San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour from Palm Desert

Overview

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.

City: Palm Springs

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $150.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $150.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Bottled water

Naturalist guided open-air Jeep eco-tour

Granola snacks

Land Use Fees

Additional Info

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.
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.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides

What To Expect

San Andreas Fault

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.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (430)

Rose60878

Dec 2017

Talked about taking a red jeep tour for years, finally did in November. Very fun, drove to private lands on the San Andreas Fault, explored rock formations and our guide, Dick was excellent. Stories and his knowledge of history of the area, flora and fauna very interesting. Seeing the pueblo village space a bonus. Not that bumpy or uncomfortable at all.

Response from Host

Dec 2017

Thanks for your great review. we are glad you finally had the chance to experience a desert adventure!

CountyLimerick

Dec 2017

If you drive along I-10 in southern California, for miles it looks like parched earth where no living thing could possibly dwell Red Jeep tours takes you to magical places that reveal a world of teeming, blossoming, thriving life, in that very desert you thought empty (Red Jeep supplies plenty of bottled water in that desert!) In jeeps that are indeed red (very red!), you head off I-10 and deep into the desert world to see how Nature has provided an endless supply cool, clear water for birds, kit fox, coyotes, rabbits (and many other small rodents), bob-cats, snakes, lizards, and, in the higher country, bighorn sheep; you'll see a hidden, thriving eco-system made possible by that living water. Not for the casual tourist, these are open-air jeeps (if you go in the summer, take the morning tour; if you go in the winter, take the afternoon tour), and the terrain is rocky and dusty (much like a desert...). The good news is that the sights you get to see are all pretty much on level ground, with several options for some fairly easy short walks off the path up gentle slopes through gorgeous rock formations. Be sure to ask for the tour-driver Donna - a love for, and vast knowledge of, the desert "secrets" combines with a fun and happy personality, making the tour not just a dry look at desert history, but a very rewarding experience. One of the best features? We never felt "rushed" or hurried.....you probably remember some place you went, or tour you took, where the tour stops were timed to the second, or the guide would say just a few words about what you were looking at and then move quickly off, or you were at the back of 30 or 40 people and never even knew what it was you were supposed to be seeing! None of that with Red Jeep: i was one of four people in the tour, Donna let us ask as many questions as we wanted (and she had the answers), she let us look to our hearts' content, and never once said All right everyone, back in the bus! The tour pace was as relaxed and peaceful as the beautiful scenery around us. Final note: i had just bought some fairly expensive sun-screen for the trip...the tube was not in my pocket when i got to the hotel: the office manager, Emily, miraculously found it in the jeep i'd toured in, then dropped it by my hotel on her lunch hour the next day! Talk about going the extra mile! Don't just speed past the desert on a highway......take the tour that will take you into the proverbial and fascinating Living Desert.

Response from Host

Dec 2017

Thanks so much for a great and thorough review. Glad you enjoyed the tour!

Nancy S

Nov 2017

We took the three hour San Andreas fault tour on nov 21 with Les. This not a typical exciting Jeep tour. There are no bumps on the paths and the Jeep never went more than 5 miles per hour. The length of the tour was probably 1 1/2 hours too long. The tour guide spent a lot of time telling stories unrelated to the San Andreas fault or earthquakes. Much of the scenery on the tour does not change. Coming down from the canyon could have be much quicker. You will spend 20 minutes at a manmade corporate dinner venue. The tour guide could benefit from using an iPad with folders as opposed to his phone that he spent a lot of time flipping through looking for pictures. Much of the tour was floral/fauna survival tips and unrelated stories. Unfortunately we did not feel it was worth the high cost of $130 per person. Half the time and half the cost would be much more appropriate. We were disappointed all the way around.

Response from Host

Nov 2017

Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your tour. After checking with the guide another guest on the same tour told him they had a GREAT time. I guess not everyone enjoys the beauty of our desert paradise. The manmade corporate diner venue is also a recreated Indian village where the guide explains how the native people survived in such a hostile environment. We always drive slowly on the ranch so our guests don't get jostled and dusted in the Jeep. We are not a thrill ride, more fun and educational. I think that the many other five star reviews on our site are more indicative of what our tours are really like.