Overlanding in Anza Borrego State Park

If you have never heard of the Anza Borrego State Park, then let us fill you in on this park. This area is a state park located in California, more specifically in the Colorado desert in southern California. Especially during the Summer months, this area of California is always scorching hot, very similar to the heat in Death Valley. Besides the heat today we will be discussing everything you need to know about overlanding on the Anza Borrego State Park. This includes information such as: how difficult the Anza Borrego’s trails are, what you should bring to Overland in Anza Borrego, and much more. Enjoy!

How Difficult are the Anza Borrego Trails?

There are over 500 miles of trails for you to overland or off-road on, which makes it one of the widest variety of difficulties in the state. This is due to the vast range of the state park, taking up over 600,000 acres and different types of land. Back to the difficulty of the trails specifically, they are on the technical rating scale of green to blue. This means that there are many different technical sections that have been determined to be easy to moderately technical sections along the park. If this is your first time, then you will likely want to have a spotter get out of the vehicle and watch you along the way. Besides that you should be able to drive along the trails just fine for the most part.

What Should You Bring to Overland in Anza Borrego

As for the equipment that you should bring with you for overlanding on this trip, we will begin with vehicle recommendations. For the most part, you could get away with a stock vehicle here, however, the most common recommendation is to have a high clearance 4×4 vehicle that also has all-terrain tires. If you understand what a sprinter 4×4 is, those are not really recommended here.

Besides getting the proper tires and extra suspension on your vehicle, you have to keep in mind that with the extended length of your trip compared to normal stays, you will have to bring an above-average number of supplies along with you. These trips typically last four to six days, so you certainly need to bring nearly double the amount of your typical food and water supplies at least. Again similar to Death Valley, you are really going to want to bring water above all else. This is due to the desert climate of the state park which will have your mouth dry all day long, even after drinking plenty of water. Per usual, do not forget to bring sunscreen and other sun-blocking material because sun poisoning and sunburn will only make your experience even worse. 

How to Prep for Anza Borrego

Last but not least, we have the preparation that you should take before getting to the park, not including making your reservation and modifying your vehicle. First and foremost you want to get experience with overlanding and off-roading before you make the trip. You are also going to want to prepare your body for the warm weather and being out in the sun all day, so purchase some high-quality sunscreen and other outdoor gear. Again we cannot stress enough the importance of water on this trip, so make sure you are staying hydrated even before you make the trek out to Anza Borrego. This will be one of the best lines of defense for your body if you do fall to the heat of the sun on your trek. With this preparation, you are sure to enjoy your trip to Anza Borrego.

Overall we hope that you found this article helpful for today and learned something new in the process. Anza Borrego State Park is one of the most fun locations to go Overlanding in the western hemisphere so prepare well and enjoy your trip!

Where to Camp Along the Anza Borrego Backcountry?

Fonts Point Plateau near Borrego Springs, California

California Department of Parks and Recreation

Location: 33.2569832, -116.2330627

Clark Dry Lake

California Department of Parks and Recreation

Location: 33.2986, -116.273

Off Glorietta Canyon Road near Borrego Springs, CA

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Dispersed Camping

Location: 33.20979848738391, -116.3623035

Cost: $0

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Fish Creek Campground

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Primitive Camp

Location: 33.0342, -116.1046

Cost: $0

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Blair Valley Campground near Julian, CA

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Primitive Camp

Location: 33.0377, -116.4096

Cost: $0

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Arroyo Salado Campground near Borrego Springs, CA

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Primitive Camp

Location: 33.2829, -116.1523

Cost: $0

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Yaqui Pass Campground near Borrego Springs, CA

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Primitive Camp

Location: 33.1489, -116.3492

Cost: $0

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Yaqui Well Campground near Borrego Springs, CA

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Primitive Camp

Location: 33.1368, -116.3804

Cost: $0

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Bow Willow Campground near Julian, CA

California Department of Parks and Recreation | Primitive Camp

Location: 32.8422, -116.2259

Cost: $0

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How Do I Get to Anza Borrego?

First of all, this state park is located eighty miles northwest of San Diego and is again the largest state park in all of California. This has some pros and cons, as many more visitors will be at the state park, but at least California has done a better job at making the park easily accessible to all. Besides typing in the location of the park on your phone, you should also understand that the park as a whole is completely free. This is simply one of the perks of being a state park!

However, the park does charge an entry fee to the more popular features of the park such as Borrego Palm Canyon, and of course the Visitor Center as well. For those coming from out of state, it will cost you between $5 to $10 to enter these features, but for those that live in California, you can simply purchase the annual state park pass which waives these fees. You are also going to want to make a reservation for your camping pass in the state park well before you get to the park. Once you have obtained your permit and put the location in your GPS, you will be all set!

Maps and Resources

There have been many trail guides and related resources published about the Anza Borrego State Park. Here are some of our recommendations.

Trail Videos

The Anza Borrego State Park is quite expansive with a lot of trails and areas to explore. Many have been well documented.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you have fires in Anza Borrego?

First are permitted at a designated campground in the firerings.

For primitive camping, ground fires are not allowed, so bring a portable metal campfire pit. You should camp 100 yards from any water source.

When can I see the Wild flower in Anza Borrego

With hundreds of different flower species in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, when you decided to go will depend on the flowers you want to see. Thousands of people travel to the area in March-April as this is traditionally when the flowers begin to bloom after the end of Winter and Spring Rains. The blooms last a few weeks so timing is key.