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 • May 27, 2026

Sorting Through History: The Borrego Sun

Preserving History, One Box at a Time

RAM Media Foundation is honored to continue the legacy of the Borrego Sun, a newspaper that has documented life in Borrego Springs since 1949.

As we carefully sort through decades of photographs, film reels, office records, festival materials, newspapers, and personal collections connected to the paper, we are constantly reminded that the history of Borrego Springs was built by people who believed in this desert, loved this community, and worked hard to help it grow.

We want to recognize the generations of residents, writers, photographers, business owners, volunteers, supporters, and community leaders who found Borrego Springs, built it, preserved it, and continue supporting it today.

Part of this historic process includes separating and preparing materials connected to the official Borrego Sun archive acquisition by the San Diego History Center, where important historical records will be preserved as part of the permanent historical record of Borrego Springs and the surrounding desert communities.

At the same time, many items remain with RAM Media Foundation as part of the continuing living legacy of the Borrego Sun. These include materials we are actively organizing, identifying, preserving, and preparing to eventually share with the community through future displays, storytelling projects, and local media efforts.

1984 Bluebooks, 1990s Borrego Days booklets, journalism awards, handwritten notes, photographs, Copley-branded items, film reels, and countless pieces of Borrego Springs history continue to surface as the archives are carefully sorted and preserved.

This is an honor, and it is being taken as such.

Along the way, we have been reconnecting with past employees and families, sharing discoveries, identifying meaningful items, and making sure special personal pieces find their way back to the people connected to them whenever possible. Every box seems to reveal another story waiting to be told.

The kindness, generosity, and consideration shown throughout this process have meant more than words can express.

Those involved wanted this to happen — and it did. The journey over the past 3 years has become a story of its own, and the investment and trust behind it is beyond words.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who cared for this history, helped guide the process, and continues to support the future of the Borrego Sun and Borrego Springs.

There is still much work ahead, and we look forward to sharing the larger story soon.

If you have stories, photographs, memories, questions, comments, or historical information connected to the Borrego Sun or Borrego Springs history, please reach out. We welcome support in many forms as we continue preserving and sharing the stories that helped shape Borrego Springs for future generations.

A Growing Media Network Under Ram Media Foundation

Under RAM Media Foundation, the Borrego Sun, GoToBorregoSprings.com, and KRAM 90.5 FM are becoming a stronger community media network.

GoToBorregoSprings.com, now connected with BorregoSun.com, is helping local content grow toward nearly 10,000 views a month and over 5400 active users (and growing!) through stories, events, tourism information, social media, and daily updates.

Through regular station identification, listeners across the greater San Diego media market hear “Borrego Springs” multiple times an hour as KRAM 90.5 FM brings KPBS, NPR, and public media access to the Borrego Valley.

Together, these platforms create new opportunities for daily local coverage, community storytelling, public media access, and youth internships in journalism, media, and digital communication.

RAM Media Foundation remains committed to daily updates, preserving local history, expanding access to community information, and serving Borrego Springs and the surrounding desert communities every day.