Palm Desert

Board your open-air Jeep and embark upon a scenic and informative exploration of the stunning landscape of an active earthquake zone where you will travel across private property only accessible by 4WD and only open for this specific tour. This exciting 4WD adventure to the private Metate Ranch reserve on the San Andreas fault line is a once in a lifetime experience for any visitor to the Coachella Valley. Discover the unique geography of this tortured landscape as you explore the skeleton of the earth. Visit a natural oasis and uncover the mysteries of the hardy plants and animals carving out an existence in the dry barren landscape.  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. You will have an opportunity to walk among the stone corridors and sheer granite walls of ancient canyons as you learn the fascinating history the primal forces that shaped the valleys and surrounding landscape and the people that called this place home for millennia.

The Palm Springs windmill self-driving tour is an interactive, educational, and fun tour for friends and family. This tour will guide you along with an audio program with clearly marked destinations throughout the first commercial wind farm in Southern California. First check-in at the Tour Center where you will view a 15 minute video prior to your self-driving tour. There are exhibits inside the Tour Center on wind energy. You will then be given a map and directed where to start your tour. You will then take a journey through 10 marked stops, starting with a display yard of non-operating wind turbines. Learn about the successes and failures and visit a real generating wind turbine, where you can get up close and take pictures. Continue to a solar farm and end the tour with a stop at the old gas plant.

Begin your incredible journey in a 4WD as your tour guide takes you into the lush palm oasis of the magnificent Indian Canyons of Palm Springs. Visit the historical home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Learn about the history, culture, legends, and stories of the Cahuilla people. Along the way, discover Rincon Village and the Cahuilla’s amazing understanding and usage of desert plants.  Embark on a guided 1-mile hike on a peaceful trail up Andreas Canyon that winds along a beautiful stream of cascading waters shaded by a canopy of California Fan Palms. Discover ancient bedrock mortars and an array of desert flora. Once you reach the top of the trail, enjoy a breathtaking view of the steep cliff walls on the opposite side. Enjoy a short walk to a hidden water cave where the water flows most of the year. At the end of your adventure, relax, refresh, and shop for unique gifts and souvenirs at the Indian Trading Post which features Indian art and artifacts, books, jewelry, pottery, baskets, weavings, and more.