Adventure

Joshua Tree National Park: Self-Driving Audio Tour

4.3 / 5

28 reviews

Activity provider: Action Tour Guide
Adventure

Joshua Tree National Park: Self-Driving Audio Tour

Activity provider: Action Tour Guide

From US$ 14.99 per person

Explore the rugged beauty of a park where two deserts collide with a self-driving audio tour. Uncover the secrets of this harsh landscape and hear dramatic tales of the McHaney Gang, gold thieves, and the hardscrabble men and women who once lived here.

About this ticket

Free cancellation
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Valid 4 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Audio guide included
English

Experience

Highlights
  • Explore the rugged, mystical beauty of Joshua Tree National Park with a self-guided driving tour
  • Hear about the high stakes world of gold prospecting, cattle rustling, and double-crossing
  • Find all the best spots for hiking, bouldering, and stargazing in the park
  • Learn about the fascinating desert animals you might spot, like the roadrunner, coyote, and desert tortoise
Full description

Wander through Joshua Tree National Tree park and discover its hidden secrets with a self-driving audio tour. Learn about the park's history, curiosities, and nature as you follow the app's directions to see as much as you can of the park.

This self-guided driving tour begins at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center and follows the park road through this one-of-a-kind national park. As you leave civilization behind, hear about the Cahuilla tribe who once called this place home, and get an introduction to Jim McHaney, who terrorized the townsfolk with his band of ruffians. Then see the eponymous Joshua trees themselves. Get the facts on why these funky plants look like they do, and what the early Mormon pioneers thought they meant. Continue on to a hiking trail that leads you to one of the park’s strangest sights, a bunch of rocks with cryptic spiritual inscriptions on them, left by an odd recluse almost 100 years ago. As you go through the park, learn about the wildlife you might spot, from the pint-sized roadrunner to the elusive bighorn sheep. Next, visit the popular Hidden Valley Nature Trail where the infamous McHaney Gang once kept their stolen cattle while waiting to sell them off. Move on to Intersection Rock, a climbing hub that towers over the surrounding desert. Afterward, head down into Lost Horse Valley and hear the dramatic tale of how it got its name. It’s a story involving horse theft, a risky move, and a tense encounter with the McHaney Gang. Keys Point awaits beyond this valley, the most popular vista point in the park, where visitors and locals alike flock to catch the sunset. Up next, swing by the ominous Skull Rock and get a chance to visit some old, abandoned mines in Queen Valley. Then head to an observatory that’s perfect for stargazing, and end up in the Oasis Visitor Center. Your self-guided tour concludes here, just outside Twentynine Palms.

Includes
  • A link to download the Action Tour Guide app and a unique password for your tour(s).
  • An audio guide, location-aware map, and storyteller — all in one mobile app tour.
  • Our mission: To explore the world and its many stories. Join us!
  • Excellent value: Buy only one tour per car. Don’t hassle with “per person” bus tickets.
  • Ease of use: Stories auto-play based on your location so you don’t have to do anything once you’ve started.
  • Offline map: Works without a cell signal or wifi once downloaded.
  • Hidden gems: Visit often-missed spots and enrich your experience with little-known history.
  • Flexibility: Explore at your own pace with no fixed schedule. Take a break, a hike, whatever, and pick up where you left off!
  • No expiration date: Your tour is valid for life. Listen whenever, wherever, and however often you want.
  • All-day support line: Call, chat, or email for help.
  • Transportation, parking fee, food/drinks.
  • National Park/attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations.

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. It begins at Joshua Tree Visitor Center 6554 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252, USA. Be sure to check your email before you begin to download the Action Tour Guide app (separate from the Get Your Guide app). Then, enter your unique password into the app and access your tour. These steps require strong wifi/signal. Once at the starting point at Joshua Tree Visitor Center 6554 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252, USA, the tour audio will automatically begin. Follow the audio instructions and the route. Have questions? Visit Action Tour Guide’s Help page: https://actiontourguide.com/faq/

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Important information

What to bring

  • Hiking shoes
  • Charged Smartphone
  • Your own vehicle
  • Downloaded app
  • Power bank

Know before you go

  • This tour is a self-guided mobile app tour with a map, audio stories, and images.
  • Access the tour on the Action Tour Guide app (separate from the Get Your Guide app).
  • Use the unique password received after booking to download & preview your specific tours before you arrive.
  • Start at the Starting Point. Follow the tour route. All audio stories play automatically based on your location.
  • Flexible schedule: Use it on any day and at any time, or over multiple days. No need to rebook if your travel plans change.
  • Lifetime access: Use it on your next trip here! This tour never expires.
  • Driving tours: Use one tour per car and connect to the car speakers.
  • Walking tour: Use one tour per couple and share headphones.
  • Get support by calling, chatting, or emailing - all day long.
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.3 /5

based on 28 reviews

Review summary

  • Value for money
    4.5/5

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Star rating:

Directions on how to get app going was easy & we loved the narration + the stops were exactly where we wanted to go. One can do the driving tour same stops as your app because signs are well posted. However, the narration had many interesting facts the park does not. Thank you!

March 26, 2023

Sehr gute und individuelle Möglichkeit, den Joshua Tree Nationalpark zu entdecken. Wir haben gehofft, die App per Android Auto betreiben zu können, daher hatten wir zu Beginn ein paar Probleme, die Tour zum Laufen zu bekommen, aber anschließend lief alles einwandfrei und wir konnten die einzelnen Stationen genießen. Gerne mehr von dieser Art Tour.

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March 26, 2023

Die Tour ist sehr schön und man bekommt durch die kurzen Clips zusätzliche Informationen zum Park und den Sehenswürdigkeiten. Es hat alles reibungslos funktioniert und hat sich auf jeden Fall gelohnt, um nicht planlos durch den Park zu düsen. Wir hatten viel Spaß. Unbedingt die offline Funktion nutzen!

March 26, 2023

Product ID: 400822