How big is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?

More than 600,000 acres, or roughly 1,000 square miles. It is the largest state park in California and the third largest in the United States, spanning parts of San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties.

How much does it cost to enter Anza-Borrego?

Day use is $10 per vehicle, collected at the Visitor Center, developed campgrounds and several popular trailheads including The Slot and Hellhole Canyon. The park has no entrance gates and much of it can be accessed without a fee.

When is wildflower season at Anza-Borrego?

Annual wildflowers can appear from January through mid-April, with peak bloom most often between late February and early April. Timing varies year to year based on rainfall and temperature.

Is Anza-Borrego a Dark Sky Park?

Yes. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2018 at Silver tier. Borrego Springs, the town at its center, has been an International Dark Sky Community since 2009, the first in California.

Do I need four-wheel drive at Anza-Borrego?

Not for the paved roads, the Visitor Center or the main campgrounds. The vast majority of the park's roughly 500 miles of dirt roads do require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park open at night?

Yes, the park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The Visitor Center is open daily 9am to 5pm October through May, and weekends and holidays only June through September.

Andrea McKenna • August 9, 2026

American Legion Post 853 Site Strengthens Borrego Connectivity

New communications tower supports stronger local connectivity

Reliable cell service is more than a convenience in Borrego Springs. In a rural desert community surrounded by vast stretches of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, losing connectivity can mean losing access to directions, family members, businesses and potentially emergency assistance.

A wireless communications facility at American Legion Post 853, 4515 Borrego Springs Road, is designed to improve that connection. The project includes a 97-foot tower serving AT&T, with the ability to accommodate additional carriers in the future.

County planning documents identified the surrounding area as underserved by wireless telecommunications facilities and said the project would provide cellular service to residents, visitors and motorists. Coverage studies submitted with the project showed the facility was needed to improve service in the area, including portions of the Rams Hill development.

The emergency component is particularly important for Borrego Springs. The facility includes a backup generator and batteries designed to keep it operating during a power outage or other emergency. County planners noted that improved coverage is important to public safety and emergency response.

For visitors, better connectivity can mean easier access to navigation and information while traveling through the Borrego Springs area. For residents, it adds another layer of communication in a community where distances are long and cellular coverage can be limited.

The site is owned and operated by American Legion Post 853, giving the local veterans organization a role in hosting infrastructure intended to serve the wider community. The tower was designed in an earth-tone color and set back from Borrego Springs Road to reduce its visual impact against the desert and mountain backdrop.

In Borrego Springs, where being connected can become especially important when the power goes out or an emergency occurs, expanded wireless coverage has practical implications for both those who live here and those who come to visit.

American Legion Wireless Telecommunication Facility Report