One of my favorite parts about living in Southern California is that a new climate and terrain are only a few hours drive away. Matt and I decided to take a road trip for the day to Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. There’s something so calming about driving out to the desert and being one with nature. The flowers are starting to bloom and the bees are buzzing about.
How to Spend a Day in California’s Largest State Park
The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is California’s largest state park so you have plenty of time to explore. It’s only about 1.5 hours from San Diego, 2.5 from Orange County and about 3-4 hours from Los Angeles. If you plan on spending the night you’ll likely stay in Borrego Springs which sits inside the surrounding park. It’s a small town but there are some nice hotels with pools and a RV Resort.
Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center
The first stop of the day is the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center. There is a $10 entrance fee for parking, but it’s worth it! You can stop and talk to the park rangers to learn the best spots to visit in the park and learn about the various types of plants and birds.
Borrego Palm Canyon Trail
The second stop of the day included Borrego Palm Canyon Trail. It’s located just down the road from the Visitor Center. Your $10 parking ticket gives you access to the trail. You can access the trail through the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. You can hike the 3-mile trail pretty easily although there are a few rocky areas so make sure you have sneakers or hiking shoes.
Once you reach the end of the hike you’ll see a beautiful palm tree oasis. Of course, I was so busy enjoying I forgot to take pictures of this part, haha! These Fan Palms are native to California and they are massive!
The Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures
After you’ve finished hiking, take a short drive to the Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures. This was such a unique landmark. They are impossible to miss especially if you are coming from downtown. On both sides of the small highway running through the park you can see several different rust colored sculptures. My favorite was the serpent. It’s so gigantic that it stretches across on both sides of the highway and actually looks like it’s under the sand. You can use this map or ask for one at the Visitor Center so you can pick out a few sculptures that you’d like to see.
Of course Matt loved the fact that we could drive in his convertible and take desert photos with it! It makes all of our road trips so much more fun!
That pretty much sums up the day! The park is huge but most of it is open land so I covered most of the main highlights. If you love the desert, then making it a weekend trip would be great too! Happy wandering! xo
