Company History
Mary & Charlie Dungans founded Desert Adventures in 1988 to fulfill the growing need for exciting things to do in Palm Springs other than play golf and tennis.
They conceived the idea of offering entertaining, educational jeep tours into the desert after a visit to Arizona and a ride on the famed Pink Jeep Tours.
Within four months of getting the idea, Desert Adventures was born with an initial fleet of three used vehicles and a capacity of nine passengers. The tours were a success from the beginning, and by the second year the capacity had grown to 35 tour seats, and clients were coming back for more!
Today, Desert Adventures offers tours and events at our 840 acre private METATE RANCH as well as other areas in the valley such as jeep tours to the Mecca Hills and bus and hiking tours throughout the valley. Our jeep fleet has grown to 15 7-passenger Jeep Scramblers (CJ-8's) and we can accommodate up to 100 people at a time on jeep tours (larger groups can be accommodated using multiple rounds).
In addition, we have expanded our services to include bus tours, hiking tours, team building programs, parties, special events, wedding planning, and more. Check out our Group Tours and Group Events section to learn about the wide variety of programs we currently offer for groups of 20 to 1,000 people.
In 2010, Mary and Charlie decided it was time to hang up the jeep keys and retire. They were thrilled to sell the company to their daughter, Kimberly Nilsson (who had served as the General Manager of the company since 2004) and her business partner, Bob Schneider.
Kim brings almost 20 years experience working in the hospitality and tourism industries in the Palm Springs area as well as a strong background in social psychology.
Bob is a seasoned marketing executive who has worked with Fortune 500 brands for over 30 years creating integrated marketing campaigns. Career highlights include 13 years at Frankel & Co. in Chicago working on the McDonald's account where he managed the account and oversaw a staff of 90 people. Bob spent 10 years at Warner Bros. studio in corporate marketing promoting a vast array of brands and movies.
Over the years, Desert Adventures has become a leader in the eco-adventure and tourism industry. This leadership has developed from a combination of unique factors, including:
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Eco-adventures that are authentic, entertaining, and specific to the geographic area
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Exclusive, private tour and special event areas
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Unique positioning and on-going support from the corporate group market
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Strong strategic alliances with local tourism agencies and Destination Management Companies as well as national and international group and corporate meeting planners
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Investment in career development and additions of key people to drive new products forward
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The ability to adjust to market conditions and meet client's needs quickly
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A superior product and happy clients
We believe that "our clients are easily satisfied with the very best" which is what Desert Adventures' delivers. We pride ourselves on exceeding customer expectations by providing exceptional service, the best fleet of custom built classic Jeep Scramblers in the country, outstanding party venues, amazing guides, and unsurpassed service and attention to detail.