Surrounded by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs is a small town clustered with pueblo-style buildings between San Diego and the Salton Sea. It has been designated as an International Dark Sky Community due to its exceptional stargazing and hosts astronomical events throughout the year.
Things to do in Borrego Springs
Borrego Springs’ main attraction is its access to California’s largest state park, which forms part of the Mohave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve. It is framed by the Vallecito and Santa Rosa mountains and encompasses several pre-Hispanic art sites. It also provides a habitat for desert bighorn sheep. From the park headquarters at Borrego Palm Canyon, you can soak up the magnificent views across the barren landscapes of the Borrego Badlands before exploring along Fonts Point Drive or the Slot Canyon and Cactus Loop trails.
At the Borrego Art Institute, you’ll find monthly changing shows featuring the works of local artists. You can get your hands dirty in the vegetable plots of the ArtPark or create your own works of art in the pottery studio. Classes, workshops and community events are held at the Borrego Art Institute throughout the year.
More than 130 metal sculptures designed by Ricardo Breceda are exhibited within the Galleta Meadows Estate, which can be explored on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. Get up close to large-scale dinosaurs, bighorn sheep and scorpions, as well as a 100-metre-long dragon that appears to be snaking its way across the desert sand.
Getting around Borrego Springs
Borrego Springs is just under two hours’ drive from San Diego and San Diego International Airport, which has flights to destinations across North America, Europe and Asia. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting to Borrego Springs and exploring the surrounding area.