The Hicksville Trailer Palace’s wacky collection of third wheels and other campers is a visual hoot—there’s a tricked-out trailer to fit every personality here, making it a perennial favorite place to stay when visiting Greater Palm Springs or Joshua Tree National Park. Consider Western-themed “The Pioneer,” a log cabin trailer with cowboy-print curtains, or hot-pink “The Fifi,” designed by the owners of a New Orleans wig store (hence the trio of glowing wig heads). Another oddity, a circus-style wagon named “The Pee-Wee,” served as a prop in the 1988 film Big Top Pee-Wee. (It was the home on wheels of Pee-Wee’s love interest.)
More a fun-loving commune than a rural retreat, this place attracts an artsy meet-and-mingle crowd. You and your trailer neighbors might gather on the fake-grass lawn to enjoy a few cold ones or to roast s’mores at the fire pit. Hicksville is all about sharing, from the communal bathhouse to the solar-heated saltwater swimming pool (open March to November) to the rooftop hot tub. Solitude seekers, you might want to aim elsewhere for your desert digs.
If you’re into games and stuff to play with, Hicksville might be your idea of heaven on earth. There’s mini golf, a library, archery, BB guns, ping-pong, a dartboard, horseshoes, and a no-coins-required jukebox (fans of the Cramps, the Misfits, and other Eighties left-of-the-dial faves will rejoice). Free video arcade games are housed in a converted ice-cream truck. Dogs are welcome too; they’ll have fun paddling in their own special pool at Fort Dog.
Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum, and of course, the aforementioned Joshua Tree National Park, are just a few of the nearby attractions to check out. Added bonus: Everything at Hicksville Trailer Palace runs on solar power.
