Meet your guide and small group in Black Canyon City, Arizona, located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Phoenix. Climb into your jeep to begin your off-road adventure in the dramatic Sonoran Desert. Ride in your 4x4 vehicle up steep canyons and through dry creek beds framed by the Bradshaw Mountains and fields of Saguaro, Ocotillo and Jumping Cholla cactii.

Get out of your jeep for a short, easy hike through a Cholla cactus forest. See some of the 1,800 types of plants that live in the Sonoran Desert, many of them nurtured by nutrients from now-dormant volcanoes. Keep your eyes open for wildlife; 70 percent of the animal species in North America can be found here.

Back in your jeep, continue your ride up rugged mountain roads for exquisite views of the surrounding peaks and valley below. Learn more about the geology, history and plant and animal life of this stunning region from your passionate guide. Your 2-hour ride through the Sonoran Desert ends in Black Canyon City.