State Park

Fall marks the beginning of desert season in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

With over 600,000 acres, Anza- Borrego is the largest desert state park in the United States. The park name is a combination of the name of the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word “borrego,” which refers to the bighorn sheep that are often spotted on the rugged
mountainsides above Borrego Springs.

The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is part of the Colorado Desert and includes portions of San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties. It averages 600,000 visitors a year, and temperatures can be extreme in both the summer and the winter. Wearing layers of clothing and keeping plenty of water is recommended.

The Anza-Borrego State Park is open year-round, and the main visitor center is located two miles west of downtown Borrego Springs, at the east end of Palm Canyon Road.

The center is near a desert garden that provides a concentrated look at the variety of flora that can be found in the park. The facility is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily October through May.

The Visitor Center features a bookstore, a museum presentation of the park’s history and a slide show on an hourly basis. Detailed topographic maps are also available at the center. Visitors are responsible for knowing the park rules and regulations. By following these rules you can help
preserve the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s unique beauty.

There are several hiking trails to choose from in the state park, as well as 500 miles of primitive routes and paved roads. Travel is allowed on designated routes, and cross country driving or biking is not allowed. All vehicles must be highway legal, and drivers must have a license to drive in the state park. The exception is at Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, where underage, unlicensed drivers can drive with the supervision of a licensed driver.

All bicycles are restricted to paved and dirt roads, and are not allowed on hiking trails. For more information on hiking and travel in the Anza-Borrego State Park, visit any of the three park visitor
centers, located in Borrego Springs, Tamarisk Grove or Bow Valley. Anza-Borrego is also known for its seasonal wildflowers that begin to bloom in January and peak in March. For the latest wildflower information, call the Wildflower Hotline at (760) 767-4686, or visit www.anza-borrego.statepark.org.

DESERT HIKING TRAILS

Borrego Palm Canyon Trail: Easy to moderate, 3-mile round-trip to a native California Palm grove and year- round stream. Very popular trail, beginning at the top of the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, near the visitor center.

Cactus Loop Trail: Moderate, 1- mile loop with self-guiding interpretive signs for first one-third of the trail. Starts across the road from the flag- pole in Tamarisk Campground.

Trail to Mortero: Easy, half-mile loop to Native American grinding holes. Blair Valley turnoff from S-2, follow dirt road 3 miles to trailhead. Another 2 miles down the same road is the Pictograph Trail, a moderate, 2- mile round-trip hike to red and yellow pictographs drawn by ancient Digueno Indians.

Elephant Trees Discovery Trail: Easy, 1.5-mile sandy loop with a brochure at trailhead. See three rare Elephant Trees on this self-guided tour with 17 signposts highlighting desert plants. Drive south on Split Mountain Road from Ocotillo Wells on Route 78

OFF-ROAD & BICYCLE ROUTES

Split Mountain: Ride through the split and enjoy the view from inside the mountain. Sandy road with a fairly gentle grade. Vehicles with a narrow wheel-base are recommended.

Grapevine Canyon: A long, downhill ride starting at the Jasper Trail near Ranchita. Stay on Grapevine Canyon Road to avoid hills and rough riding.

Pinyon Mountain: Start at Pinyon Mountain, elevation 4,000 feet, and work your way down to sea level. Twenty-eight mile route toward Split Mountain with lots of downhills, deep sand and one drop-off. This is a one- way road and not for inexperienced, off-road drivers.

Carrizo Badlands: Park at the Carrizo Overlook on S-2 and enjoy the ride down Canyon Sin Nombre. Explore Carrizo Creek or Vallecito Creek or make a loop using Arroyo Tapiado and
Arroyo Seco del Diablo.

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