Although close to interstate 10, Palm Springs is separated from it by the wide, sandy flats of the usually dry Whitewater River, and a few miles of desert. Instead, the main route through town is CA 111, which starts from I-10 exit 112, passes through Palm Springs and the other main towns of the Coachella Valley (Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and Indio), before rejoining I-10 at exit 144. The high San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains restrict access to Palm Springs from the south to only one road - CA 74, the Pine Palms Highway - which climbs to 5,000 feet before descending into the San Jacinto Valley.