Things to Do at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
One of the Best California Desert Vacations From Late Fall Through Early Spring
There is truly no better time to visit California’s unique desert landscapes than from the late fall through early spring. The scorching summer temperatures give way to warm, breezy days with cool, crisp nights. Evenings are filled with clear, star-studded skies and the silence of the desert envelopes you in a land of mystery and mystique.
If you’re looking for a park to visit, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is probably one of the most underrated, unique desert landscapes around, just 80 miles north west of San Diego. The park is known for its stunning wild flower blooms and desolate stretches of wildlands.
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ABOUT THE PARK:
With over 585,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California and includes 1/5 of San Diego County. In fact, the park is so vast is stretches into neighboring Imperial and Riverside counties. There are 110 miles of hiking trails and 500 miles of dirt roads to explore.
Anza-Borrego is part of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Biosphere reserves are learning areas where local communities and the areas under protection work together on conservation efforts of the area’s landscapes, ecosystems and species; sustainable development; and logistical support like research.
It is also one of the few designated International Dark Sky Communities in the world which means it has taken efforts to promote responsible lighting and dark sky stewardship making it an incredible park for star gazing with minimal light pollution. If you have not gazed up at a night sky at Anza-Borrego, you don’t know what you’re missing.
WHERE TO STAY:
Hotels & Resorts
There are a few hotels and resorts located directly in Borrego Springs including the following:
Borrego Springs Resort & Spa, 1112 Tilting T Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004; (760) 767-5700
Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa - Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs CA 92262; (888) 999-1995
Borrego Valley Inn, 405 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004; (760) 767-0311
If you are looking for something a little more upscale, there are also plenty of hotels and resorts about 1-1/2 hours away in neighboring Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Some suggestions include:
Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, 41000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270; (760) 568-2727
Classic Club Hotels-Resorts, 75200 Classic Club Boulevard, Palm Desert, CA 92211; (760) 601-3600
Vacation Rentals
There are vacation rentals available through Airbnb or Vrbo. However, if you’re looking for something more luxurious, contact Luxsy Palm Springs, a boutique management company that offers high end estate rentals to vacationers in the neighboring area.
Camping
Anza-Borrego State Park has several developed campgrounds - Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, Tamarisk Grove Campground and Vern Whitaker Horse Camp. Sites within the state park must be reserved through Reserve California and book up fast so be sure to reserve them early. Booking can be made up to 6 months in advance.
There are several primitive campgrounds in the area including Peg Leg, Culp Valley, Arroyo Salad, Blair Valley, Yaqui Pass, Yaqui Well, Bow Willow, Mt. Palm Springs and Fish Creek.
The park also offers dispersed backcountry camping. When backcountry camping, your vehicle must be parked no more than one car length off the road (although you are free to walk in further to set up camp) and you must be at least 100 yards from any water source.
Photo courtesy of my friend and photographer Spencer Pablo
WEATHER:
Anza-Borrego is a desert climate where temperatures can easily reach 100 degrees from May through September. It is also a very dry climate where vegetation is sparse in most areas, and shade can be hard to find. Typically, the best time to visit is in the late fall through early spring when the climate is milder with warm days and cool nights.
Below is a list of average temperatures by month.
January- 66°F / 41°F
February - 70°F / 44°F
March - 76°F / 48°F
April - 82°F / 51°F
May - 90°F / 58°F
June - 100°F / 66°F
July - 104°F / 73°F
August - 103°F / 73°F
September - 98°F / 67°F
October - 87°F / 58°F
November - 75°F / 48°F
December - 66°F / 41°F
BORREGO DAYS DESERT FESTIVAL:
One of the best reasons to visit Anza-Borrego in the late fall is because this is when the city of Borrego Springs hosts its annual Borrego Days Desert Festival, a family-friendly weekend festival that kicks off with a fun, home-town parade full of elaborate floats, horses, cowboys, local bands and dancers. There is also a street fair that takes place all weekend. The fair includes a carnival fun zone full of activities for kids like face painting, a beer garden, vendor booths, live music and food.
The festival typically takes place in October on the weekend right before Halloween and admission is free. It is located at 786 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, California 92004.
Photo courtesy of Borrego Springs Film Festival . For more information on the festival, visit the festival’s website and Instagram page.
ANNUAL BORREGO SPRINGS FILM FESTIVAL
Since the 1920s, over 60 films have been shot in the Anza-Borrego area. So, in January of each year, the community hosts the Borrego Springs Film Festival at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center to celebrate its cinematic past. The volunteer-run festival features a variety of genres including dramas, comedies and animations. It also includes meet and greets and Q&A sessions.
The Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center is located at 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, California 92004. For more information, visit its website or call (760) 767-4275.
SPRING TIME WILD FLOWER BLOOMS:
Each year, people flock to Anza-Borrego in the spring in hopes of catching a glimpse of the wildflower blooms. Although you can typically find flowers all over the park and in the city of Borrego Springs, some of the best areas to view them are near the Visitor Center and along Henderson Canyon Road or Borrego Palm Canyon. Although, the first wildflowers sometimes start popping up in mid-February, the peak time to view the super blooms are usually mid-March through April.
Photo courtesy of photographer Elliott McGucken.
Late season rains and higher annual precipitation help blooms last longer, but the earlier the area experiences higher temperatures in a given year, the quicker the blooms disappear. Typically, the peak lasts only around 3 weeks and can be hard to predict.
MORE THINGS TO DO:
Borrego Palm Canyon Trail - Hike the Borrego Palm Canyon Trial, an easy walk from the Visitor Center, to a an oasis in the middle of dry, arid desert where palm trees flourish and endangered big horn sheep come to drink.
These sheep have split hooves and amazing balance that allow them to stand on ledges only 2 inches wide, jump 20 feet at a time and scale mountains at 15 mph.
Galleta Meadows
Just outside the park lies Galleta Meadows, a privately owned estate that is open to the public and home to over 130 metal art sculptures by artist Ricardo Breceda. These sculptures include dinosaurs, a giant scorpion versus cricket display, and a colossal sand serpent that stretches over 350 feet long. For a map of these incredible sculptures, click here.
Erosion Road Driving Tour - Drive the Erosion Road Driving Tour, a one-way, approximately 20-mile long self-guided tour that starts at the Visitor Center taking you into the heart of the park along County Road S-22 (Borrego-Salton Sea Way) through the spectacular Borrego Badlands. There are 12 stops along the way with beautiful viewpoints, interesting geology and historical significance. The drive takes about an hour.
Font’s Point - The first stop along the Erosion Road Driving Tour is the turn off to Font’s Point, a spot with an incredible view overlooking the Borrego Badlands that is stunning at sunrise or sunset. It’s also an incredible spot under a full moon.
You will need a 4-wheel drive to access this section of the park by vehicle to avoid getting stuck in deep sand. If you decide to hike to Font’s Point from the main road, the trail is a 7.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back good for all skill levels.
The Slot - About 15 miles outside of Borrego Springs is The Slot, a narrow siltstone slot canyon that is an easy short hike and usually not crowded. It’s also great because it offers some shade as you hike down into the cooler canyon. To get there from Christmas Circle, head southeast on Borrego Springs Road for 11.5 miles. Turn left on CA-78 and drive 1.5 miles. Then make a left (north) on a dirt road marked Buttes Pass. Drive a mile to the fork and take a left up Borrego Mountain Wash, It’s about another mile to a parking area with a trailhead at the end. Even low clearance vehicles should be able to make it and it’s not necessary to have 4-wheel drive. Note: you will see a wide path descending into the canyon. This is NOT the way. Take the narrow steep-looking track that drops right off the rim of the ravine, straight ahead from where you park. The trail is steep at first but over all is only a drop of 100 feet in elevation and a pretty easy hike.
Star Gazing - Anza-Borrego is the second designated International Dark Sky Community in the world making it the perfect spot to star gaze. Time a visit during a new moon, and the sky will dazzle you as it lights up after the sun drops below the horizon.
TIPS FOR VISITING
Anza-Borrego is a dry desert landscape. Stay hydrated, bring plenty of water and seek out shade if you start to overheat. When hiking in moderate temperatures, have at least 1 liter of water for every hour you plan on being out. Bring more for hotter weather or when hiking strenuous trails. To read more about the dangers of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, click here.
Like all deserts, temperature shifts can happen in an instant and weather changes can be dramatic. Always dress in layers and bring a light weight jacket when hiking even if it feels hot out.
Ground fires in the park are prohibited. Fires must be contained in a fire pit or off the ground.
Cell phone service is unreliable and often non-existent inside the park. Always bring a map when venturing out into the wilderness or when driving in remote stretches of the park.
Anza-Borrego is home to big horn sheep, mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. Do not approach, feed or touch any wildlife. View them from a respectful distance and do not block their path. It is also home to venomous rattlesnakes. Although these snakes are not aggressive, give them plenty of room and do not disturb them.
Much of the desert vegetation has thorns and spines for protection so be mindful of this when hiking through brush. Stay on designated trails.
Try to plan your visit during a new moon when the skies are extra dark for the best star gazing.
If you visit in the summer, bring an umbrella to hike with. It will provide much needed shade. It gets extremely hot in the summer and there is not a lot of natural shade around.
