WKNDR × Connect
Guided Experiences
at Joshua Tree National Park
Slow down. Go outside. Connect.
Joshua Tree National Park is a place that rewards slowing down, paying attention, and knowing where to go, and when.
We collaborate with Connect, a trusted local guide, to curate private, exclusive experiences and custom retreats that focus on connecting to nature, fostering an understanding of the natural world and our place in it.
Whether you’re adding a single outing to your stay or planning something more immersive, we’ll help you find the experience that’s right for you.
Choose your adventure
Add a Guided Experience
Best for shorter stays or adding something special to a weekend
Best for guests staying at WKNDR who want the desert to shape the pace of their stay
Plan an Immersive Retreat
Guided experiences
These private experiences fit easily into any Joshua Tree National Park trip and are ideal if you want expert insight and access to quieter routes.
Golden Hour Experience
A guided sunrise or sunset experience where expert timing and local insight, and a quiet route come together to reveal Joshua Tree National Park at its most calm and alive.
$250 for one person, +$40 for each additional person
Private experience · Up to 5 guests
Sunrise or sunset • 2 hours
Desert Stewardship Experience
An interpretive experience focused on desert ecology, conservation, and responsible travel, offering a deeper understanding of how this fragile landscape works and how to protect it.
$325 for one person, +$60 for each additional person
Private experience · Up to 5 guests
Ecology & Conservation Focus · Half Day
Into The Wonderland Experience
A guided exploration through the Wonderland of Rocks, navigating a complex landscape of formations and passages with someone who knows how to move through it safely and thoughtfully.
$325 for one person, +$60 for each additional person
Private experience · Up to 5 guests
Wonderland of Rocks · Half Day
The Hidden Desert Experience
A full-day, expert-led journey into lesser-seen areas of the park, uncovering the plants, wildlife, geology, and subtle systems that most visitors pass right by.
$580 for one person, +$80 for each additional person
Private experience · Up to 5 guests
Deep Desert Exploration · Full Day
Why go with a guide?
Joshua Tree looks approachable, but it’s more complex than most people expect.
Guided experiences help with:
Choosing routes based on current conditions
Navigating less obvious terrain safely
Understanding plants, animals, and geology you’d otherwise miss
Avoiding crowds and poor timing
Meet Your Guide:
Alicia Pike has spent a decade studying the high desert’s geology, flora, fauna, and cultural history. Guests describe her tours as life-changing.
“This was an absolutely legitimately life changing experience.
Ms. Pike was our guide. The depth of her knowledge of geology, flora and fauna, climate, and history was stunning and was presented to us with casual ease and the sense that the knowledge was because of a deep love of the desert. All of the information was presented as fragments of a whole and not merely regurgitated factoids. Her love of Joshua Tree was infectious. Four hours was not enough and even though it was a hot day, I could easily have done four more.
The park is stunning, but without context it can feel somewhat two-dimensional; it’s difficult to make sense of it as an ecosystem.
What Ms. Pike was able to do was to add the third dimension; to point out all of the details and to put everything in the proper context so that the desert becomes even more awesome but also more relatable. She’s also great fun to hang out and chat with.
I cannot recommend the tour highly enough. It literally shifted my word view and helped me to better see my place in it... Don’t hesitate. Book a tour.”
Notes from guests
“Alicia was an outstanding guide! She took my hiking experience in Joshua Tree National Park to the next level, leading to trails and terrain I would never have discovered on my own. Her deep knowledge of the park’s history, geology, and wildlife made every step even more fascinating. Our half-day hike through the Wonderland of Rocks was an unforgettable adventure, and Alicia’s passion for the desert truly shone through. Highly recommend!”
Request availability
Let us know which experience you’re interested in, your dates, and group size. We’ll follow up to confirm availability and next steps.
Looking for a complete desert immersion?
Immersive retreats are thoughtfully designed stays that make it easy to connect — to the landscape, to yourself, and to the people you’re sharing the experience with.
