Joshua Tree self-guided audio tour: explore at your own pace

Hear the park's stories while you drive, on your schedule.

A self-guided audio tour of Joshua Tree National Park that downloads to your phone and plays commentary automatically based on your GPS location as you drive. The tour covers all major highlights—Arch Rock, Keys View at 5,185 feet overlooking the Coachella Valley, Cholla Cactus Garden, Skull Rock, Barker Dam, and lesser-known stops—with suggested itineraries for half-day, full-day, or multi-day visits. You control the pace entirely, start and stop whenever you want, and the tour works offline once downloaded; one purchase covers everyone in your vehicle and never expires.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Joshua Tree National Park highlights

• Drive through Joshua Tree National Park
• Visit Arch Rock and short hike
• Walk Barker Dam nature loop
• See Cholla Cactus Garden
• Explore Hall of Horrors rock formations
• Hike Hidden Valley Nature Trail
• Drive to Keys View viewpoint
• Stop at Skull Rock
• Visit Split Rock and picnic area

The Experience

What makes this different from a typical guided tour is that you're driving your own route through the park with an app on your phone. Download the GuideAlong app, redeem your voucher code with your Apple or Google account, and download the tour over WiFi before you go. Once you're in the park, audio commentary plays automatically as your phone's GPS tracks your location—no cell service or internet needed after that. You hear stories, tips, and directions timed to wherever you are on the road, so the narration matches what you're actually looking at.

The tour guides you through eight major stops: Arch Rock, a 30-foot granite span you can reach via a 1.4-mile hike near White Tank Campground; Keys View, a ten-minute drive up to 5,185 feet with views across the entire Coachella Valley to the San Andreas Fault and distant Salton Sea; Cholla Cactus Garden, where hundreds of teddy bear cacti glow in the light; Skull Rock, which shifts appearance depending on the sun's angle; Barker Dam, a 1.3-mile nature loop with historical significance; Hidden Valley, a one-mile trail through a rock-enclosed valley; Hall of Horrors, a scrambling spot with narrow dark corridors carved into rock formations; and Split Rock, a massive boulder split in two with a picnic area. You decide how long to spend at each place, which hikes to take, and whether to follow the suggested half-day or full-day itinerary or build your own.

The app runs through your phone's GPS and works best connected to your car's Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto so the audio plays through your stereo. Bring a USB-C car charger and make sure your device is fully charged before you start. The tour is a one-time purchase with lifetime access—no expiration date, no need to book a specific travel date, and one purchase covers everyone riding in your vehicle. If you change your plans or want to finish the tour another day, just pause and resume whenever you're ready. Park entrance fees are separate and not included.

What’s included

• The tour includes GPS-powered audio commentary that plays automatically as you drive.
• offline GPS-enabled route maps and directions.
• suggested itineraries for half-day, full-day, or multi-day visits.
• lifetime access with no expiration date and free updates.
• in-app, web, and PDF trip planners with stop-by-stop guidance.
• and customer support via chat, email, and toll-free phone.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by GuideAlong (GyPSy Guide)

Is this one for you?You'll need your own vehicle and phone to use this tour, and you start whenever you arrive at the park—there's no fixed departure time or meeting point. If you're renting a car locally or have your own transportation, this works seamlessly; if you're relying on a shuttle or arriving without a vehicle, you'll need to arrange that separately. The flexibility to pause, resume, and explore at your own pace suits travelers who want to linger at certain stops or combine the tour with their own hiking and photography without a guide's schedule dictating the day.

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Top questions

Do I need cell service or WiFi to use the audio tour while I'm driving through the park?

No. Once you download the tour to your phone over WiFi before you arrive, the GPS-based audio commentary plays entirely offline. You don't need cell service, WiFi, or an internet connection while you're in the park.

What's the highest point you can drive to in Joshua Tree, and what can you see from there?

Keys View is the highest road in the park at 5,185 feet elevation. From there you see panoramic views across the entire Coachella Valley, including the San Andreas Fault, the distant Salton Sea, Palm Springs, and the snowcapped peaks of San Jacinto Peak and Mount San Gorgonio.

How many stops does the tour include, and can I skip any of them?

The tour guides you to eight major stops—Arch Rock, Keys View, Cholla Cactus Garden, Skull Rock, Barker Dam, Hidden Valley, Hall of Horrors, and Split Rock—plus lesser-known gems. You control the pace entirely, so you can skip stops, spend extra time at places that interest you, or follow a suggested half-day or full-day itinerary instead.

Does the tour include park entrance fees?

No. The audio tour is separate from park admission. You'll need to pay the Joshua Tree National Park entrance fee when you arrive; the tour purchase covers only the downloadable audio commentary and GPS-guided route.

Can one purchase work for multiple people in my vehicle?

Yes. One tour purchase covers everyone in the vehicle, making it a cost-effective option for groups or families traveling together.

What's the Cholla Cactus Garden like, and why is it worth seeing?

The Cholla Cactus Garden contains hundreds of teddy bear cacti that gleam silver and gold in sunlight, creating a surreal landscape. The spines covering the stems give them a fuzzy appearance, but they're not safe to touch—the garden is best appreciated from a distance or along the designated paths.