San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour from Palm Desert
Description
Only Red Jeep Tours can take you to Metate Ranch, located in the heart of the San Andreas Fault Zone. On this awe-inspiring OPEN-AIR Jeep Tour, you will travel deep into the heart of California’s world-famous San Andreas Fault and witness the forces of nature that have created amazing, steep-walled canyons and the most twisted and tormented landscapes on Earth! You will be awestruck by the spectacular scenery as your Jeep winds its way through the bones of the earth. During your adventure, you will stop several times for short nature walks, including a short hike through a slot canyon, if desired. This tour also stops at a natural palm oasis, where water bubbles up from the ground year-round. Here you will learn about how the Cahuilla Indians used desert plants to survive in this inhospitable environment. A final highlight is a guided tour of our recreated Cahuilla Indian Village that showcases the lifestyle and culture of the Cahuilla people.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Experience the twisted and tortured landscape of an active earthquake fault system as your guide describes the geology of the area and you explore the bones of the earth. Don't forget your camera - the photo opportunities are endless! Take a walk between the steep walls of deep canyons created by the powerful forces of plate tectonics, water, wind, and time. Explore a natural palm oasis where crystal clear water bubbles up from the underground aquifer year round. Learn about the culture and lifestyle of the Cahuilla Indians and how they used the desert’s plants for food, medicine, tools, weapons, shelter, and more as you tour a recreated Cahuilla Indian Village. Learn about the plants and animals of the California desert and take in spectacular views as your guide describes the geologic forces and local history that shaped the Coachella Valley.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A minimum of 2 guests per booking is required
- Closed-toe shoes, a hat and sunscreen are strongly advised
- As desert temperatures may vary, dressing in layers would be advised
- Please call the reservation's desk a day or two before your tour to confirm your pickup time and location. Failure to call, however, will NOT result in cancellation of the tour.
- Tours departing after 1:00 PM are sunset tours
- Guests with neck or back problems or pregnant women in their 2nd or 3rd trimester should consult with their doctor before taking a Jeep Tour.
- This is not an extreme tour, but you are travelling on dirt trails and washes, so the ride is a little bumpy.
Reviews(793)
Great experience. Our guide Teresa was outstanding. Having informed her beforehand that we did not speak English, she provided us with copies of what she would say in Italian. She was truly kind and considerate. Moreover, she managed to engage and convey her energy to the entire group.
Our guide was fantastic, Teresa. She was knowledgeable and fun. We learned so much and had a great time. My 15 yo grandson loved it as well.
Darrell our tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable. It was a fun and informative morning. Plenty of great picture opportunities. We really enjoyed it and recommend it!!!
Darrell really does make every morning out there a great one! Love hearing you had such a fun and informative time, and that the photo ops delivered too. Thanks for the recommendation! 🏜️
Great experience! Mike was great. So knowledgeable and Such a wonderful attitude about life! We had a blast!!!
Chris was a knowledge, friendly, and wonderful tour guide. Was traveling with friends and we talked about the information he gave us for days. This was a highlight of our visit to Palm Desert.
Still talking about it days later, that's the best kind of review, David! So happy Chris made it such a highlight of your trip. Hope to see you and your friends back! 🌄
We had an unforeseen circumstance push our schedule slightly back and we would have been 15 minutes late for the tour. The tour operators refused to wait for us. We even called and let them know about our small delay. They offered to reschedule us to the following day, which we agreed upon and booked. Then they called us back later and said they would not be able to accommodate us the following day anymore and they refused to refund us the money or give us a rain check for another day.
We are sorry that this guest missed their tour, but we do feel it is important to clarify what occurred. The guests contacted our office at approximately 12:45 PM to advise that they were just leaving the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and would arrive approximately 15–20 minutes late for their 1:00 PM tour. The Tramway is located roughly 45–60 minutes from our departure location depending on traffic conditions. Because this was a shared group tour with other guests already checked in and ready to depart, we explained that our policy is to wait a maximum of 10 minutes for late arrivals. Guests are also asked to arrive 5–10 minutes prior to departure for check-in so that tours can leave on time and all guests receive the full experience they booked. While we understand that delays can happen, we also have a responsibility to the other guests on the tour. Asking an entire group to remain waiting in extreme desert heat for an extended period of time would not have been fair to them. As a courtesy, we attempted to accommodate the guests by offering to move them to another tour the following day if space allowed. Initially, we explored an afternoon option, but due to an active heat wave with temperatures approaching 110°, we ultimately determined that we would not be operating additional afternoon departures for safety reasons. We then offered available morning departures at 8:00 AM or 10:00 AM instead. Unfortunately, the alternative morning times did not work with the guests’ schedule, so we were unable to find another mutually workable option. We always try to assist guests whenever possible, and had this been a private tour, we likely could have waited longer. However, on a shared scheduled departure, we must balance the needs and experience of all guests involved. We believe our team handled the situation professionally, communicated clearly, and made reasonable efforts to provide an alternative solution within the constraints of tour availability and extreme weather conditions.
Super fun- we learned so much from our guide (Gary) about the Cahuilla tribe, geology of the San Andreas fault, fauna, etc. Enjoyed squeezing through the slot canyons. Highly recommended tour!
The slot canyons are always a highlight! Sounds like Gary made it a really rich experience, Lillian: the Cahuilla history, the geology, the fauna… he really does cover it all. Thanks for the recommendation! 🌄
Great experience learning about the Coachella valley and San Andreas Fault. Our guide was very knowledgeable and even I learned some things I didn’t know about the area.
When a local walks away having learned something new, we're doing something right! Sounds like an amazing day out there, Dean. Hope to see you back! 🏜️
I did not go with my family, but my family had a fabulous time on the tour. They truly enjoyed the tour Director and it was a nice experience.
Wonderful to hear the family had such a fabulous time, Connie! Hopefully what you heard convinces you to join them next time! 🌄
Excellent way to spend a morning while in Palm Springs. Learned many things I never knew about the San Andreas Fault as well as the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. Hiked a couple of slot canyons and saw a desert oasis!
That's the beauty of this tour: so much packed into one morning! Slot canyons, a desert oasis and a geology lesson all before lunch. 😄 Hope to see you back, Cynthia! 🌄
