ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK

Less than two hours away from San Diego, Anza-Borrego State Park is the largest State Park in California. The desert is an exciting and beautiful place to escape as a family and explore for the day. Some may wonder what to do in the Anza-Borrego desert. The goal of our guide is to show you that time in the desert is time well spent! With over 100 miles of paved road and five times that in 4WD roads to explore, Anza-Borrego State Park is sure to quench your thirst for adventure.

Our family-friendly guide will help you decide what to do in Anza-Borrego. Check out all of the adventures to help you plan a perfect experience for your family. You can spend the day exploring the art scene in Borrego Springs, off-roading to some incredible landforms (4WD required), hiking a variety of unique trails, or taking scenic drives along the highway with short stops along the way. Watching the sun go down under the cotton candy skies of Borrego Springs is a must-do for all. Not to mention the stars that come out at night! Wildflowers are abundant in spring and should not be missed. So, let’s get started planning your next adventure!

Table of Contents

WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK?

STOP BY THE ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER – YOU ARE HERE
EXPLORE THE TOWN OF BORREGO SPRINGS
MARVEL AT THE LARGE ANIMAL SCULPTURES OF GALLETA MEADOWS
ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF DESERT WILDFLOWERS
EXPLORE THE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA ON THE TRIANGLE TOUR DRIVE
OFF-ROAD TO THE THE WIND CAVES
HIKE BORREGO PALM CANYON
HIKE SLOT CANYON

HOW TO GET TO ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK

Anza-Borrego State Park is about an hour and 45 minutes from San Diego. Although a bit of a longer stretch, you can do it in a few different ways. No matter the route you choose, coming down the hill into the desert is spectacular.

FROM SAN DIEGO

The highlighted route that heads through Ramona is how most GPS will take you to Anza-Borrego State Park from San Diego. This route almost takes you into Julian, but you turn off Highway 78 in Santa Isabel. We have gone this way several times, and it is a pretty direct and scenic route.

If you live in East County San Diego, you can also head through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park into Julian. You will then head east on Highway 78 to enter Anza-Borrego State Park. This route provides exciting scenery, including Lake Cuyamaca, but the roads are very windy and not ideal for anyone prone to carsick.

I love to leave Anza-Borrego through Julian. The town of Julian is a favorite of ours. We enjoy stopping in for a beverage after a hike in the desert. This also gives you a bit of a loop home, which is always an excellent option to change up the scenery.

FROM NORTH COUNTY SAN DIEGO

Coming from North County San Diego, our favorite way to the desert is to take the highlighted route below. This drive takes you through Cleveland National Forest by Mount Palomar and Lake Henshaw. The scenery is lovely, and we enjoy being in the mountains and pines and then coming down into the desert. There are several vista points on this route to step out and stretch your legs as well.

ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER

If you follow my blog, you know we love a good old stop at the Visitor Center on the way into a park. I love collecting park maps, information and checking in with park rangers on suggestions for hikes, exploring, and current conditions. Our son loves picking up his Junior Ranger booklet to complete as we explore the park. I highly recommend you do the same. Stop at the State Park Visitor Center to ensure you are headed in the right direction. Rangers are a great resource to help you decide what to explore during your visit on that particular day.

The Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center is a unique stop because the actual building is built into the desert landscape. It has several desert exhibits and shows five different 15-minute films about the surrounding Anza-Borrego desert. In addition, park rangers and volunteers are available with information, maps, and hiking guides. The Anza-Borrego State Park visitor center is always our first stop coming into town. Please note cellular service is not reliable in Anza-Borrego. Hence, it is great to have hard copies of photos of the information you hope to reference during your visit.

What to do in Anza-Borrego - stop by the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center

EXPLORE THE VISITOR CENTER GROUNDS TOO!

The Visitor Center is surrounded by a desert garden that gives a glimpse into flora and fauna of the surrounding park. The garden also includes a pupfish pond, which kids will enjoy seeing. These fish date back to the ice ages and have continued to adapt for survival. They can survive in fresh and salty water, desert heat, and near-freezing temperatures. In addition, the garden offers picnic tables and walking trails for exploring.

Both designated trails are flat and paved, making them accessible for visitors of all ages and abilities. In addition, a short, 15-minute all-access Nature Trail leaves from the Visitor Center entrance and includes interpretive panels about the surrounding area. There is also a 1.4-mile trail to the campground and back that teaches visitors about the area’s plants and animals. Dogs are allowed on this campground trail.

WHEN SHOULD YOU VISIT ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK?

Although the park is open year-round, the desert heat can peak June through September. Visits from October through May offer more comfortable temperatures for exploring and hiking. Wildflowers are abundant in spring. There is a $10 parking and day-use fee when using the Visitor Center area to explore. An annual pass for CA State Parks, including the beach parking pass, will cover your day-use fee anywhere in the park! Machines like the pay & display below are available for credit card payments.

CHECK CURRENT ROAD CONDITIONS

If you are interested in exploring some of the 4WD roads, the volunteers at the Visitor Center will have the most updated information about specific road conditions. The desert road conditions frequently change due to flooding and heat, so I HIGHLY recommend checking in before heading out on a 4WD adventure. I also recommend taking a picture of the updated info, so you can access it while exploring the park.

We have a Subaru with AWD, so we were disappointed to find out during a recent visit that the road to Font’s Point was not a great option for us in its current heavy, thick sand state. The volunteers at the Visitor Center informed us that even Jeeps have been getting stuck in the sand. Between no cell service and the closest tow coming from Ramona, being stuck in the sand with hungry and hot kids is not a way to kick off a family-friendly adventure. Therefore, checking in on CURRENT road conditions is essential for a successful experience.

Now that you have the CURRENT information you need for an incredible trip, you are ready to get out and enjoy all that Anza-Borrego State Park has to offer!