Park Visitor's Center
200 Palm Canyon Drive
Borrego Springs, CA 92004
760-767-4205

Open October through May, daily 9-5
During the summer months of June-Sept,
open weekends & Holidays only.

Park Info by Radio: 1610 AM.

Park info on the Web: www.parks.ca.gov

Park Headquarters: 760-767-5311

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five-hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California Desert. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake. Listening devices for the hearing impaired are available in the visitor center.

Please check our new “Wildflower Update” page at www.parks.ca.gov to get the latest information about the bloom including where the best places are to visit and images of the flowers.

More about the Park
Most visitors approach from the east via Highways S22, S2, or 78. Visitors from San Diego via Highways 79 and 78 have the added pleasure of driving through the mountainous Cuyamaca Rancho State Park--quite a different experience from Anza-Borrego. The highways from the east climb to 2,400 feet or so and then descend about 2,000 feet to the valley. Where the highway breaks out of the highcountry vegetation, it reveals the great bowl of the Anza-Borrego desert. The valley spreads below, and there are mountains all around. The highest are to the north: the Santa Rosa Mountains. The mountains are a wilderness, with no paved roads in or out or through. They have the only all-year-flowing watercourse in the park. They are the home of the peninsular bighorn sheep, often called desert bighorn.

The State Park System was founded by caring, concerned and actively involved people. Such individuals continue to play a significant role for State Parks. There are many ways to get involved. Individuals or groups can volunteer, join a local cooperating association or join one of the many support organizations that help California State Parks.

The State Park System has two major programs to facilitate your involvement the Volunteers in Parks Program and the Cooperating Associations Program.

SEE MORE on our website, updated regularly with news and observations: www.parks.ca.gov

Bow Willow + Mountain Palm Springs
Deep Desert Quiet is what greets the Bow Willow and Mountain Palm Springs visitor. Primitive campgrounds are first-come first-served. Both have chemical toilets, while Bow Willow has water available.

The Trails in this area are a casual trails. They are not fully developed nor maintained. Some trails change with rainfall. Hikers should be aware that they are hiking in a rugged area and may want a detailed map and compass.

Trails include the 1/2 mile round-trip to Mary’s Grove, 1 mile round-trip to Pygmy Grove, 2 mile round-trip to southwest Grove, and 2 mile round-trip to the Palm Bowl.

Blair Valley Area
A great area for primitive camping, the roads in Blair Valley are usually accessible by two wheel drive vehicles. There are no facilities and no water is available beyond the main road entrance to the valley.

Hiking Trails include the .4 mile round-trip mortreros trail, leading to Indian grinding holes, the 2 mile round-trip hike to Ghost Mountain (former home of the Marshal South Family), and the 2 mile round-trip Pictograph Trail which can be extended to 3 miles by hiking to the Smuggler’s Canyon overlook.

Tamarisk Grove
Centrally located, Tamarisk Grove Campground offers shade, pay showers, and 27 reservable campsites. Nearby Yaqui Well Campground is a primitive camping area with pit toilets and no water. Wildlife abounds near this natural spring.

Trails in this area include the 1 mile Cactus Loop, 1-6 mile round-trip Yaqui Well Nature Trail and the 1 mile Bill Kenyon Trail Loop.

Wildflowers
Many visitors come to the desert to experience the ephemeral wild flower bloom. Each year, rain, sun, wind, and temperature combine to make nature’s gorgeous display of spring wildflowers. Some years, the combination makes for a spectacular show, while other years yeild scarcely a blossom. Because it is impossible to predict each year’s timing and abundance, we offer the following Wildflower Notification services: Send us a self-addressed, stamped postcard and we will send it back two weeks before the peak of this year’s bloom with the latest news. Mail it to: Wildflowers, 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Desert Safety: Be Prepared!

Carry water & drink it. Do not save water for the trip home. Turn around when your water is half gone.

Make sure your vehicle is desert-ready. Carry tools, water, etc. for emergency use. Will you be comfortable if you have to spend a night or two in your car?

Make sure you’re ready. Temperatures can reach 125o in the summer, or drop below freezing in the winter. Do you have extra clothes, food and water for a night out in the desert?

Make a plan. Let a friend know where you are going and when you will return. Give them a description of your vehicle and it’s license plate number.

Stay with your vehicle if there is a problem, and put the hood up to signal for help. If you must hike out, wait until the cool of evening.

Anza-Borrego State Park Rules & Regulations:

Natural & Cultural Features: All features of the park are protected by law. Nothing may be disturbed or removed. This includes rocks, plant materials, reptiles, native American artifacts, and fossils. Do not destroy or deface these fragile areas; help preserve our history and the desert’s beauty. Pack out all trash. Take pictures! Leave only footprints.

Campfires: No ground fires allowed. All fires must be kept in a metal container that completely contains the fire. Ashes and other debris must be taken with you. Gathering of firewood is prohibited.

Firearms: While in the park, firearms must be unloaded, inoperative, in a case, and kept in your vehicle at all times. No hunting or target shooting is allowed within the park.

Dogs: Dogs must be kept on a six foot leash, under your control at all times. Dogs are allowed on roads and in campgrounds, but not on foot trails or in any natural area.

Vehicles: All vehicles must be highway legal and must remain on established roads, paved or primitive. OHV’s are encouraged to visit nearby Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Bicycles: Bikes are allowed on all established and primitive roads only. Bikes are not allowed on foot and hiking trails. Cross country travel is not permitted.

Equestrians: Equestrians are welcome on all primitive roads, marked equestrian trails in Coyote Canyon and on the California Riding and Hiking Trail. Remember, horses are excluded from all hiking trails. Cross country travel is not permitted.