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.

East County News Service • May 18, 2026

Mount Laguna Observatory summer visitors program starts

May 17, 2026 (Mount Laguna) — Star parties are back at Mount Laguna with the return of the Summer Visitors Program at the Mount Laguna Observatory.

The public programs will be held on Saturday nights from 8 to 11 p.m., May 23 through August 15, with a special bonus mid-week viewing scheduled for Wednesday, August 12.

Operated by the San Diego State University Department of Astronomy in partnership with the United States Forest Service, the outreach initiative has been connecting the public with the cosmos in various forms since the observatory’s dedication in 1968.

According to Dr. Robert Quimby, MLO Director and Professor in the SDSU Department of Astronomy, each event will feature a public lecture at the Harrington Visitors Center. If weather permits, the lecture will be followed by direct stargazing through the observatory’s 0.5-meter (21-inch) Reginald Buller telescope. While MLO boasts larger instruments for deep-space science, the Buller telescope is specifically dedicated to instructional use and public outreach.

Nestled in the Cleveland National Forest roughly 45 miles east of downtown San Diego, MLO sits at an elevation of 6,100 feet. The site is highly regarded by astronomers for its pristine dark skies, exceptional atmospheric conditions, and vital distance from city light pollution.

Beyond its public outreach, MLO is a premier research and training facility.

The mountain hosts an impressive array of cutting-edge technology, including the 1.25-meter Phillips Claud Telescope, which is used alongside the observatory’s 1.0-meter and 0.6-meter Clifford Smith telescopes to collect critical data on the age of and distance to star clusters.

MLO also houses one of only two EvryScopes in the world. This specialized multi-camera array monitors the entire accessible sky simultaneously, making it an exceptional tool for detecting stellar activity and eclipsing binaries (co-orbiting star systems).

Because the observatory is a functioning research station located in a rugged forest environment, organizers emphasize that safety and preparation are paramount for attendees.

Visitors are advised to bring a small flashlight and park at the lower visitors parking lot located on Morris Ranch Road, follow the short trail from the parking lot to Observatory Road, and from there, look for the white dashes painted on the ground and follow them for a quarter-mile uphill to the Harrington Visitors Center. Note that visitors must remain on the designated road at all times.

Morris Ranch Road is located off Sunrise Highway (S1) between mile markers 21.5 and 22, directly across from the Wooded Hill Campground sign.

All stargazing events are weather-permitting. For daily operational updates, weather delays, or cancellations, visitors should call the observatory hotline at (619) 594-1415 before making the drive up the mountain.