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 • June 30, 2026

Queen Beatrix's 1982 Visit to Borrego Springs

The Dutch monarch’s quiet visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park remained largely unknown until months later.

A December 19, 1982, story in The San Diego Union documented a little-known visit by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who quietly traveled to Borrego Springs during a U.S. trip earlier that year.

Queen Beatrix had become monarch of the Netherlands in 1980 following the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana. In 1982, she visited the United States as part of events recognizing 200 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Netherlands, making stops in several states before her visit to Borrego Springs.

While in Borrego Springs, the Queen and her party toured the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center, where they viewed exhibits featuring cacti, desert bighorn sheep, and panoramic scenes of the Santa Rosa Mountains.

The visit was intentionally kept private. According to the newspaper, the Queen and her party entered and left the valley without publicity, and the community kept the visit confidential. It was only months later that details became public.

Although Queen Beatrix did not sign the Visitor Center guest register, a member of her party, Adriana Juander Graaf, signed on behalf of the group, listing an address in The Hague, The Netherlands. Volunteer Rose Dankjessen was on duty during the visit, and Mrs. Joe "Catherine" Stone later confirmed the June 20, 1982, date by checking the official register.

The story also noted Borrego Springs' growing international appeal. Visitor Center volunteers reported that more than half of their summer visitors were from Europe, despite temperatures reaching 110 degrees.

Today, the archived newspaper account preserves a unique piece of Borrego Springs history, documenting the day a reigning European monarch quietly visited California's largest state park and one of its most remote desert communities.

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These documents are part of the Borrego Sun materials acquired by Ram Media Foundation. Separately, 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 through Ram Media Foundation, please contact Andrea at andrea@rammediafoundation.org.

Learn More About Borrego Springs

A Yacht Club in the Borrego Desert

By Andrea McKenna • September 28, 2026

Borrego Springs Yacht Club Brings Model Sailboat Racing to Rams Hill Borrego Springs is home to an unusual desert pastime: model yacht racing. The Borrego Springs Yacht Club was founded in 2010 by Steve Luckman and Dennis Daoust. The club has grown to about 40 members and operates at a pond on the former nine-hole golf course at Rams Hill. Members race V32 sailboats, 32-inch non-motorized model boats controlled remotely through their sails and rudders. The boats were manufactured in California for decades but are no longer in production. Races typically draw 16 to 20 boats, with courses marked by duck decoys used as buoys. The racing season runs from November through May, although members can practice throughout the year. Six club events are held during the season, including Opening Day in November, the Pacific Cap in January, the Invitational in February, the Misplace Race in March, the Powder Puff in April and the Tequila Bowl in May. Winners receive trophies that are held until the next event. The club also maintains a palapa-style clubhouse and hillside seating overlooking the pond, providing space for members and spectators during race days. Membership was listed at $250 per year. The Borrego Springs Yacht Club offers a distinctive local version of sailing, combining competition, model boat craftsmanship and community activity in the desert. If you have any interest, contact Dennis Daoust at captain-havoc@earthlink.net .

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$1.6 billion, 150-mile power line gets strong pushback from residents

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By Phil Brigandi • September 13, 2026

This column first ran ahead of the 50th annual Pegleg Smith Liars Contest in April 1998. Phil Brigandi, a longtime desert historian and four-time contest winner, died in 2019.

Borrego Springs and the Famous San Diego Chicken!

By Gabriel Wisdom, Ram Media Foundation • September 12, 2026

Borrego’s Bill Lawrence joined a sold-out San Diego History Center event celebrating Ted Giannoulas, The Famous San Diego Chicken, and the mascot’s remarkable 50-year legacy.

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Old Borego Open House Celebrates the Valley’s Historic Heart

By Martha Deichler • September 4, 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.” Old Borego Days Sunday, November 8, 2026 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. 1580 Rango Way, Borrego Springs