9a817f9b8af0b3d

## About

During Desert Tortoise Week, Friends of the Desert Mountains and the Bureau of Land Management open the desert tortoise enclosure at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center so families can meet the monument's adopted tortoise and ask questions about California's state reptile. Nearby, volunteers host a story time reading the bilingual picture book "The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit", and the first 70 visitors each day take home a free copy of the book. It is a drop-in morning that suits preschoolers and early readers as well as older children curious about desert wildlife; the visitor center grounds also have short nature trails and native plant gardens to explore afterwards. No RSVP is needed. Meet at the Desert Tortoise Enclosure and bring a liter of water, a sun hat and sunscreen, and wear closed-toe shoes.

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