Jake Hinton • June 10, 2026
Borrego Springs Military History
Share
The Military History of Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego
During World War II, the Borrego Valley became an important military training area for the U.S. Army and Navy. Between 1942 and 1944, large portions of what is now Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park were used for troop training, aerial gunnery practice, bombing exercises, and anti-aircraft operations.
Borrego Maneuver Area
Established in 1942, the Borrego Maneuver Area covered approximately 400 square miles of desert extending across the Borrego Valley, the eastern Badlands, and areas reaching present-day Highway 86 and Highway 78. Army troops used the area for desert acclimatization, field exercises, and live-fire anti-aircraft training.
Military activity occurred at locations including Borrego Valley, Ensign Ranch, Clark's Dry Lake, Borrego Sink, Coyote Canyon, Borrego Mountain, and the eastern Badlands. Observation posts were established on surrounding high points, including Yaqui Pass and Fish Creek Mountain.
One lasting improvement from the military presence was the paving of Yaqui Pass Road and portions of Palm Canyon Drive to improve access to training areas.
Navy Bombing and Gunnery Ranges
The U.S. Navy leased several locations in the Borrego Valley for bombing, strafing, and emergency landing operations. Major target areas included Borrego Wash (Military Wash), Clark's Dry Lake, Benson Dry Lake, and the Borrego Hotel site near Half-filled Dry Lake.
Clark's Dry Lake served as a shared Army and Navy bombing range, while Borrego Wash contained rock-circle targets and observation stations used to evaluate pilot accuracy. Benson Dry Lake and the Borrego Hotel site provided emergency landing fields and additional aerial target areas.
Rocket Testing and Anti-Aircraft Training
In 1943, scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) conducted rocket experiments in the Borrego Mountain area to provide realistic targets for anti-aircraft units. Army gunners used .30-caliber, 40 mm, and 90 mm weapons during training exercises throughout the region.
Carrizo Impact Area
Following World War II, the military established the Carrizo Impact Area, which remained active from approximately 1945 through 1959. The U.S. Navy used more than 20,000 acres for bombing, rocket, and strafing exercises.
Today, the Carrizo Impact Area remains closed to the public because unexploded ordnance may still be present.
Legacy
Although military operations ended decades ago, evidence of this history can still be found throughout the desert. Visitors should never disturb military artifacts or suspected ordnance. Any discoveries should be reported to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park staff.
Today, these former training grounds are part of the protected landscapes of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, preserving both the natural environment and an important chapter of Borrego Springs history.
Download Historical Military Files
BORREGO HOTEL TARGET AREA
BORREGO MANEUVER AREA
How a Calcite mine in the Anza-Borrego desert of California helped drop the atomic bombs of World War II.
This video covers two training areas in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park used for pilot bombing and strafing exercises. It also explains the four rake stations built to track pilot accuracy and gives an overview of military mobilization efforts beginning in 1941.
This is the story of the Crash of a T-39 Sabreliner and the loss of 5 officers on April 1, 1977 in Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
Timeline: The Military History of Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego
1940 - 1944: The War Years and Military Utilization
- 1940, September 7: The U.S. Navy begins the process of acquiring land for military purposes, following recommendations for advanced carrier training activities.
- 1941, July 10: The U.S. Navy acquires 160 acres of land in Borrego Valley, known as the Borrego Hotel site, through condemnation for use as an emergency landing field and bombing target.
- 1942, March 20: The U.S. Army obtains 400 square miles in the Borrego Desert for use as the Borrego Maneuver Area.
- 1943-1944: The Army Anti-Aircraft Training Center (AARTC) at Camp Callan uses the Borrego Maneuver Area for field training and anti-aircraft artillery firing.
- 1943, September: Camp Callan's Anti-Aircraft Replacement Training Center begins using the Borrego Maneuver Area for "dry run" and "live fire" training exercises.
1944 - 1956: Site Inactivation and Transition to Civilian Use
- 1944, May 29: Camp Callan declares the Borrego Maneuver Area as excess to its needs.
- 1944, July 13: The Borrego Maneuver Area is declared surplus by the Headquarters Army Ground Forces.
- 1944, August 26: The Borrego Maneuver Area is confirmed as vacated and will not be used again by the Army, with the site being policed for hazards.
- 1955, October 31: The Department of the Navy declares the Borrego Hotel site excess to its needs.
- 1956, January 25: The Borrego Hotel site is declared surplus and classified for agricultural use.
- 1956, July 23: The General Services Administration (GSA) offers the Borrego Hotel site for sale in a local newspaper.
- 1956, September 6: The Borrego Hotel site is sold to a private landowner by the GSA.
Post-1956: The Present Day
- The former Borrego Hotel site and the Borrego Maneuver Area have been predominantly under state, federal, and private ownership since their closure as military sites. The predominant portion of the land is now utilized by the State of California as part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Learn More About Borrego Springs
