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.

Shandel Sutherland • January 25, 2023

Copley Press: A Legacy of Journalism and Community in Borrego Springs

The Evolution and Impact of Copley Press

Copley Press played an important role in American journalism for more than a century, with a particularly significant history in San Diego County and Borrego Springs.

The company’s roots date to 1905, when Ira Clifton Copley purchased the Aurora Daily Beacon in Illinois. Over the following decades, Copley expanded his newspaper holdings across Illinois and California, eventually building Copley Press into a major family-owned newspaper organization.

A Long Connection to Borrego Springs

Copley Press became part of Borrego Springs history in 1954, when James S. Copley purchased the Borrego Sun. The newspaper remained under Copley ownership for more than five decades, documenting an important period in the development of the Borrego Valley.

The Copley family's historical connection to Borrego Springs extended beyond publishing. James Copley participated with other community leaders in the development of the de Anza Country Club and later acquired the Desert Lodge through MACOP Corporation. The property was extensively renovated and became La Casa del Zorro, one of Borrego Springs' best-known resorts.

Copley publications also brought attention to the Borrego Valley through newspaper coverage and promotional material highlighting the desert community and its growing tourism industry.

Journalism and Community History

At its height, Copley Press operated newspapers in California and Illinois, with major publications serving generations of readers and documenting local and regional history.

The company remained under family leadership through several generations, including Ira Copley, James S. Copley, Helen K. Copley and David C. Copley.

As the newspaper industry changed, the company gradually sold its publishing properties. The Copley family's long period of newspaper ownership concluded with the sale of the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2009.

The Copley Era of the Borrego Sun

The decades of Copley ownership represent an important chapter in the history of the Borrego Sun.

Issues published during that period provide a detailed record of Borrego Springs as the community developed, preserving stories about its residents, businesses, organizations, environment, tourism and civic life.

Today, preservation of the Borrego Sun historical record is a separate, contemporary effort. The newspaper archives, dating from 1949 to the present, were transferred to the San Diego History Center in 2025 for long-term preservation and research access.

The Copley-era newspapers are an important part of that historical collection, alongside issues produced before and after Copley ownership.

Copley Press Publishers

Ira Clifton Copley — Founder and president until 1942
A. W. Shipton — 1942–1947
James S. Copley — 1947–1973
Helen K. Copley — 1973–2001
David C. Copley — 2001–2009

An Important Chapter in Borrego History

For Borrego Springs, the Copley years represent a notable period in the community's history. Through ownership of the Borrego Sun and involvement in several early Borrego developments, the Copley name became closely associated with an era of growth and change in the valley.

The newspapers produced during those decades now serve as an important historical record, helping document the people, events and institutions that shaped Borrego Springs.