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Borrego Springs, CA

first placement of the Gomphotherium free standing art structures.

History is unfolding in a town already filled with its own unique historical milestones. Borrego Springs has a new exhibit: Gomphotherium free standing art structures. Click here for more pictures, a video, and a map showing where they are located.


Annual Events
  • Borrego Springs Grapefruit Festival: Third Week of April
    This festival occurs near the end of the spring desert wildflower season and includes live music, dances, a tennis tournament, picnic, classic car show, and youth games.
  • Borrego Springs Days Desert Festival: Last Week of October
    This celebration marks the official kickoff of the tourism season with events including a parade, the Miss Borrego Pageant, dances, carnivals, live music, arts and crafts.

Borrego Springs

More Events
  • Borrego Springs Circle of Art - March
  • Pegleg Liars Contest - First Saturday in April 7pm
  • Borrego Springs Cinco de Mayo - May

Highways

  • County Highways S-3 and S-22 meet in downtown Borrego Springs. The Salton Sea is 30 miles to the east following S-22.

Airport

  • Borrego Valley Airport is located approximately 3 miles east of Borrego Springs. It has a pilot-activated, lighted, 5000-foot runway, fueling and space for overnight and longer stays. It is student pilot-friendly and has late-model rental cars available, a restaurant and information on numerous other activities. It also offers the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Sky Trail that gives pilots and their passengers a chance to enjoy natural and historic features of the park, many of which can only be viewed from the air. The Borrego Valley Airport has 99% clear skies.


Note: All weather statistics listed for the town of Borrego Springs are recorded by rangers at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Headquarters, 1.5 miles northwest of downtown. The elevation of the park visitor center is 780 feet above sea level, but the town itself is actually about 100 feet lower. The town is, therefore, less windy and tends to have greater extreme temperatures than those recorded in the park.

History

The first record of a European in Borrego Valley was when Lieutenant Pedro Fages of the San Diego Presidio came in search of deserters in 1772. His pursuit led him northwest through the present town of Borrego Springs and up Coyote Canyon.

This event was related by Kumeyaay Indians to members of the first Anza expedition, who camped at their village in March, 1774. The Spaniards called this village (and spring) just east of the Borrego Sink, San Gregorio. It is the location of the original Borrego Spring.

Juan Bautiste De Anza was seeking an overland route from Sonora, Mexico to Monterey, California. Proceeding west from San Gregorio, he and his party of 25 followed Coyote Creek and ascended Coyote Canyon. They camped the following night at the Cahuilla village of Lower Willows,

It was another hundred years before cattlemen began homesteading the Borrego Valley, in about 1875. The first successful well was dug in 1926, which quickly led to irrigation farming. By then, the town contained a post office, a small general store, and a gas station.

The presence of both the Army and the Navy during World War II brought the first paved roads and electricity to Borrego Springs. After the war, developers subdivided the area, attempting to create a resort community by capitalizing on the tourism generated by the state park.

The town Borrego Springs was never incorporated and, therefore, has no mayor or other form of municipal government.

Now history is unfolding in this town already filled with its own unique historical milestones. Borrego Springs now is the site of Gomphotherium free standing art structures. More information.

Things To Do

Lodging

There are resorts, hotels and motels in Borrego Springs, with something for every taste and price range. Click here for more information on reservations in Borrego Springs - featuring a complete list. (Rates, availability and reservations online.)

Camping & RV Parks

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has camping opportunities throughout its 600,000 acres. The busy season is Nov – March and most weekends get full pretty fast. For reservations, call 800-444-7275. Camping is site-specific, so it’s a good idea to have a particular campsite in mind when you call for a reservation. You can look at a campsite map here: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/AnzaBorregoDesertPDF.pdf For more information call the park at 760-767-5311.

Vital Statistics

Elevation

  • 780 feet above sea level

Location

  • Borrego Springs is located 78 miles northeast of San Diego in the Borrego Valley of southeastern California
  • It is situated in the extreme western Sonoran Desert and is completely surrounded by the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Population

  • 2,789 permanent
  • App. 10,000 in the winter season

Annual Temperatures and Precipitation

  • Borrego Springs is often listed as the hottest place in the U.S. on certain summer days.
  • All-time high monthly precipitation was 5.07 inches in September 1983 due to Hurricane Kathleen.
  • 6.86 inches (1962-1994 average).
  • The highest temperature recorded at Borrego Springs was 121 degrees in June, 1996.
  • Average Temperatures

Click for Borrego Springs, California Forecast

 Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - Monthly climate normals
  Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
 High  87 69  73  77 84  93 102 107 105
100
  90 78 69
 Low  58 43  46  49 53  60 68  75 74  69  60 50 43
 Avg  73 56  60  63 68  76 85  91 90  84  75 64 56
 Rain 6.51 1.0 1.0  .81 .23 .09 .02 .35 .67  .44  .31 .69 .86

Resources & Nearby Attractions

Resources

  • DesertUSA Trading Post
  • Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce
    P.O. Box 420 ~ Borrego Springs, CA 92004
    Toll Free 1-800-559-5524
    Tel. (760) 767-5555
    Fax: (760) 767-5976
    info@borregospringschamber.com

Cities & Towns

Parks & Monuments

Recreation & Wilderness Areas

Historic & Points of Interest