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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park -
California
From Sea to Desert
The drive from Oceanside, north of San
Diego, to the Anza-Borrego desert is one of the
great drives of Southern California. Highway 78
runs across the Coast Range and through the
Cleveland National Forest, before descending to
the sandy flatlands and badlands of this
least-known desert of the American Southwest.
Before entering the forested hills, the route
passes through the San Pasqual Valley. Across
the range is the historic mining town of Julian.
Our destination, the town of Borrego Springs --
with hotels and motels -- is surrounded by the
vast state park.
It's a short drive from the cities of the
Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs, Indio,
Palm desert, and Desert Hot Springs.
by Fraser Bridges
Desert Wonders
In springtime the southern California desert
blooms. After the winter rains, the desert puts
on its spectacular display of wildflower color.
Spring is also a comfortable time of the year to
visit the desert park, when daytime temperatures
are only in the 70s and 80s. Later, after the
flowers disappear, the mercury shoots up to over
100 degrees, and most of the winter residents
leave for cooler climes.
Cacti offer delicate pastel flowers. On the
desert floor are bellyflowers, tiny little
plants requiring visitors to get down beside
them. These are the earliest bloomers and the
first plants to wither, as the summer warmth
ends their annual cycle. The best time for
viewing is mid-March to early April.
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Anza-Borrego
The largest state park in the
Lower 48, Anza-Borrego's 600,000 acres include
mountains higher than 6,000 feet, palm-covered
canyons, badland areas, and some of the most
wondrous desert wildlife in all of California.
The park is less than 2 hours' drive from San
Diego and 31/2 hours from Los Angeles. Spring
and fall are the optimum seasons for visiting
the park.
The town of Borrego Springs is
surrounded by the park and is the main access
point for the park's attractions. The Park
Visitor Center is located at the north end of
Palm Canyon Drive, the town's main street (Road
S-22). This is definitely the place to begin a
visit to the park. Children will enjoy reading
the Junior Naturalist handbook, available here,
and a short trail leads through the desert in
front of the visitor center, which is buried in
the desert scape. Because of the intense heat of
the summer months, the park's interpretive
program starts each year in November and ends
during May. However, the park facilities are
open year-round.
Anza-Borrego is one of the
nation's foremost fossil and bone yards.
Thousands of fossils have been collected in the
park area and are now catalogued and stored in
the fossil library. Most are fossils of small
(and some very, very small) animals. However,
more than 100 species of large animals have been
unearthed in the park, including the giant
ground sloth, bison, llama, ancient dog,
American lion, zebra, horse, dromedary camel,
mammoth, and many reptiles. These animals once
thrived in what is now the Borrego Badlands,
where waving seas of grass grew to the edge of
an ancient sea.
Park Campgrounds
Anza Borrego Desert State Park operates the
Borrego/Palm Canyon Camprground, in Palm Canyon.
Another campground without hookups is in this
area. Tamarisk Grove Campground, south of
Borrego Springs, has no hookups. For
Borrego/Palm Canyon reservations, call
800-444-7275. Unlimited primitive camping is
permitted across the park.
For More on Anza Borrego Desert State
Park,
go
to our Anza Borrego Destinations
page
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Hotels in the
Area
La Casa Del Zorro Resort
(619) 767-5323 or 800-824-1884 This desert resort
operation has been here for many years and is
conveniently close to the park visitor center. With
77 units and attractive grounds, the resort boasts
suites and villas, three heated pools, whirlpools,
a putting green, tennis courts, and an exercise
room. The rates start at about $100 and private
villas can cost as much as $500 in the top season
(winter). There's a dining room plus lounge and
entertainment
Palm Canyon Resort
(619) 767-5341or 800-242-0044 With both a motel and
an RV park, this operation is inside the state park
boundary, on State Route S-22 (221 Palm Canyon
Dr.). There are 44 units with heated pool, laundry,
whirlpool, and a suite with whirlpool. The resort's
restaurant is open from 11 am to 10 pm (weekends
from 7 am). The private campground here has 142
sites with hookups, a store and dump station.
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