Borrego In 1 Day
Borrego Springs Itineraries
Borrego Springs is a great 1-day trip from San Diego and Palm Springs. If you have 2-3 days, you can do so much more. The town and park have something for everyone. Beautiful hotels and resorts, where you can treat yourself to a nurturing massage, relax by the pool, or play golf on one of the excellent courses. Or camp and experience the desert in the most intimate way. Rent a cabin or a vintage airstream. Your itinerary will depend on the time of the year (you are in the desert after all) but for each season there is an exciting place to visit and explore.
Borrego in 1 DAY
Start at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center
Before setting out to hike a portion of the 110 miles of trails within the park, or do anything else in this park, stop by the Visitor Center. Here you can get advice from rangers on which trails will suit your hiking style and pick up maps. Be sure to watch the informational video in the center to learn all about the land’s transformation over the millennia from ocean, to valleys filled with grazing animals, to the desert it is today.
Go on a hike and look for Bighorn Sheep
Borrego Springs is named for its resident bighorn sheep (Borrego means sheep or lamb in Spanish.) So, of course, you will want to try to spot some Borrego during your stay! Your ranger can inform you where the latest sightings are. A regular hangout for these amazing sheep is around the Palm Canyon Trail, an easy 3-mile round trip hike that leads to a grove of palm trees, called the Palm Oasis.
Head back to the town center for lunch
Borrego Springs has plenty of great places to eat that will fit any palate or budget. From savory fresh authentic Mexican to wood-fired gourmet style pizzas to good-old-fashioned Americana. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the town has a list of restaurants that will quench your thirst and still your hunger.
Walk in the Borrego Art Institute at Christmas Circle
This gallery provides an endless variety of high-quality paintings, photographs, and sculptures. Desert motifs naturally are popular, but other subjects are shown as well. Admission is free. The staff is friendly and happy to answer questions about any of the work on display and the artists.
Stop by Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association
Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association desert store, which is one block west of downtown’s Christmas Circle. (ABDNHA “ABNA”) sponsors approximately 150 hikes, lectures, tours, special events, and educational programs each year. A place to ask questions, browse through numerous books about the park and history of the area. Maps and gift items related to the desert can be found here as well.
Erosion Road Self-Guided Auto Tour
Enjoy these self-guided tour routes to visit the desert viewpoints. Erosion Road tour is an introduction to the geology of the Anza-Borrego Desert. It includes stops at the Coyote and Santa Rosa Mountains, Font’s Point, Clark Dry Lake, Font’s Point Wash and an overlook of the Borrego Badlands. Get your copy at: The State Park Visitors Center or at the Anza-Borrego Foundation or Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association.
Encounter dozens of art sculptures in Galleta Meadows
Take your car and encounter dozens of large, free-standing metal sculptures of prehistoric animals such as mammoths, giant birds and saber-toothed cats, as well as leaping horses and imaginary creatures. The heavy-duty sculptures created by sculptor Ricardo Breceda weigh between 800 and 1,000 pounds each and were commissioned by the late millionaire Dennis Avery. Avery’s vision for Galleta Meadows was an open desert art museum for all to enjoy, free of charge. Get a map for self-touring or pick up a visitor’s guide downtown.