Joshua Tree National Park Self-Guided Driving Tour

Two deserts meet in one park, audio tour reveals carved rocks, gang hideout, and desert oasis secrets

A self-guided driving audio tour of Joshua Tree National Park covers over 66 miles with more than 60 audio stories, starting at the visitor center and looping through the park's landmarks, hikes and desert history. Download the app to your phone, follow the GPS-triggered route, and the audio plays automatically as you drive: pause anytime for a trail, a photo or a meal. One purchase covers everyone in your car. The tour stays on your phone forever, works offline, and you can revisit it on future trips.

Step-by-step itinerary

Self-guided driving tour of Joshua Tree

• Start at Joshua Tree Visitor Center
• Drive through Joshua Tree town
• Explore John Samuelson's rock inscriptions
• Visit Willow Hole oasis
• Climb or scramble Hemingway Buttress
• Hike Hidden Valley Nature Trail
• See Intersection Rock climbing area
• Walk Cap Rock quarter-mile trail
• Drive through Lost Horse Valley
• Explore Lost Horse Mine Loop Trail
• Pass Queen Valley abandoned mine
• View Skull Rock and nearby trail
• Visit Sky's The Limit Observatory
• End at Oasis Visitor Center in Twenty-Nine Palms

The experience

The tour starts at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center and runs over 66 miles through the park where two deserts meet. The audio plays automatically as your GPS moves you along the route, so you keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road while the narration explains what you're driving past: the cartoonishly strange Joshua trees the park is named for, the gold rush greed that shaped the region, and the McHaney Gang's reign of terror across Lost Horse Valley. You'll hear about John Samuelson's century-old rock carvings, the Hemingway Buttress climbers still tackle, and the hideout where outlaws actually sheltered. The whole drive takes about three to four hours if you go straight through, but you control the pace entirely.

The app downloads to your phone and works offline using GPS, so you don't need cell service once you've pulled it down over WiFi. Audio plays through your car's stereo via Bluetooth or through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if your car supports it, and the map stays visible on your phone to show you where you are on the route. You can start at the suggested beginning or join anywhere along the way. Stop for the Hidden Valley Nature Trail (a one-mile walk that's part of the package), or for any of the longer hikes the audio mentions: Willow Hole is seven miles and leads to an actual desert oasis; the Lost Horse Mine Loop is four miles through old mining ruins; Skull Rock's two-mile trail is among the park's most popular. The flexibility means you're not locked into someone else's schedule or pace.

The tour comes in English, French, German or Dutch, and you own it permanently: revisit it on a future trip to Joshua Tree, or keep it on your phone as a reference for the stories and photos you collected. Support is available by chat, email or phone if you get stuck downloading or using the app. Entrance fees to the park and parking are separate, as is any food or car rental you might need, but everything else (the narration, the route, the stories, the access to Hidden Valley) comes with your purchase.

What’s included

• The app with GPS-triggered audio stories.
• lifetime access to revisit the tour anytime.
• offline playback once downloaded.
• the Hidden Valley Nature Trail tour as a bonus.
• route maps and scenic stop previews.
• support via chat, email or phone.
• one purchase for everyone in your car, not per person.
• access in English, French, German or Dutch.

Information

Lasts 3h–4h, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 14.44 per group, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate8 group tours ›

Audio guideEnglish, French, German and DutchOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Adventures with Action

Is this one for you?The audio plays automatically as you drive, so you don't need to read directions or manage a guide. It frees you to focus on the road and the landscape. If you want to explore at your own speed without a fixed itinerary or a group, this self-guided format lets you pause for any trail, linger at any viewpoint, or skip ahead to the next stop entirely.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

How long does it take to drive the whole Joshua Tree tour?

The full route covers over 66 miles and takes about three to four hours if you drive straight through without stopping. You can pause anytime for hikes, photos or a meal, so the total time depends on how many trails you walk and how long you linger at each stop.

What happens if I don't have cell service in the park?

The tour works completely offline once you download it to your phone before your trip. GPS guidance and the audio stories play without WiFi or cellular service, so you can drive through dead zones without losing the narration or the route.

Can I use this tour on more than one trip to Joshua Tree?

Yes. You get lifetime access to the tour, so you can download it once and use it anytime you visit the park in the future. You can also revisit the stories, photos and details afterward through the app.

Does the Hidden Valley Nature Trail come with this tour?

Yes, the Hidden Valley Nature Trail is included as a bonus. It's an easy one-mile walk where the audio explains the history of the McHaney Gang's hideout in the area.

What do I need to bring or download before I arrive at Joshua Tree?

Download the Tour Guide app by Action to your phone while connected to WiFi or strong cellular signal, then download the tour itself. Bring your car and your phone, and you're ready to start at the visitor center or anywhere along the route shown in the app.

What's included in the price and what costs extra?

The audio tour, route guidance, Hidden Valley access and lifetime use are all included in one purchase per car. Entrance fees to Joshua Tree National Park, parking, food and any car rental are separate and not covered.