Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the second largest state park in the contiguous United States - only Adirondack Park in New York is larger. The park is crisscrossed with dirt roads, hiking trails and a few paved roads. It’s managed similar to BLM lands with boondocking permitted almost everywhere.
The sole purpose of our visit was to see the super bloom which, due to winter rains, is the best in a dozen years. It’s amazing! The area around the park visitor center is a good place to see masses of flowers.
The visitor center has displays on the human history, plant life and geology in the park. A hard packed dirt trail loops through a desert garden. A paved trail with interpretive signs goes to the campground. It’s one way and slightly downhill so the return trip is uphill.
The parking lot has long RV spaces and RVs can be also be parked along the edges. Gravel makes pushing difficult so park in the accessible spots if possible.
We boondocked Yaqui Well Camping Area, south of the park for a day and at Rockhouse Trail, east of the park the next day. Yaqui Wells is an official primitive camp area with a vault toilet but nothing else. The road is very sandy without any place to pull over but if you drive in as far as the toilet there is a large clearing where RVs will fit. Tent camper can get more seclusion and good open spots by packing their supplies into the surrounding brush.
Rockhouse Trail is a very large sandy plateau which is posted with “no trespassing” signs but that does not seem to be enforced as many people boondock at this spot.
The park also has accessible camping sites.
Yrs, it is spectacular! I'm so glad that we happened to be close enough to go see it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! We'll be there Monday. Heard it's pretty crowded but we're hoping it won't be bad during the week.
ReplyDeleteYou'll love it! Go early in the morning and it shouldn't be too crowded. The parking lot at the visitor center fills but there's a pretty constant stream of people leaving. We were able to get a spot both days. Many people were parking closer to town and walking so you have to watch for pedestrians along the road which is too narrow for them.
DeleteYou guys have a definite advantage as long distance hikers. You'll be able to get away from the crowds. Have fun!
next year ...
ReplyDeleteI hope next year is just as beautiful. We've never seen anything like this!
DeleteOh wow, lucky you to see the desert in bloom. I wish, I wish, I wish we could be there, too, but not this year. Thanks for sharing your photos. They're beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks and you're welcome!
DeleteI think you have something better than the bloom to occupy your time this spring! :-)