Need a fun day trip or weekend escape into the desert? Head to Borrego Springs! Explore rugged landscapes, marvel at larger-than-life sculptures, and soak in dark, starry skies. Whether you’re hiking through canyons, chasing wildflowers, or relaxing under palm oases, Borrego Springs offers an unforgettable escape into Southern California’s natural beauty.
Borrego Springs, CA Highlights:
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Discover California’s largest state park with hiking trails, slot canyons, and stunning desert vistas.
- Galleta Meadows Sculptures: Wander among more than 130 massive metal sculptures of dinosaurs, dragons, and desert wildlife.
- Palm Canyon Trail: Hike to a hidden oasis with native California fan palms and seasonal waterfalls.
- Borrego Art Institute: View desert-inspired art exhibitions and local works at this vibrant gallery space.
- Sky Art Metal Sculptures: Spot fantastical creatures and historical figures across the open desert landscape.
When I like to visit
The best time to visit Borrego Springs is during the fall through spring (October–April). Cooler temperatures make it ideal for hiking, sightseeing, and enjoying seasonal wildflower blooms in late winter and early spring.
Tips for getting There
- If you are traveling by car: Borrego Springs is about 2 hours northeast of San Diego or 3 hours southeast of Los Angeles, reached via CA-78 or S-22 (Montezuma Valley Road).
- By Plane: The nearest major airport is San Diego International Airport (SAN); rental cars are necessary to reach and explore Borrego Springs.
- By Train: There is no direct train service; Amtrak reaches nearby towns, but Borrego Springs itself requires a car.
Where I like to stay
- La Casa del Zorro Resort & Spa – Historic luxury resort offering pools, tennis courts, and serene desert surroundings.
- Borrego Springs Resort & Spa – Relaxed resort with a golf course, spa, and beautiful views of the surrounding desert.
- Palm Canyon Hotel & RV Resort – Fun Western-themed lodging with cozy rooms and easy access to Anza-Borrego trails.
Best Things to Do
1. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is California's largest state park, spanning more than 600,000 acres throughout the Borrego Springs region. The park stretches 25 miles by 50 miles and is framed by the Bucksnort, Santa Rosa, Jacumba, Vallecito, Pinyon, and Borrego mountain ranges and natural features such as the Salton Trough and Carrizo Badlands. A park visitor center showcases exhibits on the area's natural and cultural history, showcasing a full-sized Aiolornis incredibilis model. More than 500 miles of visitor access roads are offered throughout the park, including California Route 78 and County Routes S1, S2, S3, and S22. Biking and 4x4 vehicle routes are also offered, along with hundreds of miles of hiking trails.
200 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, Phone: 760-767-4205
2. Galleta Meadows
Galleta Meadows is a roadside attraction along the Southern California S-3 highway, crafted by artist and welder Ricardo Breceda, known as the welder of Perris, California's "Jurassic Park" exhibit. More than 130 metal sculptures are showcased along the highway within the city of Borrego Springs, commissioned by the former owner of the Galleta Meadows Estates. Sculptures include giant elephants, raptors, dinosaurs, mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers, which are positioned at sites along Borrego Springs and Henderson Canyon Roads. Printed maps of the sculpture area are offered at the Borrego Springs Library, the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, and the Anza-Borrego Foundation.
Borrego Springs Road, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004
3. Fonts Point
Fonts Point is a remote location within the Borrego Badlands, offering one of the most unparalleled overlook vistas in all of Southern California. The overlook is named for Father Pedro Font, the official chaplain and diarist for the 1775 de Anza expeditions throughout the region, which resulted in the choosing of the site for the Mission San Francisco de Asis. It can only be accessed via a four-mile loose sand road that is typically only amenable to four-wheel-drive and off-roading vehicles. Half-day excursions to the point are offered by a number of local touring companies. Visitors attempting the drive on their own should exercise extreme caution, as roads can be very difficult and automobile services are scarce in the area.
Borrego Springs, CA is about 3 hours from Los Angeles.
What to do if you are traveling with kids:
4. Slot Canyon
Slot Canyon, also nicknamed The Slot, is a 0.8-mile hike within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park that is one of the park's most beloved visitor attractions, offering the opportunity to pass through a narrow siltstone canyon with a gravity-defying passage. The hike commences from a trailhead parking lot, descending less than 100 feet into the ravine below. A variety of beautiful natural wonders are showcased along the hike, including spectacular cliffs and a unique scepter-shaped rock slab that bridges a gap in the canyon. The trailhead is accessible from Christmas Circle and Borrego Springs Road and also provides access to a trail ascending to the summit of West Butte at an elevation of 1,207 feet.
Borrego Mountain Wash, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
5. Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail
Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail is a three-mile round-trip hike through a native palm oasis within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The hike lasts approximately two hours round-trip and traverses a self-guided nature trail that passes native populations of beavertail and cholla cacti, desert lavender bushes, ocotillo plants, catclaw, and honey mesquite. The region is also home to populations of desert animals such as Peninsular bighorn sheep, pack rats, iguanas, California quail, and Costa's hummingbirds, along with "painted" rocks that are covered in microscopic bacteria colonies. At the end of the hike, visitors reach the natural oasis, which is surrounded by California fan palm trees and features stones placed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
200 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, Phone: 760-767-4205
Activities and Attractions for Couples:
6. Borrego Night Sky Tours
Borrego Night Sky Tours offer guided night sky excursions led by acclaimed astronomer Dennis Mammana, who has worked as a planetarium director and producer at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and the Strasenburgh Planetarium. Mammana is a prominent author of astronomy books and manages the sStargazer syndicated astronomy newspaper column, one of only six members of the prestigious international The World At Night society. Today, he guides night sky tours throughout California's only International Dark Sky Community, with tours available throughout the year on select dates depending on astronomical conditions. Evening observation programs offer opportunities to use telescopes to observe the night sky, with more personal instructor interaction than standard observatory public star parties.
Christmas Cir, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, Phone: 760-767-3656
7. Borrego Art Institute
Borrego Art Institute is a contemporary art institute and nonprofit organization that opened to the public in 2005 as a partnership between businessman Dennis Nourse and Borrego Springs artist Nita Wipper. The institute is located within a historic retail building designed in 1949 by Kesling Modern Structures that was reconstructed and renovated for the institute's use in 2005. Rotating art shows are hosted at the institute, featuring the works of top regional artists, including an annual summer show that serves as a mixed media platform for the city's top artists. A variety of adult and child art workshops are also offered by the institute at its pottery studio and ArtFarm Gardens. Visitors may enjoy the institute's Kesling's Kitchen restaurant, a quick-casual restaurant serving Neapolitan-style flatbread pizzas and sandwiches cooked in a Mugnaini wood-fired oven.
665 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, Phone: 760-767-5152
8. Hellhole Canyon Trail
Hellhole Canyon Trail is a 5.5-mile round-trip hike within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, offering opportunities to see its striking eponymous canyon and the seasonal 20-foot Maidenhair Falls. The canyon trailhead is located just south of the park's visitor center against the backdrop of the San Ysidro Mountains. Throughout the hike, visitors gain an elevation of more than 1,000 feet, merging with the California Riding and Hiking Trail at the quarter-mile mark. Hikers pass ocotillo and creosote bushes throughout the route, with the trail becoming less defined and more difficult as hikers reach its peak. During the spring months or after rains, the waterfall rushes spectacularly. Visitors may enter the cascade's knee-deep tributary waters with caution for showers from the waterfall.
Montezuma Valley Road (Route S22), Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
9. Coyote Canyon
Coyote Canyon is a favorite point within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, accessible from Christmas Circle and Southern California Route S-22. The 9.6-mile trail is divided into two sections at Upper and Lower Coyote Canyon, which are accessible from a trailhead at the Terwilliger Valley settlement. Riparian areas and peninsular bighorn sheep habitats are showcased along the upper portion of the trail, which is a popular spot for horseback riders, mountain bikers, and hikers. Several sections of the trail have been permanently closed to motor vehicles since the 1980s, including the gap between the Upper and Lower portions of the trail. Spectacular views of the Santa Rosa and San Ysidro Mountains are offered from the deep canyon trail, which reaches peak elevations of 4,200 feet.
200 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, Phone: 760-767-4205
10. Rams Hill Golf Club
Rams Hill Golf Club was originally designed by legendary golf course architect Tom Fazio, operating for several decades before it closed due to the 2009 financial crisis in the United States. For half a decade, the course laid vacant and had begun to be reclaimed by the desert, but in 2014, it was extensively renovated and reopened to the public as a modern, sustainable facility powered by a 3.5-acre solar farm and bio-retention basins. The new course has won a number of international golf awards, including top 25 course rankings from Golf Advisor and TripAdvisor. Visitors can enjoy the course's 18 majestic holes, which traverse beautiful desert regions that are home to red tail hawks, frogs, and coyotes. Stay and play packages are offered at the course's House on the Hill rental home, which sleeps up to eight guests per night. The course is also home to the elegant fine dining establishment Rams Hill Restaurant, which offers farm-to-table fare prepared by executive chef Jeremy Manley.
1881 Rams Hill Rd, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, Phone: 760-767-3500
Where I Like to Eat
- Kendall’s Café – Cozy diner offering hearty breakfasts, burgers, and friendly small-town vibes.
- Carmelita’s Mexican Grill – Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine and refreshing margaritas on a breezy patio.
- The Propeller Restaurant at Borrego Valley Airport – Unique spot for comfort food with desert and runway views.
My favorite local events:
- Borrego Springs Film Festival (January) – Celebrate independent films with screenings, panels, and filmmaker meet-and-greets.
- Borrego Days Desert Festival (October) – Family-friendly weekend of parades, live music, food, and classic desert hospitality.
- Spring Wildflower Season (February–March) – Witness breathtaking desert blooms after rainy winters, a rare and spectacular event.
My favorite day trips within 30 Minutes of Borrego Springs, California:
- Font’s Point (20–25 min) – Nicknamed "California’s Grand Canyon," this viewpoint offers sweeping vistas of badlands and desert landscapes.
- The Slot Canyon (20–25 min) – Hike a narrow, winding slot canyon for a thrilling and photogenic adventure.
- Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (30 min) – Explore desert dunes by off-road vehicles or hike remote sandy trails.
- Clark Dry Lake (15–20 min) – Wander an ancient dry lakebed framed by dramatic mountain backdrops.
- Yaqui Well Trail (20 min) – Short hike to a hidden spring that draws wildlife and showcases desert biodiversity.
- Hawk Watch at Coyote Canyon (Seasonal, 20 min) – Watch for migrating hawks and other raptors during spring migration season.
Plan Your Trip