Borrego Springs is an unincorporated village in the far northeast corner of San Diego County where the desert begins. Its year-round population is approximately 3000, swelling to an estimated 10,000 or more during “snowbird” season. Many part-time residents come from the San Diego area, Orange County, the Pacific Northwest and Canada. The village prides itself on not having a single stoplight in town!
Borrego Springs sits in the middle of Anza-Borrego State Park and is the only community in the United States to be completed surrounded by a state park. It is the second community in the world to be certified as an International Dark Sky Community.
Here are some fun things to do in Borrego Springs!
Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association (ABDNHA)
Come visit us at the Desert Nature Center to shop and to get information on what to do while you’re town. We offer unique gifts, t-shirts, hats, and plenty of books about the desert.
Our outdoor Visitor Plaza with interpretative panels and a large Anza-Borrego map will help you plan out your day.
Take a leisurely stroll through our Desert Garden and our garden ramada with interesting interpretative displays.
Don’t forget to check out our three beautiful murals! The biggest mural is along the west side of the building, and two smaller ones are next to the large Anza-Borrego map and in the garden ramada.
ABDNHA is located at 652 Palm Canyon Drive.
Metal Sculptures
More than 130 large metal sculptures dot the desert landscape around Borrego Springs. They consist of ancient animals that once roamed here, historical figures, and many that are pure imagination. These sculptures were created by artist Ricardo Breceda.
Click here for more information about the sculptures.
State Park Visitor Center
Located at the top of Palm Canyon Drive (drive west from Christmas Circle towards the mountains), the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center has fascinating displays on the plants and animals of the desert, the paleontology, and archeology, as well as scheduled films on desert topics. The visitor center also has items for sale.
The 0.5-mile Visitor Center Nature Trail winds through the desert garden in front of the visitor center. Desert pupfish can also be seen at the park visitor center, in a small pond not far from the main entrance.
A $10 day-use parking fee applies.
Hikes
Of course, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offers plenty of hiking opportunities, but there are some hikes you can do right in town!
Borrego Palm Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in the park. You have a good chance at spotting bighorn sheep while hiking to the palm oasis. The trail starts at the very back of the campground. A $10 day-use parking fee applies.
The Visitor Center Nature Trail and Visitor Center to Campground Trail both start outside of the Visitor Center and are ADA-compliant. A $10 day-use parking fee applies.
Hellhole Canyon and Little Surprise Canyon are popular trails just off S-22 before you start to head up Montezuma Grade towards Ranchita. Hellhole Canyon will reward you with a palm oasis and a beautiful view of the valley as you return. A $10 day-use parking fee applies.
Glorietta Canyon is just a few miles off Borrego Springs Road south of town. You can choose to hike up the canyon or stroll through the wash.
Click here for more information on these and other hikes.
Walking Tours
ABDNHA offers two 1-mile self-guided walking tours to get you better acquainted with Borrego and its history.
The Downtown History Loop tour takes you past Borrego’s “downtown.” The tour brochure provides a map along with some interesting background history about most of the buildings.
The Borrego Church Loop tour is an easy stroll past a cluster of churches and the county park. The tour brochure provides a map and offers some fun history tidbits along the way.
Click here for more information on these walking tours and other hikes.
Driving Tours
ABDNHA offers five self-guided driving tours to get you better acquainted with the history and geology of Borrego Springs and the surrounding Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
The Discover the Agricultural History of Borrego Springs tour takes you for a drive (or a bicycle ride) past all of the significant agricultural sites in the valley. The tour brochure provides some interesting background history about these sites. Agriculture played a vital role in Borrego’s economy back in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Texas Dip/Highway 78/Yaqui Pass Triangle Tour is an interesting loop drive, not too far from town. As the name indicates, the route takes you through the Texas Dip, along highway 78 and back over Yaqui Pass. The tour brochure provides a map and details about various points of interest along the way, including a number of hiking trails.
The Erosion Road tour takes you through one of the most fascinating geologic landscapes in Anza-Borrego Desert. The drive starts at Christmas Circle and heads east on the Borrego-Salton Seaway (S-22) towards the Salton Sea. The tour brochure points out the interesting geologic features along the way.
The Split Mountain Gorge tour offers a 4WD adventure through Fish Creek Wash’s famous gorge, where you can view millions of years of geologic history. The tour brochure provides a map and describes fascinating geologic features on the way.
The Southern Emigrant Trail tour takes you a little further afield and gives you the opportunity to explore the less-visited southern part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This route was also known as the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, so there’s plenty of history in this area. The tour brochure provides a map and interesting bits of history along the way.
Click here for more information on interesting drives.
Programs and Lectures
For those who like to learn, ABDNHA offers a wide variety of programs and lectures throughout the year, with topics ranging from geology to astronomy to plants to wildlife. The state park, Anza-Borrego Foundation and the Borrego Art Institute also offer lectures and classes.
Click here to see upcoming ABDNHA programs in our activity calendar.
Click here to view the Borrego Events calendar and see what else is happening in Borrego.
Stargazing
Stargazing is a popular night-time activity here in Borrego Springs (and in the surrounding Anza-Borrego Desert as well). You can pretty much pick any spot to gaze at the stars and watch out for shooting stars, as long as you’re away from any bright lights.
Borrego Springs is proud to be designated as an International Dark Sky Community, the first in California and the second in the US. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is also recognized as an International Dark Sky Park.
Click here for more information on stargazing in Borrego Springs.
Click here for more information about the Borrego Dark Sky Coalition.
Shops, Galleries, Restaurants & Fruit Stands
Borrego Springs has plenty of fun and interesting shops in town, from thrift stores to gift shops to art galleries. We even have three grocery stores! We also have a number of restaurants for all appetites, serving coffee, ice cream, breakfast, burgers, salads, steak and seafood. During the winter season, the fruit stands are open, offering delicious local grapefruit, tangerines and dates.
Parks
Besides the magnificent Anza-Borrego Desert State Park surrounding Borrego Springs, there are a few other parks right in town that visitors can enjoy.
- Christmas Circle: This large traffic circle in the center of town has a beautiful, grassy community park with picnic tables and shade trees. The park hosts a number of events, such as the Borrego Springs Farmers Market, Art in the Park, Circle of Art and Borrego Days.
- Borrego Springs Park: This county park is directly across from the library with picnic tables, BBQs, a playground, tennis courts and two dog parks.
- Old Springs County Preserve: This undeveloped park, located at the eastern edge of town where Palm Canyon Drive turns north into Pegleg Road, is a great place to get away from the town lights and gaze at the stars.
Borrego Springs Library
The Borrego Springs Library is a beautiful state-of-the-art library, completed in December 2018. Visitors are welcome to browse the books inside or lounge outside on the expansive deck. The Friends of the Library operates a small used bookstore inside. The library offers lectures, classes, concerts and even Saturday matinees! The Borrego Springs Library is at 2580 Country Club Road, across from the post office.
Sports & Fitness
Borrego Springs offers plenty of hiking, biking and golf opportunities. Fitness and yoga classes are often available.
Click here for more information on hikes.
Click here for more information on biking.
Click here to view the Borrego Events calendar and see what fitness and yoga classes are being offered.
Local Events
Borrego Springs hosts a number of fun local events during the year, such as:
- Farmers Market: Shop for food and art at Christmas Circle on Fridays, 8 a.m. to noon, from November to April, hosted by the Borrego Chamber of Commerce. Here’s your chance to pick up fresh produce, desert plants, baked goods, dips, oils, lotions and hand-crafted goods!
- Art in the Park: Shop for local art at Christmas Circle on selected Saturdays from November to April, hosted by the Borrego Art Guild. It’s a perfect place to pick up something unique!
- Borrego Days: This annual desert festival takes place at Christmas Circle during a weekend in late October, hosted by the Borrego Chamber of Commerce. It’s great fun for the whole family!
- Circle of Art: Shop for art and food at this annual event held at Christmas Circle during a weekend in mid-March, hosted by Soroptimists Club. So many artists get to show off their creations!
- Desert Garden Tour: This annual self-guided tour of private homes & gardens takes place on a Saturday in mid-March, hosted by ABDNHA. It’s an opportunity to see some beautiful desert gardens as well as unique and interesting homes in Borrego.