Anza Borrego State Park was the last stop on our Southern California road trip sponsored by Visit California and Go RVing. We drove the RV we rented on Outdoorsy from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach to Oceanside before ending in Anza Borrego State Park. Here’s our list of things to do in Anza Borrego State Park to make your trip the best possible. It was a big change from my winter trip to Lake Tahoe.
Anza Borrego RV Camping
If you’re RVing like we were the only place you should consider booking in Anza Borrego for RV camping is The Springs at Borrego RV Resort. The Springs at Borrego RV Resort is one of the best RV parks I have ever come across. The scenery in the RV park is just gorgeous in addition to its great amenities like the golf course and pool. Never RV’d before? Here are 6 tips for first time RVers along with an article to show you what vacationing in an RV looks like.
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Things to Do in Anza Borrego State Park
Day One: Galleta Meadows and Ram’s Hill Clubhouse
We arrived to Anza Borrego State Park late in the afternoon. Since we had an early dinner reservation we stayed near to our RV park and explored the Galleta Meadows. The Galleta Meadows are popular sculptures scattered around town of mainly animals, by artist Ricardo Breceda. They are quite a site to see in the middle of the desert.
After driving around to the different sculptures we had an amazing dinner at Ram’s Hill Clubhouse. Dinner ended at 8 p.m. the time of year we visited but their hours vary based on the season. Some days they close as early as 4 p.m. so check online before showing up. I ordered the seafood risotto which was topped with the most amazing blacked piece of fish I’ve ever tasted. They also have a kids menu and my daughter was ecstatic to find mac and cheese on it.
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The patio has the most gorgeous views of the mountains and sunset which we enjoyed after dinner. There is plenty of seating and a fire-pit you can enjoy into the night.
Things to Do in Anza Borrego State Park Day Two
We made breakfast in our RV before kicking off the day at the Anza Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center. You’ll need to pay to park in the lot here ($10) but RV parking is available. While the visitors center is quite small it has an informative museum and discovery center for kids.
The discovery center is filled with interactive activities to teach children facts about Anza Borrego State Park. The exhibit had statues of the various animals found in the desert along with other species and plants. My daughter especially loved figuring out what type of animals all the fossils were from and digging for fossils. They do offer a Junior Ranger Program but the recommended age is 6+.
After exploring the Anza Borrego State Park Visitor’s Center we had lunch at Carlee’s, a local favorite. It’s an old school bar and restaurant that serves burgers and fries.
After our early lunch we went back to our RV park and beat the heat swimming in the pool. It was the perfect midday break for my 3-year-old. We splashed around for two hours, jumping in and out of the pool until it was time for our desert tour.
Since we were traveling in our rented RV and didn’t have a 4WD vehicle we booked a tour to explore Anza Borrego Desert State Park. While there is a road that goes through the desert we could have driven our RV we couldn’t get to the various look out points without hiking 4+ miles. If you also find yourself without a 4WD the only tour operator in the area that goes deep into the desert is California Overland.
They offer a variety of tours including private tours, desert camping and public desert tours. Based on the tours offered the while we were in Anza Borrego State Park we joined the 3pm two and a half hour Badlands Adventure Tour. The tour had four stops including a mud cave, Vista del Malpais and the infamous Font’s Point where we saw the badlands in all its glory.
After the tour it was time for dinner. We dined at Red Ocotillo which is a farm to table restaurant. At the entrance you can see their garden to the left where many of their ingredients are grown. The pesto chicken entree my dad ordered was exquiste. My daughter was so tired from our day she slept through dinner, it just means she had a great day!
One of the most popular things to do in Anza Borrego State Park is stargazing. It’s one of the only eight Dark Sky Communities. Unfortunately for us the two nights we were there it was a full-moon which meant there were no stargazing tours available. Still we saw way more stars than we do in busy, always lit Miami! If you visit when there is not a full moon here are some tips for stargazing in Anza Borrego State Park.
Other Things to Do in Anza Borrego State Park
Hike in Anza Borrego State Park! While we didn’t get to go on any proper hikes on this trip (we ran out of time), Anza Borrego State Park has some nice ones. The most popular hike and one we wanted to do is the Borrego Palm Canyon. It’s a 2.9-mile loop where you can see the California fan palms and where they naturally grow. To get here you have to drive four miles from Borrego Springs to the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. Check out some other great hikes here.
Sadly our time in Anza Borrego State Park had come to an end. Even more sadly so had our Southern California RV road trip. We hope you found some great things to do in Anza Borrego State Park along with nearby cities Oceanside and Huntington Beach. Looking for other domestic trip ideas? Our other favorites include Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, our Southwest road trip, our Colorado ski trip, and New Orleans. If you found this blog post helpful please share it!