Fees

Annual passes: $35 pass - good for day-use & camping within state parks Passes may be purchased at the visitors center near the town of Borrego Springs or through the mail by check, or money order. Mail to - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 200 Palm Canyon Drive Borrego Springs, CA 92004 attn: District Administrative Chief

Helpful Phone Numbers:

Park Info 760/767-4684

Admin. Offices 760/767-5311

Camping - Reserv. 303/297-2757

Wildflower Info 760/767-4684

Backpacking

Allows open camping throughout its 600,000 acres. Fees for camping anywhere in the park, $5.00 per night.

• permits are required for overnight backcountry camping
• no ground fires allowed in park
• check with the ranger for all back country camping restrictions

Trail head parking spots located at:

camp  sites  elev.  veg  toilet  water  contact  fee Blair Valley disp  2000 ? ocotillo yucca none  none Anza Borrego SP 760/767-5311  yes

[great High desert backpacking area] Hwy. 78 to S-2 south for 5 mi., area is to left of road

Pacific Crest Trail Association

BackRoads

One of the best areas in southern California for back road exploration. Get that SUV dusty, why don't ya?
Easy accessibilty & geographically desireable almost all year long. But make sure to check them high temps before you head out in mid summer. Average Weather Temps Chart

This 600,000 acre park has hundreds of miles of dirt roads. Most are accessible with 2WD high clearance vehicles. Soft sand in washes are common, so keep you speed up & do not come to a sudden stop in these areas. Small boulders on the road are not unhead of. There may be some rocky obstacles along the way, so take plenty of precautions & drive at a moderate speed. Racing around fast (over 25mph) , tears up the trails, damages the plants, disrupts the wildlife & may eventually lead to road closures. A great back country map of this region is Tom Harrison San Diego BackCountry Map which can be found at most stores that carry a good selction of wilderness maps.

There are a few spots known to the 4WD enthusiasts. They may require advanced driving skills and/or more than a stock 4x4:

• Diablo Dropoff
• Pinyon Mtn. Squeeze
• StageCoach Wash
• Cotote Cyn. - upper & lower
• Hills of the Moon
• Truckhaven Hills
• Culp Valley
• Borrego Wash Dropoff
• Jasper Trail

Campgrounds
To make a reservation at Anza Borrego's main campground, in Borrego Springs click this link:

BORREGO PALM CANYON CAMPGROUND

Listed below are some of the smaller campgrounds, that do not accept reservations.

camp  sites  elev.  veg  toilet  water  contact  fee Fish Creek 8 200'? brush pit none Anza Borrego SP 760/767-5311  $ 5

[ narrow gorge & wind caves close by] Hwy.78 Ocotillo Wells , Go 12 mi. south on Split Mtn. Rd. to campground.

Camp with horses at an equestrian camp located at the mouth of Coyote Canyon.
Vern Whitaker Horse Camp: 10 sites ($16 with one horse)
Reservations for these may be made by calling Reserve America toll-free at (800) 444-7275.

Primitive Camping

The only park in the whole state that allows open camping throughout the huge park. There are 9 designated primitive camp areas plus 1 horse camp. No tables, toilets or parking stalls. Plenty of dirt roads to explore. Most regular passenger cas can get to these sites. But many roads will require an SUV or even 4X4. Check our backcountry roads section. A backcountry road map is advisable. Call Ranger at 760/767-5311

No ground fires allowed. Better bring a metal container.

an old washing machine tub works see portable camp fire pits

Just a few rules:

• pull your car one full car length off the road
• no off road driving ( that means stay on the dirt road machismo)
• no ground fires (bring a large metal container, firepit & wood for the fire, carry your ashes out)
  

All these are primitive camping (all directions from Borrego Springs)

• Arroyo Salado - 16 mi. east on County Rd. S22
• Culp Valley - 10 mi. southwest on County Rd. S22
• Canon Sin Nombre - off County Rd. S2, entrance near Badlands Overlook
• Coyote Canyon - north off visitor center, rugged backcountry roads past the "Gardens"
• Blair Valley - Hwy. 78 to S-2 south for 5 mi., area is to left of road
• Yaqui Well - 5 mi. south on County Rd. S3 & right on Yaqui Pass Rd. & go 6 mi.to the camping area on right.
• Yaqui Pass - 5 mi. south on County Rd. S3 & right on Yaqui Pass Rd. & go 4 mi.to the camping area on left side.

Hiking

Blair Valley - Hwy. 78 to S-2 south for 5 mi., area is to left of road. Many hiking options available here. Peaks, pictographs, old ruins, etc. Indian Pictographs (Truck / SUV recommended) 3 mi. RT / easy From Julian, go East on Hwy. 78 Turn Right at S-2, Great Overland Stagecoach Route of 1849 Approx. 5 mi. turn left on dirt road into Little Blair Valley (just after Anza Borrego SP sign on right) At junction bear right & continue down Crossing the valley Left at next major intersection, look for small signage on post This road will deadend into the parking area. Hike 1.5 mi. to the ancient indian pictographs (located on a large rock on the right side of the trail) Canon Sin Nombre - off County Rd. S2, entrance near Badlands Overlook; plenty to see around here with tons of cool geological formations & skinny slot canyons.

Slot Canyons Canon Sin Nombre