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Location:
Anza-Borrego is located east of San Diego, CA.
Directions: The
park is located east of San Diego on Highway 79, five miles north of
I-8.
Description: With
over 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state
park in the contiguous United States. 500 miles of dirt roads, 12
wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an
unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado
Desert. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza
and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park
features washes, wildflower palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas.
Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit
foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and
the red diamond rattlesnake. Coyote Canyon will be CLOSED for the annual
summer closure from June 1 through September 30 to allow the Big Horn
Sheep to drink without interruption during the hot summer months. Most
visitors approach from the east via Highways S22, S2, or 78. Visitors
from San Diego via Highways 79 and 78 have the added pleasure of driving
through the mountainous Cuyamaca Rancho State Park--quite a different
experience from Anza- Borrego. The highways from the east climb to 2,400
feet or so and then descend about 2,000 feet to the valley. Where the
highway breaks out of the high-country vegetation, it reveals the great
bowl of the Anza- Borrego desert. The valley spreads below, and there
are mountains all around. The highest are to the north--the Santa Rosa
Mountains. The mountains are a wilderness, with no paved roads in or out
or through. They have the only all-year-flowing watercourse in the park.
Facilities: Anza-Borrego has a dump station, restrooms, and
showers (pay).
Opening/Closing Dates:
Open year-round.
Reservation Policies:
Reservations are strongly recommended. The camping fee includes entry
for 1 vehicle and one legally towed vehicle or trailer. The park staff
will collect any extra vehicle fees upon entry.
Important: Temperatures can reach 80-100
degrees in the spring. Wear hats and carry water. Flash floods possible
during storms. Check with the park for road conditions.
General Rules
 Current Weather Conditions
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