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 • September 17, 2026

New True Crime Book Explores Murders With Anza Desert Connection

A new true crime book by San Diego County historian Richard L. Carrico revisits the crimes of Harvey Glatman and the young women whose lives became part of one of Southern California’s most notorious murder cases.

Bound to Die: The Young Victims of a Serial Killer and Rapist was released Sept. 15 by WildBlue Press.

Carrico looks beyond the killer, focusing on the victims and the world of 1950s Los Angeles, where young women often sought modeling work through newspaper ads, small agencies and freelance photographers.

Glatman murdered Judith Dull, Shirley Bridgeford and Ruth Mercado. Court records show Bridgeford and Mercado were killed in desert areas of San Diego County. Contemporary reports referred to the area as the “Anza desert,” giving the case a connection to the broader Anza-Borrego region.

The case ended in October 1958 after Lorraine Vigil fought back during an attempted attack. A passing officer intervened and arrested Glatman, who later confessed to the murders.

Carrico is an archaeologist, historian and author whose work has long focused on San Diego County history.

Bound to Die is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with Southern California book signings expected to follow.