We loved Ron our tour guide, he is such a gentle soul, very calm yet wise about the history of the desert, the geology, and the legends of settlers long ago. You won't learn these things by a simple self tour. We toured 1 day in our own car, but weren't comfortable going to deep into the park until we had an experienced tour guide the next day. (esp since we heard 1 hiker was currently lost in the desert!) Big Wheel Tours picked us up at our hotel and made sure we saw the things we wanted. Would definitely recommend. They have many options of tours, so make sure to tell them what you expect upfront. (we opted to stay on-road)