Borrego Springs, CA
Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Annual Events
- Borrego Springs Days Desert
Festival: Last Week of October 26,27,28, 2012
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 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.
Things To Do
- Auto Tours
- Tour the Borrego Springs Sky Art
- Walking & Hiking
- Mountain Biking
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offers a wide variety of informative programs on topics such as astronomy, paleontology, geology, botany, zoology, history, wildflower reports and more.
- Golf - The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf
Course, Borrego Springs Resort, Roadrunner Golf and Country club and
the 9-hole, par-3 Club Circle Golf Course.
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.
NEW E-Book ROAD GUIDE TO BORREGO SPRINGS METAL ART SCULPTURES
History is unfolding in a town already filled with its own unique historical milestones. Borrego Springs has a new exhibit: Free standing art structures. Click here for more pictures, a video, and a map showing where they are located.
New book RICARDO BRECEDA Accidental Artist by: Diana Lindsay is now in DesertUSA's store.
Learn about the story behind the art.
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
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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.
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
- Julian, California: 20 miles west.
- Palm Springs, California: 90 miles north.
- San Diego, California: 78 miles west.
Parks & Monuments
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- Cuyamaca Ranch State Park: 25 miles west.
- Agua Caliente/Vallecito Regional Parks: 44 miles southwest.
Recreation & Wilderness Areas
- Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Recreation Area: Adjoins the park on the southeast corner.
- Imperial Sand Dunes: 70 miles east.
- Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge: 80 miles southeast.
- Salton Sea State Recreation Area: 65 miles northeast.
- Superstition Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area: 55 miles miles east.
Historic & Points of Interest
- Tumco/Hedges Ghost Town (BLM): 85 miles east.
Other DesertUSA Resources
Gem Trails Guides Books
Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post
Desert Rocks, Minerals & Geology Index
Desert Survival Primer
Desert Survival Kit
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SEARCH THIS SITE
Joshua Tree National Park - Black Eagle Mine Road Video - Beginning 6.5 miles north of the Cottonwood Visitor Center, this dead-end dirt road runs along the edge of Pinto Basin, crosses several dry washes, and then winds up through canyons in the Eagle Mountains. The first 9 + miles of the road are within the park boundary. Beyond that point is BLM land. Several old mines are located near this road.
Ocotillo Wells - Are You Riding Your ATV Over Gold? One of the most famous prospectors of the time, trapper/gold seeker "Pegleg Smith" traveled through the Anza Borrego region. It's rumored he discovered black gold somewhere in the east part of the Park. Where he found his gold has never been discovered, or if it has, the location has never been published or verified.
Randsburg, Living Ghost Town Video
Randsburg, California is located southwest of Ridgecrest, just off of Highway 395. Gold was first discovered here in 1895 at the Yellow Aster Mine. The mines of the area have produced over one million ounces of gold. Today the gold mining activities have been replaced by tourists shopping for antiques, part-time prospectors, and off-roaders looking for food and a rest stop.
More videos on the area
Anza Borrego - The Overview
Borrego Springs, CA
Free Standing Art Structures
Are you interested in the temperatures in the
desert?Click here to see current desert temperatures!
DesertUSA is a comprehensive resource about the North American deserts and Southwest destinations. Learn about desert biomes while you discover how desert plants and animals learn to adapt to the harsh desert environment. Find travel information about national parks, state parks, BLM land, and Southwest cities and towns located in or near the desert regions of the United States. Access maps and information about the Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert, and Chihuahuan Desert.
