Visitors often are shocked when they see photos of Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours’ vehicles parked at a desert oasis, said Mary Dungans, group sales director for Desert Adventures.

“Anybody who’s driven down Highway 10 through the desert where it’s flat and nothing’s going on, would immediately say, ‘Wow, that’s a lot different than what I see when I drive through the desert on the freeway,’” she said.

Canyon hiking, Desert Adventures, Palm Desert, Calif.
Canyon hiking, Desert Adventures, Palm Desert, Calif.
Photo: Kimberly Nilsson, Desert Adventures

The company’s popular San Andreas Fault Tour is on 800 acres the company owns along the fault. 

“People think of the San Andreas Fault as Lois Lane falling into the hole, but really it’s a fault zone,” Dungans said. “It is 7 miles wide, and it is the most tortured landscape you’ll ever see anywhere on the planet. And then in the middle of desolate desert, there’s a palm oasis with running water.”

Jeeps are priced at a flat rate for private tours. There’s a discount over the per person price if the jeep is filled to capacity (seven).

Riding into the canyon on a jeep-pulled wagon is a cheaper, more comfortable option. The wagon holds 25. For larger groups, half do a wagon tour while the rest do a walking tour of the Indian Village before switching activities.

Other options are Stargazing Tours, Indian Canyons Jeep and Hiking Tours and Painted Canyon/Mecca Hills Jeep Tours. The company also offers a Palm Springs City and Celebrity Home Tour; picnic packages; van/SUV and bus tours of Joshua Tree National Park about an hour away; and step-on guides.

“The reason tour groups love us is we take them safely and comfortably into remote spectacular areas that otherwise could only be seen by hiking — aggressive hiking,” Dungans said. “We take them to places and show them in a safe environment things they couldn’t see otherwise.”

Free motorcoach parking is available.

For more information, call 888-440-5337, ext. 2 or visit red-jeep.com/groups.

Article by Kathie Sutin