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.

Gabriel Wisdom • July 23, 2026

Stan Lee, Gene Rodenberry, and Me

By Gabriel Wisdom

I stepped out onto the stage at the San Diego ComicCon dressed as Thor. The wings on my helmet were slightly crooked, and the cape was too heavy for the San Diego summer weather, but none of that mattered. I can still feel the weight of the hammer in my hand, a ridiculous, glorious mirrored prop a friend of mine had built in his garage. The room was buzzing and in 1976, ComicCon was young and alive. The training wheels had come off and we had 3000 paid attendees – real fandom, but nothing like today’s 130,000 who attend each year.

Behind me stood Stan Lee and his Marvel artist John Buscema, both of them watching the crowd like proud parents at a very strange school play.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” I called out, raising the hammer. “I am THOR, God of Thunder, Lord of the Savage Lighting, and host for tonight’s masquerade ball!”

The crowd cheered, and for a moment everything felt perfectly under control. Then I glanced at the judges seated in the front row. Gene Roddenberry, hands folded like he was observing a social experiment. There was Ray Bradbury, eyes burning with Fahrenheit 451 curiosity. And to Roddenberry’s right…a special surprise guest I’d brought along at the last minute, Timothy Leary, smiling like he’d just dropped in to see what condition his condition was in.

I felt my stomach drop recalling earlier how ComicCon co-founder Shel Dorf had pulled me aside, his face tight with concern.

“You brought him?” he asked heatedly. “Do you have any idea what this could do to us? The most dangerous man in America, isn’t that what Nixon called him?

I had shrugged, maybe a little too casually. “Leary and I are doing a radio show together with rock stars and other guests talking about science fiction; stuff like that, only this is science-faction. He’s crazy smart, and funny. Great fun.”

Shel didn’t see it that way, but it was too late because there in the front row, the notorious “pied piper of LSD,” Doctor Timothy Leary was sitting between two of the most respected creative minds in speculative fiction.

The first contestant came out dressed as a passable Spider-Man. “Have no fear, Spidey is here,” I boomed, voice steady, but my eyes kept drifting back to the front row.

Leary leaned over to Roddenberry saying something that made them both laugh. Bradbury looked less amused. He crossed his arms, studying Leary like he was a story problem he hadn’t solved yet.

Stan Lee was standing by the side of the stage, arms folded. “You’ve stirred the pot, kid,” he murmured.

“I may have left the gas on and blown up the kitchen,” I replied.

“Even better,” Stan grinned.

Murmurs started spreading through the convention ballroom about Timothy Leary. A number of older people stood and left for the exits, shaking their heads. A dozen others followed shuffling past the rows of seated attendees. The energy had clearly shifted.

I tightened my grip on the hammer and began swinging.

“Alright!” I bellowed, “The mighty Thor shall supply the cure!”

“True believers!” Stan Lee shouted. “What is a masquerade without a little chaos?

The crowd laughed. The tension cracked.

I looked down at Roddenberry who met my eyes and gave an encouraging nod.

“The great Gene Roddenberry,” I declared to a round of applause. Then I asked, “In the Star Trek universe, what happens when unexpected elements enter the system?”

Roddenberry stood slightly but not all the way. “We adapt,” he said. “Or we evolve.”

Bradbury chuckled despite himself.

Leary raised both hands. “Yes, we evolve. Sometimes you have to go out of your mind to come to your senses,” he laughed.

The room erupted with another round of applause, some cheers, some boos, but it was alive again. Electric.

I seized it. “Okay, let’s evolve this masquerade! Every contestant, you are now challenged to make it stranger, make it bigger, and make it believable!”

What followed was chaos, yes -- but the right kind. Comic-Con was still half counterculture experiment, half gathering of true believers and those who thought stories mattered more than the world seemed willing to admit.

Learn More About Borrego Springs

The Two Mile Radio Telescope on Clark's Dry Lake | Historic Borrego Sun

By Andrea McKenna • September 6, 2026

A portion of the two-mile antenna array on Clark Dry Lake used to study radio emissions from outer space. Weights kept the long copper wires taut on their frames. Borrego Sun, July 15, 1961.

County Launches Online System for Property Assessment Appeals

By County of San Diego Communications Office • September 6, 2026

By County Communications , County of San Diego Communications Office The County has launched a new online system that lets property owners file property tax assessment appeals quickly and securely. Residents can now submit, review and track their appeals online, anytime, from any device. An assessment appeal allows property owners to request a review of the taxable value assigned to their property by the County Assessor. When Residents Can File an Appeal The regular filing season is from July 2 through Nov. 30. During that period, the Office of the Clerk of the Board accepts Assessment Appeals Applications from property owners. To apply, property owners need: Parcel or tax bill number Property address Their opinion of the property’s market value How Online Filing Helps Residents The new system streamlines the appeals process, reduces delays and offers more convenience than traditional paper applications. With the new system, property owners can: Submit an appeal form any device, including smartphones and tablets. Track their appeal status anytime. Sign up for updates without calling or emailing the office. Keep their information secure through the online portal. This upgrade supports the County’s ongoing effort to modernize public services and make them easier, faster and more accessible for all. A New, Easier-to-Use Website A redesigned Assessment Appeals website has launched alongside the new system. It features: A simple, clean layout Step-by-step instructions to reduce filing errors Tutorial videos and helpful resources for first-time filers A more streamlined filing experience through the new portal What Happens After You File Once your appeal is submitted: The Clerk of the Board reviews the application and contacts the property owner if anything is missing. When the application is complete, it is sent to the Assessor’s Office. An appraiser reviews the case and may request additional information. An independent appeals board hears and decides the case. By law, the board has up to two years from your filing date to issue a decision. Have questions? Contact the Clerk of Board of Supervisors’ office at AssessmentAppeals@sdcounty.ca.gov.