California Overland Desert Excursions
California Overland Desert Excursions
California Overland Desert Excursions
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About
Exciting Day and Overnight Excursions in the amazing Anza-Borrego Desert aboard authentic, open-air military vehicle and vintage Jeep CJ7. There are also climate-controlled options to adventure with our Jeep Renegade Trailhawk and Off-Road Excursion Van. We are a contracted concessionaire of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and a state-licensed passenger carrier: License # TCP18546-S.
Borrego Springs, California
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
414 reviews
Excellent
398
Very good
8
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
2
665yvettem
San Diego, United States5 contributions
Feb 2020
My husband wanted to visit a specific part of the park and knew we'd never get there on our own so we called California Overland Desert Excursions- we're so happy we did! Communication with the company was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. They offer pick-up from the hotel, which is very convenient. On the day of the tour Joe, the guide, picked my husband up took him on an adventure he'll always remember, even running a little over the allotted time to do a bit of extra exploring. It is clear that Joe has a genuine love of sharing this beautiful place with visitors. We look forward to exploring with them again soon!
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
judyolesen
San Diego2 contributions
Oct 2021
I traveled to Borrego Springs, east of San Diego, recently. I was there for a long weekend and decided to book two tours of the desert with California Overland Desert Excursions. One of the best decisions I have ever made! On Saturday, I was taken on an exciting, gorgeous hike into a beautiful canyon and then driven to explore a dry lake lake bed that I never even knew existed in Borrego! My guide, Michael, was extremely knowledgeable about the desert: flora, fauna, & geology and a great hiking companion. I learned so much & had a great time. On Sunday, I joined a few other people on another tour to a different part of the desert. This time Joe, our guide, expertly explained what we were seeing, took us to several isolated spots in the desert in a jeep-like vehicle with huge wheels. We stopped frequently to appreciate the views & topography & had great fun on some of the roller coaster terrain! You will not be sorry if you book a tour with CA Overland desert Excursions! I had the time of my life with Joe & Michael on these tours! They were well worth the expenditure!
Written November 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauratravels4fun
33 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
We had a great desert experience with Joe.
We headed out before sunset and saw all the different and unique areas of the Borrego Springs desert.
He provided nice cool refreshing water flavored with lemon and mint. He offered snacks and helped us get some memorable photos due to sunset lighting and knowing the best spots to capture it all!
We had our visit in October 2020 and all safety precautions were in place.
Joe has a lot of knowledge about the desert land formations and will show the historical look of this desert millions of years ago in comparison to what we see now.
We are definitely interested in returning with California Overland for the overnight camping and stargazing.
We would highly recommend this tour...Joe & his staff....for a knowledgeable tour of the Borrego Springs Desert.
We headed out before sunset and saw all the different and unique areas of the Borrego Springs desert.
He provided nice cool refreshing water flavored with lemon and mint. He offered snacks and helped us get some memorable photos due to sunset lighting and knowing the best spots to capture it all!
We had our visit in October 2020 and all safety precautions were in place.
Joe has a lot of knowledge about the desert land formations and will show the historical look of this desert millions of years ago in comparison to what we see now.
We are definitely interested in returning with California Overland for the overnight camping and stargazing.
We would highly recommend this tour...Joe & his staff....for a knowledgeable tour of the Borrego Springs Desert.
Written October 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
starberg2018
Los Angeles, CA8 contributions
Jan 2020
Based on good reviews, we decided on short notice to sign up for the 2.5 hr Badlands Tour. I completely understand now why the company has so many great reviews! We had Wade as our guide; his enthusiasm and joy in sharing his knowledge about the history, geology, wildlife, and flora of the area makes for a great experience. It was evident he wanted to create an enjoyable and memorable tour for everyone. You would think 2.5 hrs would seem like a good amount of time (and we actually went over a bit), but I'd even recommend one of their longer tours if you have the chance as there is a lot to be seen. We had perfect weather and the afternoon was a great time to be out exploring. If you're thinking of booking with them, just book it already....you'll have a great time and seems you can't go wrong with any of their guides! Thanks California Overland!
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Llsbsk
Houston, TX114 contributions
Oct 2022
My wife and I (both 60+) had the most amazing private tour with Mark Thompson of California Overland Desert Excursions this past week. He put together a custom tour based on the sites that we wanted to see and gave us an awesome tour of some of the more remote parts of the Anza Borrego state park. He was professional, courteous, very personable and an all around fun guy to spend five hours in the desert with. We think that he was having as much fun driving us around in his jeep as we were having bouncing around in it. Private tours are expensive but well worth it as we were able to see many areas that we could never get to (or back from ) on our own. We highly recommend California Overland Desert Excursions and, in particular, Mark Thompson.
Written October 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eric G
Utah584 contributions
Dec 2019
Everything was perfect, from booking on the website, all the way through the end of the tour.
We didn't know anything about the badlands before the tour and we were blown away by the entire experience. Our guide, Wade, was like a movie star out of central casting. He looked the part, talked the talk and walked the walk - and he knew so much about the area, the geology and the plants and animals. He was very entertaining and incredibly nice and friendly, plus he was super kind to our kids. He consistently offered to take photographs of our family at every place we visited, so we have lots of pictures to remember the day. We saw many fascinating natural wonders that we never would have found on our own, because we didn't know they existed.
Booking was easy, the vehicle was comfortable, drinks and snacks were provided and the starting point was easy to find.
Just an incredible experience all the way around.
We will definitely be back for the camp out under the stars at some point in the future.
We didn't know anything about the badlands before the tour and we were blown away by the entire experience. Our guide, Wade, was like a movie star out of central casting. He looked the part, talked the talk and walked the walk - and he knew so much about the area, the geology and the plants and animals. He was very entertaining and incredibly nice and friendly, plus he was super kind to our kids. He consistently offered to take photographs of our family at every place we visited, so we have lots of pictures to remember the day. We saw many fascinating natural wonders that we never would have found on our own, because we didn't know they existed.
Booking was easy, the vehicle was comfortable, drinks and snacks were provided and the starting point was easy to find.
Just an incredible experience all the way around.
We will definitely be back for the camp out under the stars at some point in the future.
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RPWilson
Los Angeles, CA38 contributions
Mar 2022
We had no prior experience with California Overland Desert Excursions but were very favorably impressed. Michael, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and personable. Because of the size of our group (4) we used their 4WD van which was quite comfortable, unaffected by the terrain we covered, and equipped with water and snacks. And the terrain was unworldly, more akin to Mars than earth, and fun to tour. We had a splendid afternoon and recommend it highly.
Written March 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shannon T
31 contributions
Dec 2021
We had a 5 hour private tour with Mark in December. 2 adults and a 15 year old. What a fantastic time we had! The weather was predicted to be rainy on our scheduled day so Joe, the owner, called us on Christmas Eve and asked about changes so we could go on a day with better weather. We were so impressed that he was willing to change our tour and made adjustments with his team so we could have the experience we wanted! Mark was full of information of the area and showed us a lot of terrain and vistas during our tour. Our 15 year old loved getting out of the vehicle and getting to walk in the slot canyon and the mud cave. Lunch was sandwiches (that were delicious--we got turkey, ham, and vegetarian on wheat), chips, apples, and homemade brownies plus lemon water. We ate at the palm grove and then continued on to the badlands. We stayed in La Jolla and made a bit of a drive to experience the California Overland Desert Excursion. It was definitely worth the drive! I am so glad we go to experience this! I would recommend this trip to anyone. Wonderful owner and guide.
Written January 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CJCS
Rancho Cucamonga, CA2 contributions
Sep 2020
The most fun that we've had in a while. Picking a safe activity during these social distancing times could not have been easier with CA Overland. Their customer service is top notch and Elisa whom we had the pleasure of arranging this tour with was very prompt and courteous. She partnered us with Wade on a 2.5 hr. Sunset Tour. He is not only so nice and accommodating but also a great dessert navigator. He carries a wealth of knowledge and his passion for and love of his work showed tremendously during our tour with him. We were the only ones on top of the beautiful Vista snacking on wine, cheese and crackers which were also provided along with the cool lemon water watching the sunset is truly an unforgettable experience. We are already planning another trip to this side of SD and we want to spend more time in the dessert and take the 5 hr. tour next time.
Written September 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S E
18 contributions
Apr 2021
We took a Celestial Overnight Camping trip on April 10 and 11, 2021, with California Overland Desert Excursions. Joe and his team are fantastic!
To start, we had timely and informative communications with Joe prior to the trip. He answered all of our questions and gave us good information about the trip.
When we arrived, we were welcomed and introduced to fellow campers and staff members. All Covid protocols were explained and followed throughout.
Our drive to the campsite was fun, in the back of the small military truck! We arrived to find our campsite already set up. The gear was all in good condition. We had a private tent for two, complete with air mattresses, sleeping bags, and sleeping bag liners for cleanliness.
We had time to explore the area before appetizers and dinner, all tasty and plentiful! After dinner, we got to explore the night sky with an astronomer who provided a large telescope, along with his knowledge.
I’ll leave some of the special happenings out, you’ll have to join a trip to experience all the unique parts of this trip. I’ll just say that the desert, and California Overland Desert Excursions, are both full of surprises!
It takes a special person to please a diverse group of people and Joe is just one of those special people. You won’t be disappointed by the service, the accommodations, or the beautiful desert on this trip.
This is our second trip with Joe. It was great. We can’t wait to take another one! I highly recommend this tour.
To start, we had timely and informative communications with Joe prior to the trip. He answered all of our questions and gave us good information about the trip.
When we arrived, we were welcomed and introduced to fellow campers and staff members. All Covid protocols were explained and followed throughout.
Our drive to the campsite was fun, in the back of the small military truck! We arrived to find our campsite already set up. The gear was all in good condition. We had a private tent for two, complete with air mattresses, sleeping bags, and sleeping bag liners for cleanliness.
We had time to explore the area before appetizers and dinner, all tasty and plentiful! After dinner, we got to explore the night sky with an astronomer who provided a large telescope, along with his knowledge.
I’ll leave some of the special happenings out, you’ll have to join a trip to experience all the unique parts of this trip. I’ll just say that the desert, and California Overland Desert Excursions, are both full of surprises!
It takes a special person to please a diverse group of people and Joe is just one of those special people. You won’t be disappointed by the service, the accommodations, or the beautiful desert on this trip.
This is our second trip with Joe. It was great. We can’t wait to take another one! I highly recommend this tour.
Written April 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When will you offer the next Sunset-to-Stars Dinner Excursion - for 2020?
Written February 27, 2020
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for your interest in our Sunset-to-Stars Dinner Excursions. Usually they start up in May and run through October as the nights are warmer, but especially because that is the time of year when the Milky Way is brilliant above. We also have Sunset-to-Moonlight dinners as well, including times of year when the Milky Way is not prominent.
That said, our calendar is still being formulated for Spring and Summer but the next Sunset-to-Stars will be on Tuesday, May 26. The next few will be 6/16, 6/20 and a Sunset-to-Moonlight on 6/6. I will put them up on the calendar today in case you are interested, but also feel free to call to book or with any other questions.
It's really a wonderful experience to take in the night sky here in the desert. I hope that we will be able to share it with you!
Thanks,
Joe
Written March 6, 2020
My husband and I are spending a few days in the area with our two teenagers. The 5 hour tour seems long, but we don't want to miss getting the full experience of the area if we only do the 2.5. Thoughts?
Written February 10, 2019
Hi Maryann!
Sorry for the late response, but it seems that you have already received some good advice. And, maybe by now you have reserved an excursion with us.
We get asked this question a lot as 5 hours, at first, seems like a long time. One can definitely take in a lot in our 2.5-hour trips since Anza-Borrego is so diverse. Usually though, there is no hiking on our shorter excursions, and yet quite a few things to see. And whatever length you choose, we strive to offer you a good mix of off-roading and walking about to really experience the desert's allure. You are not just sitting in a vehicle the whole time. On the longer treks, you obviously cover more ground, plus you can enjoy a relaxing lunch in a beautiful location. You can also explore on foot further into fascinating terrain. And, before you know it, five hours has flown by. It really comes down to personal preference.
Thank you for your interest. I hope we will see you soon, whether 2.5 or 5 hours. :-)
Joe
Written March 3, 2019
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for looking into us. Yes, Sue is correct that we just have guided excursions in our various vehicles. You can rent ATVs in nearby Ocotillo Wells off road park but you can’t use them in Anza-Borrego.
So that’s all the options for around here other than trying to get one from a car rental company in civilization. But if you are able to find true 4-wheel drive they don’t want you to take it off road (Go figure).
Hope you will consider venturing out with us, but either way enjoy your time out here.
Thanks!
Joe Raffetto, owner
Written March 31, 2018
pfrede352804
Spokane Valley, Washington
We have a party of 5.....any jeep tours of Borrego Slot Canyons that would fit r #'s?
Written March 20, 2018
Hi and thanks for your interest in our adventures! Our public Three-Terrains Tour includes a hike in a beautiful slot canyon (also a dry lake and badlands). That excursion is 5 hours long, includes lunch, and costs $145 per adult and $90 per child (12 and under). The capacity and remaining seats available vary per date, so it's best to look at the calendar on our website to see your options. Usually there is no problem in accommodating 5 people. You could also book a private tour for 5 people. You could include 1 hike in a 2.5-hour trip and 2 hikes in a 5-hour tour. I hope this helps and that we might see you soon!
Written March 24, 2018
absolemn
Oakland, California
Should I be worried about snakes/scorpions/tarantulas when I camp? Does a zippered tent help?
Written August 10, 2015
Hi,
If you're camping in the warmer weather, snakes are a possibility, but I come across 1 to 3 rattlesnakes a year. Scorpions come out at night if the temps are above 68º or so, and there is not too much moonlight. You usually only see tarantulas during mating season from late September to the beginning of November when the males are out looking for females. The good news about them is that they are very mellow and it takes a lot to piss them off enough to bite. Also, all three species of scorpions in California are almost completely non-venomous (unlike a species across the Colorado River).
A zippered tent (or cot) indeed does the trick. You shouldn't have to worry about any of the above. Also they tend to avoid light and activity. Just double check anything left outside the tent in the morning. Happy camping!
Written August 10, 2015
371jen
Cleveland, Ohio
Is this attraction open in early June and if so, how hot does it get?
Written May 29, 2015
Hi Jen,
Thank you for your interest in our adventures. Yes, we are indeed open year round. In June the high temps can range from the low 90s in the early part of the month to close to 110 towards July. The evenings are usually very comfortable. The benefit to coming in the summer is that the Milky Way is visible and at its peak. We run tours early in the morning or have evening excursions including our Sunset-to-Stars excursions which feature a cold dinner and wine (see our calendar when you hit "Book It" on our website). Private tours are also available. Please feel free to email or call with any other questions. Hope to see you!
All the best,
Joe, owner of California Overland
Written May 30, 2015
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