HISTORY OF BORREGO SPRINGS
Look back at the people, places and events that shaped Borrego Springs and the surrounding desert.
A Short History of Borrego Springs
Located in eastern San Diego County, Borrego Springs is a desert community surrounded by the vast landscape of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Its story reaches from ancient Native American travel routes and Spanish exploration to homesteading, mid-century resorts, Hollywood visitors and the community we know today.
A Desert Crossroads
Long before modern settlement, Native peoples traveled, lived and traded throughout the desert. Ancient trails, village sites, rock art and other archaeological resources remain part of the region's remarkable cultural history.
The Anza Expeditions
Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza traveled through the Borrego region while establishing an overland route from Sonora into Alta California. Portions of his historic route passed through what is now Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Homesteaders Arrive
Ranchers, farmers and homesteaders began establishing permanent lives in the Borrego Valley. Agriculture became an important part of the early economy as wells and irrigation made desert farming possible.
A Community Takes Shape
After World War II, Borrego Springs entered a period of rapid growth. Roads, businesses, resorts, golf courses and new neighborhoods helped transform the remote valley into a growing desert community and destination.
The Borrego Sun
The Borrego Sun began publishing in 1949, documenting the people, businesses, events and changes that shaped Borrego Springs. Its historic issues now provide an extraordinary record of community life across generations.
Resorts & Desert Living
By the 1950s and 1960s, Borrego was becoming known for stylish desert resorts, golf, modern architecture and wide-open spaces — attracting visitors from San Diego, Los Angeles and beyond.
Hollywood Comes to Borrego
Borrego's dramatic desert landscape and growing resort scene also caught Hollywood's attention.
In 1958, scenes from The Young Lions , starring Marlon Brando, Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift, were filmed in the Borrego area.
In the late 1950s, entertainer Bing Crosby and others purchased approximately 3,000 acres near the Borrego Air Ranch in an area known as Sleepy Hollow. The proposed development was never completed, but the story remains part of Borrego's colorful mid-century history.
The era of desert resorts, country clubs and celebrity visitors helped give Borrego Springs a distinctive place in Southern California's postwar story.
Borrego Springs Today
Today, Borrego Springs remains one of San Diego County's most distinctive communities — surrounded by California's largest state park and known for its desert landscapes, dark skies, art, architecture and strong sense of local history. From ancient trails to Hollywood stories and generations of community life, the Borrego Valley continues to tell a uniquely California story.
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