This Winter, Rancho Mirage's Easiest Way Onto CV Link Runs Through Palm Desert

CV Link turns one in November. The 40-mile path for walkers, cyclists and low-speed electric vehicles runs along the Whitewater River stormwater channel through Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. It does not run through Rancho Mirage. Anyone in Rancho Mirage who wants to use it starts at an edge of town, and there are two edges to choose from.

Those two choices are about to stop being equal. The western segment is the long one, and a bridge project at Ramon Road will close and remove the path under that road for about two years starting this winter. The shorter eastern segment starts at the Bump n' Grind trailhead in Palm Desert, and it now becomes the uninterrupted way onto CV Link from Rancho Mirage.

A Valley Path With Rancho Mirage in the Gap

CVAG lists three open segments. Rancho Mirage sits between the first two.

West of town, the CV Link map shows the Date Palm Drive undercrossing where the West Valley segment ends, plus a separate entry point at Perez Road. East of town, the Central Valley segment starts at the Bump n' Grind trailhead, which the map also marks as a rest stop. The next entry point east is at Palm Desert High School near Cook Street.

The table shows the tradeoff. Getting on at Date Palm Drive gives you almost 20 continuous miles west toward Palm Springs. Getting on at Bump n' Grind gives you about five and a half miles toward Cook Street. Until now, anyone heading for a long ride had good reason to go west.

The Western Segment Breaks at Ramon Road

The Ramon Road bridge over the Whitewater Channel sits on the West Valley segment between Palm Springs and Cathedral City. In a September 24, 2026 release, the City of Palm Springs said construction on the two-year project, a partnership with Cathedral City and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, is "officially scheduled to begin this winter." That moves the start later than CVAG's June construction update, which said "Fall 2026."

The Palm Springs Post reported on October 6 that city engineering staff told the Palm Springs Active Transportation Subcommittee the path under Ramon Road will be closed and removed entirely during construction. Bids opened that week, and staff planned to take the project to the City Council at its last October meeting or its only November meeting. City Engineer Joel Montalvo explained to the committee why no part of the crossing can stay open:

"There's really no way to keep that crossing open during construction. We're digging from one end of the channel to the other end of the channel. We're going 23 feet down to do scour protection for the bridge."

CVAG says a detour will be posted around the work zone. The same Post report says the preferred detour, along Sarah Street in Cathedral City, is stalled over property access, and that alternate routes have not been finalized. For the life of the project, a ride west from Date Palm Drive toward the Palm Springs Visitor Center will reach Ramon Road and turn off the path.

The Bump n' Grind Trailhead Now Leads the Way

Starting from the east loses mileage and gains certainty. Nothing in CVAG's current construction notices touches the Central Valley segment. CVAG's FAQ lists the standard features along CV Link and names the Bump and Grind Access Point among the stops with restrooms nearby.

• Shade structures and water stations along the path
• Benches and bike racks at rest areas
• Solar lighting for early-morning and evening use
• Restrooms near the Bump and Grind Access Point, one of the stops CVAG names for nearby facilities

From that trailhead, the path runs 5.44 miles to Cook Street. That is a manageable out-and-back for a weekday morning, and a sensible length for anyone trying a rental e-bike for the first time. CVAG's map says parking is available at many access points. It does not say which ones, so check the CV Link map before you drive over with bikes on the rack.

What Rancho Mirage Built Inside City Limits

Inside the city, the closest thing to a dedicated path is the Butler-Abrams Trail. The city lists it as an easy 1.10-mile route between Frank Sinatra Drive and Country Club Drive by way of Michael S. Wolfson Park, with its listed location at Da Vall Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive. The city also classifies it as a Class I bikeway of about a mile. Its trail page calls it a walking path and asks that dogs stay leashed.

Butler-Abrams has its own place in the CV Link story. CVAG's account says the Rancho Mirage City Council took the position that the trail could not be used as part of CV Link, and that signs once allowing golf carts on it were taken down. CV Link's FAQ allows e-bikes and low-speed electric vehicles, including golf carts, on CV Link with a 20 mph limit. Those are rules for CV Link itself, and the city's trail page does not list vehicle rules for Butler-Abrams.

On the streets, the city reports a network of more than 40 miles of striped bike lanes. In 2019 it added intersection striping and buffered lanes on Bob Hope Drive. This network is how a rider gets to either CV Link entrance from inside the city. Be aware that the CV Link route does not follow Bob Hope Drive or Highway 111 through town.

Why the Gap Has Lasted, and Whether It Could Change

The gap goes back almost a decade. According to the history on CVAG's City Gaps page, Rancho Mirage wrote letters supporting the project in 2012. In 2015 the council formally opposed it, and the dispute centered on how operations and maintenance would be funded. In 2016 the city's voters passed advisory measures on CV Link, along with a measure requiring a future ballot vote if a later council wants to revisit the issue. In May 2017, CVAG's Executive Committee certified the environmental impact report and adopted a route that excluded both Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells.

CVAG's page, updated in September 2026, says the city has made no formal request to revisit CV Link.

Indian Wells, the other city left off the route, has raised the question this year. An August 31, 2026 CVAG Transportation Committee staff report says the Indian Wells mayor told the committee in April that there was some interest in the city in revisiting participation. Staff described their own expectations as tempered. They said the route Indian Wells leaders seem to agree on goes around the city and is not feasible because of current roadway conditions. Indian Wells also has its own 2016 measure, Measure H, which requires a public vote before its council could allow CV Link in the city.

So through the first anniversary and the two years of Ramon Road construction, Rancho Mirage's access to CV Link stays the same as it is today. You ride city streets to Date Palm Drive or to Bump n' Grind, and the detour at Ramon Road makes the eastern trailhead the easier start.

Before the First Cool Morning Ride

If you don't own an e-bike, Tri-A-Bike at 44841 San Pablo Avenue in Palm Desert rents bicycles, including electric bikes and recumbent trikes. It also handles repairs, and its site lists a $35 delivery rate to Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and Cathedral City. For detour updates once the Ramon Road work starts, CV Link's project hotline is (833) 4CV-LINK, and the construction updates page is where CVAG posts closures.

Whether you're choosing a seasonal home based on how close it is to a trailhead or working out how a two-year bridge project will change your winter routine, Fine Homes By Michelle can share the local detail behind those decisions. Schedule a Private Consultation, and we will walk through what Rancho Mirage's distance from both ends of CV Link means for the way you plan to spend the season.