Anza Borrego Desert State Park : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Overview

The Anza Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California, containing over 600,000 acres of the Colorado Desert. It lies approximately 2 hours east of San Diego. The elevation of the park varies from just above sea level to over 6,000 feet. The most popular activities include hiking, backpacking, and camping. The park also has countless miles of 4wd roads and mountain bike trails. Due to high temperatures, the park is best visited during late fall, winter, and early spring.

The name "Anza Borrego" was derived from the name of Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish explorer, and the Spanish word "borrego" which translates to bighorn sheep. The park was established in 1933.

Important Phone Numbers

Visitor Center	760-767-5311
Emergency	911
Borrego Medical Center	760-767-5051
Poison Center	760-543-6000
Road Conditions	760-767-ROAD

Getting There

Access to the park can be had from highways 8, 78, and 86. Due to the size of the park and the fact that there are over 500 miles of roads within the park, no one set of directions will get everyone where they need to go. Click here for a good map of the park, and visit the peak pages for more specific directions.

Red Tape

There is some confusion in regards to the red tape in the park. There are no fees or permits required for parking, hiking, or backcountry camping with a couple exceptions. If you enter the park by parking your vehicle in the Clevend National Forest, you will need an Adventure Pass. There is also a fee ($6) to park at the Palm Canyon Campground. The developed campgrounds also require fees and reservations. See the camping section.

Coyote Canyon is closed June 1 - September 30 to allow the bighorn sheep uninterrupted access to the creek during the hot summer months.

Partially located within the park is the Carrizo Impact Area. Entrance into this area is forbidden. The region was used by the Navy for target practice during World War II and the Korean War. While this activity stopped long ago, unexploded ordinance still poses a threat. You can learn more about the region here.

The Peaks

Combs Peak	Garnet Peak
Granite Mountain	Indianhead Peak
San Ysidro Peak	Sunset Mountain
Whale Peak

Peak Information

Peak	Page By	Map	Elevation	Nearest Highway
Chariot Mountain	N/A	X	4644 ft	S2
Combs Peak	NavySeabee	X	6193 ft	79
Coyote Peak	N/A	X	3192 ft	S22
Garnet Peak	thebeave7	X	5900 ft	S1
Granite Mountain	thebeave7	X	5633 ft	S2
Grapevine Mountain	N/A	X	3831 ft	78
Indianhead Peak	Shano	X	3960 ft	S22
Round Mountain	N/A	X	3367 ft	8
San Ysidro Peak	erock	X	6147 ft	S22
Sunset Mountain	BCL	X	3657 ft	78
Table Mountain	N/A	X	4089 ft	8
Mount Tule	N/A	X	4647 ft	8
Villager Peak	N/A	X	5756 ft	S22
Whale Peak	Dennis Poulin	X	5349 ft	S2

Camping

There are three established campgrounds within the park. Reservations are required from September - May. There is a reservation fee of $7.50. The remainder of the year is first come, first served. More information can be found and reservations can be made HERE.

There are a few primative campgrounds within the park. They do not have tiolets or tables. They can be located on this MAP.

Backcountry camping is also allowed within the park. Your vehicle must be one full car length off the road. Also, fires must be contained in metal containers. Firewood must be hauled in and ashes hauled out.

Weather

The current weather conditions can be found here.

Satistical averages can be found here.

Based on the summit registers I've read, only heavy drug users visit the park during the summer.