ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK
With over 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. 500 miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado 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.
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 high-country 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. Few park visitors ever see them; the sheep are justly wary. A patient few observers each year see and count them, to learn how this endangered species is coping with human encroachment.
Wi-Fi Servicewifi
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park now offers AT&T Wi-Fi Service!This service enables park visitors with wireless enabled laptop computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) to access the Internet. You can access this service if you are within a 150 foot range base of the Ranger's Office.
Located in Southern California, the park was established in 1933. It is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego, a Spanish word for bighorn sheep.
The area has been inhabited by humans for over 5,000 years with evidence of Native American cultures such as the Kumeyaay tribe present there.
In later centuries it became part of Mexico's Alta California province before being ceded to America following Mexican-American War (1846-48).
It officially opened its doors on August 25th,1947 under Governor Earl Warren's administration making it one of oldest parks in state system.
Today this desert region spans across more than half-a-million acres offering visitors diverse wildlife sightings and geological formations.
Day-UseHiking Trailyes
Bridle Trailsyes
CampingPrimitiveyes
Full Hookup Sitesyes
1. Borrego Palm Canyon Campground offers family campsites with picnic tables, fire rings and access to hiking trails.
2. Tamarisk Grove Campground provides 27 sites equipped with drinking water, restrooms and shaded areas for tents or RVs.
3. Vern Whitaker Horse Camp is perfect for equestrian campers offering corrals, a staging area and direct trail access.
4. Blair Valley Primitive Camping Area allows dispersed camping in the desert landscape without any facilities provided by park management.
5. Bow Willow campground has primitive campsites suitable for tent camping; no potable water available on site though.