Best Things to do in Borrego Springs
About Borrego Springs
A land for all seasons, Borrego Springs is a year-round destination that offers a unique experience each and every time you come: expansive desert vistas framed by stark, ancient cliffs; miles of emptiness that are, in fact, teeming with wildlife; endlessly dramatic desert skies that can be sweeping across the landscape one minute and hovering in absolute stillness the next; a peace and quiet that cannot be understood without experiencing it and, at night, a darkness that defies description. These are experiences Borrego visitors discover and these are the reasons people come back again and again.
Of course, there is as little or as much to do in Borrego Springs as you are willing to contemplate. Soaking up the magnificent scenery is an admirable full time occupation and can be accomplished on foot, by car, on horseback, in an off-road caravan or from the air. If you are game for more, there is tennis, golf, shopping, music, galleries, hiking, cycling, photography, bird watching, sunning, swimming, star gazing, and even time travel, if you include the prehistoric animals of Galleta Meadows in your wanderings.
You can explore Borrego on your own or you can access this truly magical locale with the help of an experienced guide ? either way, you will be amazed, astounded, awe struck. And, while a two night stay is a good beginning for your first trip, be prepared for the effect of this adventure to last a lifetime!
Here are some of the ?must dos? in Borrego:
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Borrego Springs is the country?s only community completely surrounded by a state park. Encompassing more than 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park® is the largest state park in California, the largest desert state park in the United States, and is a UNESCO conservation designated World Biosphere Reserve. With over 500 miles of dirt road, 12 wilderness areas and 110 miles of riding and hiking trails, Borrego visitors are provided an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the desert. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors are treated with regular sightings of roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer, bighorn sheep (the meaning of the word ?borrego?) and, of course, the occasional rattler!
Auto Tours-Self Guided If you are interested in striking out on your own, the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center, 200 Palm Canyon Drive, 760-767-4205, sells a great map of the whole park that designates a dozen or more sites and attractions. Some you really want to experience are Font?s Point (especially at sunset), Southern Emigrant Trail, Erosion Road, Vista del Malpais, Coyote Canyon and the Calcite Mine.
Walking & Hiking A few of the trails you might decide to explore are Visitor Center Trail, Pena Spring Trail, Culp Valley Lookout Point Trail, Narrows Earth Trail, and Inspiration Point. Again, the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center is the best resource for maps and trail information.