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Drive Off-Road in Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Published by Camilla Cheung, Writer

Country: United States

The Experience

The majestic Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California, and one of the most spectacular. Chiselled mountains and canyons, cacti and succulents, acres of sand and rock formations, all combine to form one of the most impressive natural destinations in the state. With 500 miles of dirt roads, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a favourite with those who enjoy exploring the desert via an off-road vehicle.

As the desert landscape unfolds around you, it’s hard to believe you are just a few hours’ drive from Los Angeles. Your Landcruiser will bounce over sand dunes and large rocks, navigating the rough terrain. Make sure to peer up the rocky hills for a chance glimpse of the bighorn sheep. If your eyes are not quite that sharp, you’ll likely just see lizards and a few jackrabbits. Nevertheless, the landscape is full of life, with plenty of unique cacti and plants. In the spring, the entire desert becomes a riot of colour as the spring wildflowers bloom, carpeting the ground.

An old creek bed becomes the ideal off-road route, and there will be several other vehicles out there as well, joining in a spirit of camaraderie to navigate the treacherous rocks.

Take the time to hike a trail or two, and marvel at the dramatic canyons, dry riverbeds and waterfalls, and granite mountains.

At nightfall, settle in one of the more popular campgrounds, and you can find an isolated spot to camp, sheltered between two mountains. These primitive sites have a spectacular view of the desert scenery.

Anza-Borrego State Park is one of the few places where you can camp almost anywhere in the park. There are a few primitive campsites where pit toilets are the only amenity, so you'll need to bring in everything else, such as water, food, tents, and your own sources of light. Remember not to leave behind any garbage when you're ready to leave the campsite.

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Puzzle

When to Go to Borrego State Park

There are several designated campsites as well, and you can get maps and information at the Anza-Borrego Visitors Center. Some people stay in Borrego Springs: a little resort town surrounded by the State Park. There are miles of hiking trails, and one of the most popular is the Palm Canyon trail, which takes you to an oasis in the desert.

The wildflowers usually bloom in May, but check the Park website for specific information. Don't get there too late if you want to see the flowers, as they disappear completely after a few weeks.

Odds n' Ends

It can get incredibly hot in the desert, especially in the months of July and August, so bring plenty of drinking water. If you're driving and planning to go off-road, it's best to make the trip with friends in a second vehicle in case you get stuck or your car breaks down. Bring an extra gas canister.

Don't litter! Anza-Borrego State Park is one of the few places where you can explore almost any part of the park, and camp almost anywhere, to your heart's content. Keep it that way by leaving the trails and campsites clean.

More Experiences Nearby

Stalk the Cheetahs at San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, previously known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is a zoo experience unlike most others. The animals at the San Diego Safari Park roam in large enclosures that approximate their homes in the wild. Visitors to the Park can explore the animals’ habitats on a safari ride, which allows them to glimpse endangered African animals up close and personal in a free-range enclosure, without the typical zoo barriers. Imagine being within a few feet of a majestic giraffe, close enough to see its long tongue curling around tree branches and stripping them of ...36 miles away.

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Books and DVDs

Anza-Borrego Desert Region: A Guide to State Park and Adjacent Areas of the Western Colorado Desert
Now in its expanded 5th edition, The Anza-Borrego Desert Region offers complete coverage of the over 1 million acres of desert lands, including Anza-Borrego State Park, Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (OWSVRA), parts of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, and adjacent BLM recreational and wilderness lands.

Elsewhere on the Web

Next Weekend: Instant Adventures - NationalGeographicAdventure.com
Learn to ski out-of-bounds; bunk down in a designer tree house; hang glide over the Adirondacks; plus 29 more spring and winter breaks.
California State Parks

Media References

Bighorn sheep population up in Calif state park (newspaper)
Associated Press report

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