Red Jeep Tours

What Red Jeep Tours does

Red Jeep Tours, legally operated as Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours and dba Desert Adventures, is a family-owned private outdoor adventure and eco-tour company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Palm Desert, California. The company provides guided Jeep tours, hiking excursions, private charters, and group events in the Greater Palm Springs and Southern California desert region, operating seasonally from September through June (closed July and August).

The core operational asset is a fleet of 15 customized 7-passenger classic Jeep Scramblers (CJ-8s) — the largest such fleet in California — supported by an exclusive 800-acre private property called Metate Ranch located in the Indio Hills on the San Andreas Fault. Metate Ranch features palm oases, slot canyons, a recreated Cahuilla Indian Village, and event venues (Enchanted Desert and Coyote Camp). Product offerings include shared and private tours of the San Andreas Fault, Indian Canyons, Painted Canyon/Mecca Hills, and Joshua Tree National Park, plus Jeep charters for transportation, commercial filming location rentals, professional desert speaker programs, event hosting, and gift cards. All tours are led by naturalist guides with expertise in regional geology, ecology, and Cahuilla cultural history.

Red Jeep Tours generates revenue through per-person shared bookings, per-Jeep private bookings (up to 7 passengers per Jeep), per-event group bookings (15-100+ guests at $1,100-$2,400), hourly Jeep charters, filming location fees, and speaker gratuities. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer online booking via the embedded FareHarbor platform and phone reservations, supplemented by hotel/resort concierge referrals, destination management company partnerships, corporate event sales, and an influencer marketing program. The company has received multiple regional and national awards, holds a TripAdvisor '#1 Outdoor Activity in California Desert' designation, and maintains 4.9/5 Google and 4.8/5 Yelp ratings. Named enterprise clients for filming and events include Victoria's Secret, Capital One, Intel, Top Chef (Season 13), Wilson Tennis, and Hester Bly.

Name

Red Jeep Tours

Legal name

Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours

Website

https://red-jeep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Red Jeep Tours (Desert Adventures) is a family-owned Palm Desert, California operator founded in 1988 running guided Jeep and hiking tours from an exclusive 800-acre private ranch, serving tourists, families, corporate groups, and commercial film clients across the Greater Palm Springs desert region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Guided Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Road & Overland Adventure Tour Operators (4x4, ATV/UTV) (THAAADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Desert & Dune Nature Experiences (THAJAIAG), Safari & Overland Wildlife Adventures (4x4/Jeep) (THAJABAD)

Keywords

• Guided off-road tours
• Desert eco-tourism
• Jeep excursion services
• Outdoor adventure tours
• Coachella valley sightseeing

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Desert

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Jeep Tours: Shared and private Jeep tours of the San Andreas Fault, Indian Canyons, Joshua Tree National Park, and Painted Canyon. Revenue generated per person (shared) or per Jeep (private/group). Core revenue driver since 1988.
2. Jeep Charters: Hourly charter of Jeeps for transportation, pub crawls, dine-arounds, or shuttle services. Minimum 4-hour duration with additional hourly rates.
3. Commercial Filming: Film and photo shoot locations at Metate Ranch. Half-day, full-day, and multi-day rates available. Location fees plus optional 4WD vehicle shuttle services.
4. Event Hosting: Private events including corporate dinners, weddings, and Desert After Dark signature evening events at Metate Ranch. Catering, entertainment, and custom branding options available.
5. Desert Speakers: Speaker programs featuring Morgan Levine covering desert history, geology, Cahuilla culture, and regional topics. Booked through reservations calendar.
6. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold in any amount, valid on any tour, never expire. Purchased through FareHarbor booking platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Red Jeep Tours (DBA Desert Adventures) is a family-owned tour operator based in Palm Desert, California that provides guided off-road Jeep excursions through the Sonoran Desert aboard a fleet of 15 customized Jeep Scramblers (CJ-8s). The company offers themed day tours (San Andreas Fault, Indian Canyons hiking, Painted Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park), private Jeep charters, group tours for 15 or more guests, commercial filming access, and a Desert Speakers program. Customers may also purchase gift cards tied to the tour offerings.

Product overview

Red Jeep Tours operates as an outdoor adventure and eco-tour company offering guided Jeep tours and hiking excursions in the Greater Palm Springs area. The core product portfolio centers on Jeep Scrambler (CJ-8) tours to geological and cultural landmarks including the San Andreas Fault Zone, Indian Canyons, Painted Canyon/Mecca Hills, and Joshua Tree National Park. The company operates a fleet of 15 customized 7-passenger Jeep Scramblers and maintains a private 800-acre Metate Ranch facility. Tours are offered in shared (public), private, and group configurations accommodating 2 to 100+ guests. Additional offerings include Jeep charters for transportation, commercial filming location rentals, professional desert speaker programs, and special event venues including the Desert After Dark evening experience. The company operates seasonal tours from September through June, with the primary season running October through April.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Metate Ranch: Private 800-acre sanctuary located in the Indio Hills on the San Andreas Fault, offering exclusive Jeep tours, hiking tours, and event venues including Enchanted Desert and Coyote Camp.
• Enchanted Desert
• Coyote Camp
• Cahuilla Indian Village
• Desert Speakers

Products and services

• San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour Guided off-road Jeep excursion along the San Andreas Fault trace through the Sonoran Desert, designed for tourists and family travelers visiting the Coachella Valley.
• Indian Canyons Hiking Tour Guided hiking experience through the Indian Canyons area, combining Jeep transport with a hiking component, marketed to tourists and family visitors to the Palm Springs / Coachella Valley region.
• Painted Canyon Tour Guided off-road Jeep tour through Painted Canyon, a named desert landscape, offered to tourists and family visitors to the Coachella Valley.
• Joshua Tree National Park Tour Guided Jeep tour into Joshua Tree National Park, providing visitors with a curated off-road sightseeing experience in the park.
• Group Tours (15+ guests) Coordinated group tour format for parties of 15 or more guests, marketed to corporate groups, family gatherings, and other organized parties visiting the Coachella Valley.
• Jeep Charters Private charter of the company's Jeep fleet for custom itineraries, sold to corporate groups, event planners, and other buyers seeking exclusive use of the vehicles.
• Commercial Filming Services Provision of the customized Jeep fleet and access to the 800-acre Metate Ranch private sanctuary, plus surrounding desert locations, for film and commercial production shoots.
• Desert Speakers Program Speaker program in which company representatives deliver presentations about the desert, typically arranged for groups, events, and partner organizations.
• Gift Cards Redeemable gift cards that can be purchased by individuals and applied toward the company's guided Jeep tours, hiking tours, and related offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37+ years of continuous operation since 1988
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline booking platform integrated into website for real-time availability, reservations, and payment processing for all tour offerings including shared tours, private tours, and gift cards.
• Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitor's BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism marketing organization. Long-standing membership for destination promotion, referral traffic, and co-marketing opportunities. Company designated as member and supported by CVB.
• Palm Springs Bureau of TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial tourism promotion body for Palm Springs. Multiple recognitions including 'Best of the Best' and 'Top Attraction' designations. Active promotional partnership.
• Hotel and Resort Concierge PartnerssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of hotel and resort concierge staff who refer guests to Red Jeep Tours. Program includes commission preferences and dedicated registration forms for property partners.
• Destination Management CompaniessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic alliances with DMC partners for corporate group bookings and coordinated destination experiences in the Greater Palm Springs area.
• Influencer PartnerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media influencers and content creators with followings of 10,000+ (traditionally Instagram) invited on tours in exchange for content creation. Custom proposals encouraged for diverse content approaches.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a global tours and activities marketplace featuring California desert Jeep tours among thousands of other experiences. Comparable as a broad incumbent distribution platform competing for the same experiential tourist bookings.
• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel is a global adventure tour operator offering small-group experiences worldwide, including the U.S. Southwest. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the guided, experience-led adventure travel category where Red Jeep Tours competes for the experiential tourist.
• Viator: Viator is a large online marketplace for tours and attractions, including desert Jeep tours in Palm Springs. Comparable as a distribution channel and indirect competitor that aggregates offerings from operators like Red Jeep Tours alongside many peers.
• Adventure Tours by Disney: Adventures by Disney runs guided group tours to U.S. national parks and Southwest destinations. Comparable as a premium guided-tour brand targeting family and high-spend travelers in destinations like Joshua Tree where Red Jeep Tours operates.

Direct peers

• Sedona Offroad Adventures: Sedona Offroad Adventures offers guided off-road Jeep tours in the Sedona red rock region with comparable tour formats (shared, private, custom). It directly competes for desert Southwest experiential tourism demand using a similar 4x4-based product.
• Pink Jeep Tours: Pink Jeep Tours operates open-air Jeep tours in Sedona, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon, using a similar branded Jeep-fleet model to deliver scenic and adventure tours. It is the closest direct comparable to Red Jeep Tours in vehicle, experience type, and target customer.
• Wildland Trekking: Wildland Trekking operates guided hiking and adventure trips across the U.S. Southwest and national parks, including California desert destinations. Comparable as a guide-led, nature-interpretation-focused tour operator overlapping on Indian Canyons and Joshua Tree-style itineraries.
• Moab Adventure Center: Moab Adventure Center runs guided 4x4 tours, hiking, and scenic excursions in the Moab desert region of Utah. It mirrors Red Jeep Tours' combination of geology-focused off-road tours, hiking options, and outdoor adventure experiences.
• California Overland: California Overland offers off-road and overland adventure tours across California, often built around classic 4x4 vehicles. It is comparable as a regional California-based operator running Jeep-style off-road experiences with naturalist and storytelling elements.
• Desert Wolf Tours: Desert Wolf Tours provides guided UTV and off-road adventure tours in Arizona desert locations near Phoenix and Scottsdale. It is comparable as a Southwest desert-based off-road tour operator serving tourists seeking adventure experiences in similar terrain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/DesertAdventuresPS
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesertAdventuresPS
• Instagraminstagram.com/RedJeepTours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desert-adventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Red Jeep Tours