Ranger Tales
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Borrego Springs, California

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

California's largest state park — a vast Colorado Desert wilderness wrapped around Borrego Springs, from the dramatic Montezuma Grade to palm canyons, badlands, and the giant metal sky-art sculptures.

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Self-guided audio tours

The Anza-Borrego tour

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park — The Borrego Springs DriveDriving tourCarPlay

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park — The Borrego Springs Drive

31 stops· 46 min· 46.2 mi

A self-guided driving tour of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park — the largest state park in California, a vast Colorado-Desert wilderness wrapped around the little town of Borrego Springs. Ranger Quinn drives you down the dramatic Montezuma Grade and out to the palm canyons, the giant metal sky-art sculptures, and the badlands; Ranger Boone Merrick pulls you over for the old desert stories — Anza's winter crossing, Pegleg's lost gold, the phantom stage. Best in the cool season (Oct-April) — summer here is dangerously hot. The park is free to drive; a few developed lots charge $10. Cell signal is thin; works offline.

Waterfalls & landmarks

What you'll see

Tap any landmark for a visitor guide — what it is, where it is, and how to hear its story.

Anza-Borrego Visitor Center
Anza-Borrego Visitor Center
Anza's Gamble: The Winter Crossing
Anza's Gamble: The Winter Crossing
Big Sky, Open Flats
Big Sky, Open Flats
Borrego Palm Canyon
Borrego Palm Canyon
Christmas Circle — Heart of Borrego Springs
Christmas Circle — Heart of Borrego Springs
Climbing Toward Yaqui
Climbing Toward Yaqui
Coyote Canyon — Anza's Road
Coyote Canyon — Anza's Road
Desert Scrub & Big Sky
Desert Scrub & Big Sky
Font's Point — The Grand Canyon of the Desert
Font's Point — The Grand Canyon of the Desert
Heat Rising to Meet You
Heat Rising to Meet You
Henderson Canyon Sky Art
Henderson Canyon Sky Art
Ice-Age Safari — South Sculptures
Ice-Age Safari — South Sculptures
Into the Badlands Country
Into the Badlands Country
Last of the Grade
Last of the Grade
Off the Pinyon Tops
Off the Pinyon Tops
Pegleg's Black Gold
Pegleg's Black Gold
Tamarisk Grove
Tamarisk Grove
The Floor of an Old Sea
The Floor of an Old Sea
The Galleta Flats
The Galleta Flats
The Long Unwinding
The Long Unwinding
The Palm Oasis
The Palm Oasis
The Palms That Burned
The Palms That Burned
The Pegleg Monument
The Pegleg Monument
The Phantom Stage
The Phantom Stage
The Serpent of Galleta Meadows
The Serpent of Galleta Meadows
The South Country Light
The South Country Light
The Steel Beasts and the Real Bones
The Steel Beasts and the Real Bones
Where the Creosote Starts
Where the Creosote Starts
Yaqui Well — The Desert Spring
Yaqui Well — The Desert Spring
Plan your visit

Good to know

Is there a self-guided audio tour of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?
Yes — Ranger Tales offers 1 self-guided audio tour of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. California's largest state park — a vast Colorado Desert wilderness wrapped around Borrego Springs, from the dramatic Montezuma Grade to palm canyons, badlands, and the giant metal sky-art sculptures. Each plays by GPS and works offline.
Do the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park tours work without cell signal?
Yes. Download before you go and the audio plays by your phone's location even with no signal — ideal for Borrego Springs, California.
How do I get the tours?
Download the free Ranger Tales app from the App Store and unlock the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park tour(s) inside the app.
🎧 Get the tour

Explore Anza-Borrego Desert State Park with a ranger

Download the tour, leave your phone in your pocket, and let it play itself as you go. Works offline.

Get it on the App Store