How big is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?

More than 600,000 acres, or roughly 1,000 square miles. It is the largest state park in California and the third largest in the United States, spanning parts of San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties.

How much does it cost to enter Anza-Borrego?

Day use is $10 per vehicle, collected at the Visitor Center, developed campgrounds and several popular trailheads including The Slot and Hellhole Canyon. The park has no entrance gates and much of it can be accessed without a fee.

When is wildflower season at Anza-Borrego?

Annual wildflowers can appear from January through mid-April, with peak bloom most often between late February and early April. Timing varies year to year based on rainfall and temperature.

Is Anza-Borrego a Dark Sky Park?

Yes. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2018 at Silver tier. Borrego Springs, the town at its center, has been an International Dark Sky Community since 2009, the first in California.

Do I need four-wheel drive at Anza-Borrego?

Not for the paved roads, the Visitor Center or the main campgrounds. The vast majority of the park's roughly 500 miles of dirt roads do require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park open at night?

Yes, the park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The Visitor Center is open daily 9am to 5pm October through May, and weekends and holidays only June through September.

Andrea McKenna • July 9, 2026

A Siesta at Christmas Circle in 1966 | Historic Borrego Sun

A 1966 Borrego Sun photo offers a glimpse of Christmas Circle during one of Borrego Valley's busy wildflower seasons.

Published in the April 2, 1966 edition, the image shows visitors relaxing on the lawn near the iconic fountain after spending time exploring the desert in bloom.

The original caption reads:

SIESTA — One can get pretty hot and tired, looking at the wildflowers in Borrego Valley. Christmas Circle, with its inviting fountain, trees and green grass, is a nice place to take a break. This is the way it has been during the last few weekends.

The photograph captures a quiet moment in Borrego Springs history, preserving the way visitors experienced Christmas Circle nearly 60 years ago. Images like this continue to document the community's past through the pages of the Borrego Sun archives.

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These documents are part of the Borrego Sun materials acquired by Ram Media Foundation. The Borrego Sun archives are being preserved and digitized by the San Diego History Center, ensuring that decades of Borrego Springs history will be preserved for future generations.

To support the future of local media and preserve the past, please contact Andrea at andrea@rammediafoundation.org

Learn More About Borrego Springs

Old Borego Opens Its Doors for History Preservation Day

By Andrea McKenna • November 9, 2026

The Borrego Springs Civic Foundation opened Old Borego for History Preservation Day, with vintage Borrego Sun front pages, Denny DuVall and student essays.

St. Richard Catholic Church, Borrego Springs

Help Save St. Richard Catholic Church in Borrego Springs

By Andrea McKenna • November 8, 2026

St. Richard Catholic Church in Borrego Springs has served the desert for more than 70 years. Now the parish and Christ the King Mission need help to stay open.

The Old Chevron Station at Yaqui Pass: Norris Bakko’s Corner

By Andrea McKenna • November 4, 2026

The old Chevron station across from La Casa del Zorro has stories

Bill Wright: Borrego's Champion

By Andrea McKenna • November 3, 2026

Two neighbors, one town, and decades of giving back: how Bill and Jenny Wright helped build the library, the concerts, the scholarships and so much more in Borrego Springs.

Borrego, November 1949: Ten Cents a Copy

By Andrea McKenna • November 2, 2026

Actor Jon Hall, Borrego’s new honorary marshal (center), with the October 1949 Borrego Sun at the opening of Hoberg’s Desert Resort. From left: Sun publisher Paul Strand, Paramount starlet Mari Blanchard, actress Beverly Tyler and Jack Benson of Benson Tours. Photo by Gaylord Johnson, Borrego Sun, November 1949. Courtesy of the Fred Jee Collection.

Old Borego Open House Celebrates the Valley’s Historic Heart

By Martha Deichler • October 31, 2026

Please join the Civic Foundation for its annual Old Borego Days celebration No, Borrego is not misspelled in the title above. This is the way Borrego was spelled back in 1928, when the first post office opened in what is now called “Old Borego.” The site is located at 1580 Rango Way. Please join the Civic Foundation for its annual Old Borego Days celebration of the historic heart of the Borrego Valley on Sunday, November 8, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The turnoff from Rango Way will be marked with a sign. Please note that no restrooms are available. Visitors will be able to enter the old post office and general store, originally run by Eslie Wynn, and view a fascinating video from the 1950s extolling the virtues of life in Borrego Springs. One of the first homes in Borrego Springs will also be open for public viewing, offering a nostalgic look back at life in the community’s earlier years. In addition, Borrego Springs Elementary School fourth graders, who study California history, will have their essays on display. Three students will receive awards for their writing on “Borego Now and Then.” Ram Media Foundation, the nonprofit behind the Borrego Sun, will also share display items from its archive, offering another glimpse into the valley’s past. Old Borego Days Sunday, November 8, 2026 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. 1580 Rango Way, Borrego Springs

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