Borrego Springs is this sleepy little town in San Diego County that is such an awesome place to visit that not many people know about. A really cool thing about it is that it has the largest state park in California!
The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is California’s largest state park, so there is a ton to explore. Time is limited if you are a weekend adventurer like me, so we need to plan our adventures carefully to make sure we have a chance to see everything we want.
How do you spend a weekend in Borrego Springs and explore California’s largest state park at the same time?
Let me show you the highlights in Borrego Springs and the most popular beginner hikes in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to give you a good overview of the area in just one weekend.
How to Spend a Weekend in Borrego Springs
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Day 1: Arrive in Borrego Springs
It only takes about 2 ½ hours to get to Borrego Springs from Orange County (and over 3-4 hours from Los Angeles). Half of the trip is interstate driving, and the other half is mountain driving. Expect to drive through some curvy mountain roads and take a Dramamine if you get car sick!
If you are arriving at night, just plan on getting settled in at the hotel and relaxing for the night. There’s a big day ahead in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Where to Stay in Borrego Springs
I booked the Palm Canyon Hotel & RV Resort simply because it was one of the few hotels in my budget and the fact that it is a pet-friendly hotel that had a low pet fee. A pet fee of only $25 for the entire stay is just unheard of. Even though Anza-Borrego Desert State Park does not allow pets on the trail, I still wanted to bring my pup for a nice little family getaway.
The Palm Canyon Hotel also has an RV Resort and they rent these super cool retro trailers!
Because of my last minute booking, I didn’t have much time to research this hotel so I had low expectations. While checking in I was very surprised. This wasn’t a little rinky-dink place with no amenities and crappy service. No, this was a cute little resort with real amenities! I am a sucker for little details and the fact that they gave me a bottle of water and a cookie while checking in just made my day.
Check out these other hotels in Borrego Springs.
The hotel is absolutely adorable. From the outside, each room is basically something you would find in an old western town. The song “Wild Wild West” kept going through my mind every time I was there.
Day 2: Explore Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Breakfast in Downtown Borrego Springs
The tiny “downtown” area of Borrego Springs is just 2 minutes down the street from the Palm Canyon Hotel. There are a few breakfast spots to choose from, and I recommend trying Red Ocotillo. I actually didn’t know until now that this is the number one restaurant in Borrego Springs on Trip Advisor. The food is great and the prices are average. They also serve lunch and dinner.
Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center
The next stop is the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center. You will need to pay a $10 entrance fee before parking. The reason I like stopping at the visitor center is to talk to the Park Rangers to get an idea of what the park highlights are and check if any areas are closed.
Just so you are aware, most of the roads in Anza-Borrego require a 4×4 vehicle. I do not drive a 4×4, so I did plan this weekend trip accordingly.
Hike the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail
Start off your day in Anza-Borrego by hiking the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail. It is down the street from the Visitor Center and accessed through the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. You will need to show the ranger your parking ticket. If you skipped the Visitor Center, pay the $10 fee.
The Borrego Palm Canyon Trail is a short 3-mile hike that is one of the most popular hikes in Anza-Borrego. There are no difficult areas in this hike since it is mostly flat. You will find a few rocky sections and a small creek to walk through, but nothing drastic. Even kids were doing this hike.
The trail is clearly marked from the parking lot, so you will not have any issues finding it. Once you are on the trail there are a few sections where you could easily lose the trail (like I always do), but it’s easy to get back on it again if you do. Watch for fallen trees, logs, and rocks that have been strategically placed to guide you along the way.
There is a chance you could see Bighorn Sheep here, but unfortunately, I did not see any. I did see some hummingbirds, but that was about it for wildlife.
The end of the hike is the best part…the palm tree oasis.
At the palm tree oasis, you will find the only palm trees native to California: the California fan palms. They are actually the largest palms native to North America. They are giants! I love how shaggy they are!
After the hike, you will head back the same way you came in. There is an alternate route shortly after leaving the oasis if you want to try it. I did not take this route, but it appears that it goes on the other side of the creek and ends up at the same trailhead.
Lunch in Downtown Borrego Springs
Just a 5-minute drive back to town there is a Mexican restaurant called Los Jilberto’s. I ordered the two steak tacos platter which hit the spot! It was surprising to find decent Mexican food in such a little town!
Hike The Slot Canyon
The next and last stop for the day is The Slot Canyon. This might just be your favorite part of the day. It definitely was mine. I have never experienced anything like this before…a narrow siltstone canyon that snakes its way through the California desert.
Hiking The Slot is not difficult at all, but there are some narrow sections in the canyon where you may need to slide your way through. Nothing dangerous though!
After you park, look to the canyons at the edge of the parking lot where you see large craters in the ground below you. From here, walk to the right and you will find a small dirt trail. Once you are on the trail you can take a left down into the canyon.
It’s only a mile hike out and back, or up to two miles depending on which route you want to take. You can hike a ½ mile through the canyons until it opens up to a road and hike the same way back. Or you could continue through to the Jeep road, make your way up the hill, and hike back along the top of the canyon.
I liked the canyons so much that I decided to hike the same way back so I could experience it all over again. The view from the top would probably be pretty awesome, so I will definitely take that route the next time I hike The Slot.
Hang out at the hotel
After exploring enough of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park for the day, settle in at the hotel and take a break. Another awesome little detail about the Palm Canyon Hotel is that they provide two free drink tickets, and sometimes they have live music playing!
Order some dinner at the hotel, get a few drinks, and enjoy the live entertainment.
Day 3: Galleta Meadows
Breakfast in Downtown Borrego Springs
Back in town, you can try Carmelita’s Mexican Grill for breakfast. I recommend trying the chilaquiles or the huevos rancheros. Be aware…the plates come with a lot of food!
The Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures
A weekend in Borrego Springs is not complete without a stop at the metal sculptures in Galleta Meadows. Check out this map or ask for one at your hotel so you can pick out a few sculptures that you want to see. The one sculpture I had my eye on was the Serpent.
You will find the Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures while driving on Borrego Springs Road. They are not difficult to find at all. Drive north on Borrego Springs Road when you are coming from town you will be able to spot them from the road.
You can either pull off to the side of the road when you spot one that you like, or you can drive through the dirt road to get closer to the sculpture. All of the sculptures that I looked at had dirt roads leading up to them. I have read about a few people getting their car stuck in these dirt roads, but I did not have any issues with this. It could depend on the season, but if you are not comfortable just park on the side of the road.
There are so many sculptures that you may not have a chance to see every single one. I know I am definitely adding this challenge to my bucket list.
The Fruit Stands
Make one last quick stop before heading home at one of the local fruit stands. It is normal to see the fruit stands unattended, so bring exact change so you can leave the money in a jar. I bought a whole bag of around 10 grapefruits for only $3. The stand that I stopped at is SeaView on the corner of Henderson Canyon Rd and DiGiorgio Rd, but you can find several in the area.
That sums up this awesome weekend in Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park! Multiple trips are definitely needed in order to really see everything in this park, it is massive!
If you have a 4×4 vehicle I also recommend checking out Font’s Point and the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves. I have not been able to see these myself (yet), but they look pretty awesome!
Is the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on your bucket list?
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Heh, I was just looking into these sculptures at Borrego Springs I originally found at Atlas Obscura. Luckily, as you describe it, there is more to see at Borrego Springs, so I miiiight be able to convince my gf to do a detour – we’re planning a 4-week road trip in May and this place looks awesome to take milkyway photos with an interesting foreground 😉
Tell her YES!!!! I loved that area, and for photography, I think you will too! Borrego Springs is a designated “Dark Sky Community” so you will DEFINITELY have the chance to get some awesome photos. Plus, Anza-Borrego was pretty cool…and huge! Lots of places to see!
Awesome writeup about this area- I was just there and I did everything on this list. The Slot and Font’s point were my favorite!
Hi Lissy! I didn’t get to see Font’s Point during my trip because I do not have a 4×4. I really hope to see it next time though, it looks amazing in photos! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
I love visiting state parks in the US! They’re sometimes less crowded than National Parks. That hotel looks absolutely adorable. I love the Wild West Theme!
I agree! I’ve only been to a couple State Parks, but they were definitely less crowded! I also loved the Wild West theme, I can’t wait to go back!
What a cool place to spend a weekend! We love spending time in the outdoors, and Borrego Palm Canyon Trail looks like a fun hike. I love your pictures of the canyons!
Thanks so much for your comment Astrid! I’ve been loving the outdoors so much ever since I moved to California!
Oh My goodness. California has so much to offer. I’ve been twice already and now I have even more to see. Thank you for your share. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park looks especially beautiful.
You are totally right Karletta! I am literally overwhelmed with things to see and do in this state. I love it!
How did I miss this fantastic place when I was in California?! It looks incredibly beautiful – especially the palm trees are very special and the sculptures absolutely fascinating!
You are not the only one! I’m not sure why this park isn’t in the spotlight! I never knew about it either until I found it from another blogger. It’s really something that should be on everyone’s California bucket list 🙂
That’s indeed is an outstanding way to spend a weekend. I wish I was closer, so I can go there myself. It doesn’t look crowded, so looks like a really good escape
It’s definitely an awesome desert escape! Not crowded at all, plus the park is so huge so people are really spread out. Hope you can make it there one day!
The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park looks beautiful and interesting to visit in California. I never knew about this national park but now surely visit this place after reading your post. Thanks for sharing all the details.
Hi Yukti! It is so gorgeous, and being California’s largest State Park, it has so much to explore! I hope you love it as much as me and let me know if you have any questions before you visit 🙂
I am a novelist living in northern California. In my latest novel one of my characters spends a weekend in Borrego Springs at the beginning before the actual plot starts. I’ve never been there and your blog post has been so helpful! Thanks! My question is (if you wrote it I’m sorry, I guess I missed it) what time of year were you there?
Omg that is awesome! I’d love to read it! I was there at the end of December. I have also been in April, which was a little warmer and the flowers were blooming. Both visits were perfect!