Anza-Borrego Desert State Park ​

California's largest state park is a 600,000-acre expanse of badlands, slot canyons, and desert floor that erupts in wildflowers after wet winters with a ferocity that makes national news. The metal sculptures by artist Ricardo Breceda scattered across the Borrego Springs landscape — giant serpents, dinosaurs, and scorpions — add a surreal public art gallery to an already otherworldly place.

The Borrego Badlands are otherworldly — eroded clay and sandstone formations that look like another planet. Slot Canyon and The Slot offer narrow passage scrambles through carved rock. And the town of Borrego Springs, surrounded entirely by the park, is an International Dark Sky Community with stargazing so good it'll make Joshua Tree jealous.

Photo Gallery ​

Good to Know ​

Wildflower Season: February–April after wet winters. Check the park's wildflower hotline (yes, that's a real thing) before driving out.

Summer Heat: 110°F+ is normal. Visit October through April for your own safety.

Free Camping: Open camping is allowed throughout the park. Pull off a dirt road, set up camp, enjoy the silence.