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 4, 2026

Road Tripping to Borrego Valley in 1939 | Historic Borrego Sun

Vintage collage of off-road vehicles, a mounted rider, and desert scenes with trees and rocky terrain

A December 1939 travel magazine captured Borrego Valley as one of Southern California's emerging desert destinations.

One of the many historic items preserved with the Borrego Sun collection is a rare issue of Motor and Outing Magazine, published by the Los Angeles Examiner on Sunday, December 3, 1939.

The "Motor and Outing Magazine" was a popular recurring Sunday supplement distributed in the Los Angeles Examiner during the mid-20th century. It primarily featured regional travel guides, automotive lifestyle stories, and outdoor recreational content showcasing destinations and weekend trips across Southern California.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was officially established by the State of California in 1933.

This particular page shows how Borrego Valley was presented to Southern California travelers in 1939. The accompanying caption describes the valley as “a spectacular cactus scene” and notes that it was part of Anza Desert State Park, highlighting the desert’s seasonal beauty with “spring flowers” blooming in winter. Nearly 90 years later, the image offers a rare glimpse of Borrego as an early desert destination promoted to motorists exploring Southern California by car.

The photographs in the feature are credited to John H. C. Stingle, who documented several scenic locations throughout San Diego County for the publication.

Historic items like this help tell the story of how Borrego Springs was introduced to visitors long before it became the community we know today. They provide a unique glimpse into early tourism, desert travel, and the publications that showcased the region's beauty nearly 90 years ago.

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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

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 .

The History of The Mall in Borrego Springs

By Andrea McKenna • September 22, 2026

Mid-century design and a community vision that began in 1965.

Pegleg Pointers: A 1998 Look at the Pegleg Smith Liars Contest | Historic Borrego Sun

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.

The Two Mile Radio Telescope on Clark's Dry Lake | Historic Borrego Sun

By Andrea McKenna • September 6, 2026

Learn about the historic Two Mile Radio Telescope on Clark's Dry Lake, built in 1961 for deep space research. Read more about its legacy!

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