WHAT EXACTLY IS AN "ECO" TOUR? "Eco" is short for "ecology" and signals our respect for the natural environment and our passion for introducing you to this fascinating desert region. You will be amazed at how much you will learn--and how much fun you will have in the process!

HOW ROUGH IS THE RIDE? The roughness of the ride varies depending on the tour. Desert Adventures provides ecologically oriented "eco" tours, not thrill rides, and we stick to a network of rough-hewn jeep trails to minimize our impact on the natural environment. Most of our tours are appropriate for everyone from young children (4 and up) to senior citizens, and guests with many physical disabilities can be accommodated as long as they can get in and out of the jeep. However, we do travel on unpaved roads which can be bumpy.  The Faultline Express is our least rugged tour. The San Andreas Fault, Nightwatch, and Indian Cultural Adventures are moderately bumpy/rugged, and the Joshua Tree EXTREME Adventure is the most rugged/bumpy of our Jeep Tours. Because of the rugged nature of these tours (which is part of the adventure!) we do recommend that guests with neck or back injuries or women who are pregnant consult with their doctor before taking a Jeep Tour.

IS IT DANGEROUS? All outdoor adventures involve the risk of physical injury and all participants will be advised of these risks and must sign a Waiver of Liability prior to departing on their jeep tour. However, all of our adventures are designed with your safety in mind and we take numerous precautions to minimize the possibility of any risk. Our guides are professional experts and each is first aid and CPR certified. In addition, all of our jeeps receive daily maintenance and maintain constant communication with headquarters.

CAN CHILDREN GO? Of course! Children love our tours!! However, very young children do not tolerate the strong desert sun as well as older children and they often do not have the attention span to appreciate the tour, which can be distracting to other guests. So to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all our guests, the minimum age for children on our public Joshua Tree EXTREME and Mystery Canyon adventures is 6 years of age and the minimum age on all other public jeep tours is 4 years of age. If you have questions about whether a particular tour is appropriate for children, please give us a call at (760) 340-2345 and we will be happy to advise you. Please note that California Law requires that children under 6 years of age or 60 pounds must ride in an approved child safety seat. Desert Adventures does not provide child safety seats, thus parents bringing along a young child must provide and use their own child safety seat.

WHERE DO YOUR JEEP ECO-TOURS GO? The majority of our jeep tours go to our private Adventure Ranch on the San Andreas Fault. We also offer jeep tours to into the back country of the Joshua Tree National Park.

HOW MANY GUESTS FIT IN ONE JEEP? Each jeep carries 7 passengers plus your Naturalist Guide/Driver.

DO WE NEED TO BRING WATER? Our jeeps are stocked with plenty of cool bottled water and granola bars.

ARE THERE RESTROOMS? Clean restrooms (port-a-potties) are available on our Faultline Express, San Andreas Fault, Indian Cultural, and Nightwatch Jeep Tours. There are no restrooms available on the Joshua Tree EXTREME Jeep Tour.

WHAT KIND OF SHOES AND CLOTHES SHOULD I WEAR? For your own safety and comfort, we recommend that guests wear closed-toe and flat-heel shoes with rubber soles (such as tennis shoes or hiking boots) and comfortable clothes.  Sandals and shoes with high-heels are not recommended.   Desert temperatures can change quickly, so dress in layers and bring sunglasses, a hat and apply sunscreen before the tour.  Guests are advised to bring a sweater, sweatshirt, or light jacket are recommended during the winter months.  Desert Adventures, Inc. is not responsible for damage or loss of equipment or clothing that guests choose to take along with them on their tour.  

CAN I BRING A VIDEO OR OTHER CAMERA? Absolutely, the photo opportunities are wonderful on all of our Jeep Eco-Tours.

DO YOU GET OUT OF THE JEEP? IS THERE HIKING INVOLVED? HOW DIFFICULT? Yes, on most of our tours, you get out of your jeep several times to see the desert up close and personal. (However our Faultline Express tour is primarily a driving tour). Every adventure is designed to meet our guest’s needs, desire and ability. We offer everything from casual nature walks to more challenging and strenuous hikes. Each guide will adjust the hiking / walking portion of the tour to fit the abilities of the guests in his/her jeep.

WHAT KIND OF WILDLIFE WILL WE SEE? Desert wildlife includes coyotes, kit fox, tarantulas, scorpions, an occasional mountain lion, rattle snakes and other cool snakes (don’t be scared….they are more scared of you and will hide in most instances: unless you are lucky!) Most desert wildlife is seen early morning or late in the afternoon just before sunset. The best tour for seeing wildlife is the Nightwatch tour.

HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE ARE THE GUIDES? Our guides are amazing! Every guide goes through an exhaustive 3-month initial training program before they are allowed in a jeep with passengers. Our guides' training doesn't stop at 3 months, however. Rather, it is an ongoing process and we encourage each guide to develop his or her own area of expertise by doing independent reading and research or attending specialty workshops or classes. Our lead guides are constantly updating our tour information based on what the guides learn from each other and their outside research and many of our guides have received 10 or more years of ongoing training and personal tour development. All of our guides are experts on the desert flora, fauna, history, and geology, and they are happy to customize the adventure to meet your interests.

WHAT ABOUT GRATUITIES FOR THE GUIDES?  Gratuities are not included. However, as with any service industry employee, our guides appreciate gratuities and rely on them to supplement their tour income.  Therefore, feel free to tip our guides if you feel they did a particularly good job! 

ARE WE GOING TO THE PALM SPRINGS INDIAN CANYONS? No, Desert Adventures does not offer jeep adventures to the Indian Canyons because there aren’t any off-road trails. However, our San Andreas Fault, Indian Cultural, and Nightwatch Jeep Tours all visit a large, private palm oasis located right along the San Andreas Fault! In addition, you can see an authentic replica of a Cahuilla Indian Village with a number of interpretive displays showcasing the culture of the Cahuilla Indians ONLY on our tours.