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.

Jake Hinton • December 8, 2025

Free Screening of Local Film “George & Rosa” with Matt Bosson

OCT 11th, 2026 - 1pm

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Borrego Springs

George, an old man living alone on the margins, in a small desert town, meets Rosa, a woman in similar circumstances. Although they don’t speak the same language, George and Rosa form a bond. Together, they find companionship and something akin to love. But their relationship may not last, once George learns Rosa’s secret.

Director Biography - Matt Bosson (Borrego Resident)

Matt Bosson had a long career in video playback, working on series like 24, House MD, and Grey’s Anatomy. After leaving Los Angeles and television production, he relocated to Borrego Springs, CA and began teaching English (ESL). Creatively, he splits his time between filmmaking and music. His last short film, BAD, a hybrid music-video based on an original song, was filmed and premiered in Borrego Springs in 2023.

Desperate Manny was released in 2016 and has been playing on various platforms ever since. It’s currently available for streaming on Tubi.com.

Learn More About Borrego Springs

A small wooden structure and debris float on calm water under a pale sky.

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By Deborah Brennan, CalMatters • September 9, 2026

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By Andrea McKenna • September 9, 2026

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Nightfall Star Party Returns to Borrego Springs Nov. 6–7

By Riverside Astronomical Society, Inc. (RAS) • September 9, 2026

The Nightfall Star Party & Imaging Conference returns to Borrego Springs on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6–7,

Some Like It Hot: DWR Scientists Endure Extreme Heat

By Department of Water Resources • September 8, 2026

Specially-trained California Department of Water Resources staff members Vanessa Velasco (left) and Nicholas Burgos (right) support California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff member Sharon Keeney to set and collect traps for pupfish during a survey conducted by CDFW at a drain north of the Salton Sea in Riverside County