As California's largest State Park, Anza-Borrego is another spot everyone should have on their…read morebucket list. They have some great trails, camping, star gazing, and a bunch of giant statues that are fun to check out. The visitor's center was fun with a friendly staff. Don't forget to ask about the Junior Ranger Program. We saw two coyotes outside the visitor's center. We did the Palm Canyon Trail. It was an easy and short trail that was perfect for kids. We walked past 4-5 bighorn sheep. That was very cool. Keep in mind there are certain areas that can only be reached if your vehicle has AWD. The town of Borrego Springs is nice with a couple restaurants, shops, and places to stay. Looking back, it would have been nice to spend the night to stargaze. Don't forget to hiking smart: sun protection and plenty of water. Stay on the trials. Leave no trace. And have fun.

Spectacular desert views just a short drive from San Diego or Los Angeles yet it feels like you're…read moreon another continent. Try a late March trip to see the desert floor ablaze in springtime flower colors, or the "secret" Dinosaur Trail, or searching for ancient Pictographs in the Blair Valley section of Coyote Canyon. Anza Borrego never disappoints for those seeking adventure right here in Southern California!

This is my first visit to this park, it is beautiful! We…read morewere told by our host at our RV camp they recently build it. Come and enjoy and respect this beautiful gem at Borrego for our children and the community. They have an outdoor fitness system, tennis courts, a basketball court, volleyball field and and an enclosed off-leash dog park and of course a big beautiful playground. You can access the restrooms right behind the sheriff's building. The library is just right across one of the parking lots. Don't litter! Thank you Borrego Springs my children enjoyed it so much.

Borrego Springs is a small desert town between the Salton Sea and Anza Borrego State Park…read more Anza borrego is the State of Cali's largest state park and is part of San Diego County (not Imperial Co.). There is one major street with various merchants like a cafe, art gallery, liquor store, museum/cultural center, parks, palm trees and all kinds of churches. Also visible are some golf courses and tennis courts. No stop lights or street lights. Astronomy is a big deal here hence the darkness. Bit too polluted/windy for a crazy night sky. On other occassions the night sky is killer like in joshua tree. Hot and nasty though. Sorry. No night sky pics with my canon this time around. The 2010 census claims 3500 ish peeps. Locals are super friendly, and will wave, greet or hold the door open. Numerous festivals are held year round like art festivals or walking events. Great spot to visit!!!

It's definitely a must do hike when you're visiting Anza borrego, Borrego springs or even Julian. I…read morewent here early May so it was extremely hot, even though I reached the trailhead around 9am. The drive to the parking lot was a little weird because after you get off the freeway, there is a dirt road for about 1.5-2 miles on which there were a lot of signs that said "no vehicles allowed" and "foot traffic only" so I wasn't sure if I should be driving. Once k got there, there were other cars parked too so my assumption is that those signs are applicable only during some seasons. The parking lot looks flat but you can see to trail once you start walking towards the canyon. The hike was really nice, it was definitely more of a walk rather than any uphills. It can get pretty hot so starting early in the summer can be advantageous.

We decided to visit the Slot Canyon during our Borrego Spring trip. Although it doesn't compare to…read morethe slot canyon views in Arizona or Utah, it was picturesque. The slots were fairly easy to navigate except for a few areas where you had to climb down or squeeze through narrow openings. You can also take the trail above the canyon which gives you panoramic views of the desert. There are 2 bathrooms but no sinks in the parking lot. Most cars can get to the parking lot but it's quite dusty. Come prepared with some water, snack, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. It's $10 per day to visit the park. It's an honor system where you fill out the form, drop off the cash in box, and leave the parking pass on your dashboard. The one negative and reason for removing a star is the poor signage on the trail and how to get into the slots. When we went, there were only 2 other families but the signs were not clear which direction to go into the canyon or even back to the parking lot so we ended up taking a much longer and harder route than needed.

We tackled Volcan Mountain Trail with an eight-year-old, so we didn't make it the full way but it…read morewas such a nice experience. We also brought along our dog as it is a dog friendly trail as long as your dog is on a leash. The trail starts out pretty steep, but it's well-marked with clear paths throughout. One thing I really loved was all the signage explaining local plant life and animal tracks so it made the hike feel educational and engaging. My kiddo was really into looking at the different animal paw prints. This trail is great for hiking enthusiasts and beginners alike but just know your limits and pace yourself if you're newer to hiking. I would definitely say if it's sunny to make sure you bring plenty of water with you, but there are a lot of shady spots on this trail so that is a nice change from the hikes that are closer to coastal San Diego.

It's a good hike to pair with a trip to Julian. My husband and I picked up sandwiches in town for a…read morepicnic on the trail. Parked next to the road and knew we were in the right place because of all the other cars. We made our hike a loop as we went up the mountain, taking the 5 Oaks Trail, and then came down using the Vulcan Mountain preserve trail. The 5 Oaks Trail has more of a view. There are a few seats to stop, sit (catch your breath) and enjoy the view. Sadly, we haven't had rain so it wasn't as green as I'm sure it would be on a normal January. Nevertheless, a great hike to work off all the apple pie you eat in Julian.

Great place to relax and play for the day! Concerts in the park are well worth your time! Sports…read moreeverywhere, with playgrounds for all ages. Lakes, ducks, grass, what more could you want?

We were in the area and daughter decided she wanted to visit this park again. The parking lot is…read morepartially under construction as of November 2025. Other than that the park looks just as beautiful as I remember it. I swear the turtles and ducks remember my daughter and I. They swam right up to us and just hung out for the longest time. It was nice visiting again and spending time here! This park encompasses 70 acres and includes many amenities. For years it was our favorite place to watch the July 4th fireworks each year. Plenty of parking and restrooms are very clean.

Agua Caliente Campground offers a relaxing oasis in the desert for day trips or overnight camping…read more Campers can choose from tent sites, various RV hookups, or small cabins depending on their setup. There are three mineral pools: two outdoor pools (including one kid-sized) and an indoor heated pool. There's also a shared locker room for men and women with individual changing rooms, restrooms, and showers for guests. Larger restroom facilities are available on site, along with horseshoe pits, shuffleboard, and a playground (which was under construction when we visited). There's little to no cell service in the area, but some Wi-Fi is available near the pool. When you arrive, you'll stop at the ranger station near the entrance to pay the day-use or camping fee and receive your pass. The posted signage clearly lists the different rates for using the grounds. Overall a nice, simple getaway if you're looking to soak in the mineral pools and enjoy some quiet desert scenery.

Love coming here every year! Group camp is awesome, private…read moregazebo with electric plugs. Walking distance to clean restrooms. Cabin was clean, two queen size bed frames, bathroom and sink, table with 4 wobbly chairs, AC/heat was a perk! Bench on the deck and space for a fire pit. Usually require reservations a year in advance.

The "Star" of Palomar Mountain State Park is the California Institute of Technology's Hale…read moreTelescope at the Palomar Mountain Observatory, but there is also a rare bit (for San Diego) of Alpine terrain to explore with hiking trails in the trees and meadows with pounds and lakes. The views are always spectacular, and adventure awaits for those willing to get out and explore. Plan ahead for camping, the campgrounds fill up fast on weekends when the weather is nice.

A beautiful state park and such amazing campgrounds. There are a few campground options, but during…read moremy recent visit, we stayed at the Doane Valley Campground. It was very easy to book ahead online and pay for our daily parking pass once we checked-in. The campsite itself is tucked into the forest, very high up on Palomar Mountain. We found it easy to park our one SUV at our campsite and pitch our tents. The sites do have water, tables, and food boxes. The bathrooms were kept quite nice and tidy. We were all very impressed with the simple but clean and well maintained facilities. We did do a dog friendly hike that starts in the Doane Valley Campground and it's about 4 miles round trip. We had a lovely hike with a decent amount of incline along with beautiful weather. They also have a lovely stop/view area at the beginning of the campgrounds with picnic tables. Palomar mountain is great for camping, hiking, a nice Sunday cruise up the mountain for the beauty, etc. Cell phone service is spotty up there so make sure to either download your map ahead of time or use satellite service.

Jess Martin Park is on highway 79 in Julian California. This is a really nice county park has base…read moreball fields skate park some exercise equipment. Has shade in some spots. Has bathrooms. Had wash station. BBQ gril. Perfect for picnics gathering. Birthday parties. Take a dog for a walk. Has handicap parking and accessibility. Would I recommend this county park yes highly would. I go every chance I can since I live in Julian and it's our local park. Thank you

My family and I drove up to Julian for a day trip but we knew we needed to let the kids get their…read moreenergy out and we stopped here to explore the playground. The playground equipment seemed newer and the kids loved it. What I loved was that it is completely fenced so I didn't have to be on top of my toddlers and they could explore a bit more on their own. We had a ton of fun climbing up everything and sliding down and using the swings. No one else was there for the majority of the time we were. One other family came for a short period of time and it seemed they were killing time before a photoshoot. Outside of the playground there is some picnicking areas and some sports areas as well. It seems like there can be a good use of space to do many different activities. There is a bathroom there however it is like a camping bathroom with a sink on the outside and nothing more than an outhouse on the inside. I opted to skip it and wait until we got to Julian to use a more modern bathroom. Overall, it was a great stop on the way to Julian for the kids and we will likely stop there again on future trips.

This is my ideal type of hike. Can be completed in under 4 hours (only took us 1.5 hours including…read morelingering at the top), mostly shaded, lots of uphill, beautiful view up top. Aim to hike in the morning for the most shade. Start at the parking lot across the street and pay $10 to park. There are restrooms on site that are relatively clean. The first quarter mile is a little steep and not shaded, so it seems like you're in for a strenuous hike, but it quickly turns to shade and very gradual incline switchbacks. It's not until you get to the last quarter mile that it gets steep and sunny again. The trail is 2 miles one-way.

Stonewall Peak is one of the more underrated inland hikes of San Diego County located halfway…read morebetween Julian and Descanso at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. It's a little over an hour from the I-5/I-8 intersection to reach this trail. We visited during the cooler season when the afternoon temperature was in the low 70s without any clouds to obscure the sun. There was a parking lot across the road from the trailhead for campers and day hikers. The charge for the latter was $10 per vehicle. The trek to the summit was roughly two miles, and we managed to reach it in about 50 minutes. The trail itself had a lot of gentle switchbacks which made the ascent easier and allowed us to keep a good pace. There was also a lot of shade throughout the hike which made it even more pleasant. We saw many parents with young kids along the way. That indicated the difficulty level wasn't too strenuous. Having said that, the final climb did involve scaling across boulders before you reached a set of rock steps with metal handrails on one side leading up to the peak. The views at the top were gorgeous with the backdrop of a clear blue sky and other mountains in the distance. A few signs were mounted facing different directions. They described some of the landmarks that you could see from the respective perch. The only feature missing from this trail was the presence of a nearby body of water (e.g. creek, pond, lake). That would have elevated Stonewall Peak Trail to a full five-star experience.

I wish that I could tell you how Alcoholic pass got it's name. I visited Alcoholic pass with my…read morebrother and sister in law who own a home in Borrego Springs and in town the legend is that this hiking trail was named after alcoholics would climb over the mountain to purchase booze on the other side. And that was what I believed until I read an article published by the Anza Borrego natural history museum. The cryptic article entitled "A Better Name for Alcoholic Pass" states that the switchbacks on the pass create a winding trail that resembles a drunk walking "which is one reason given for the name". What confuses me with that article is that they do not mention any other reasons for the name. I can put one and one together so I assume that the mention of agave plants growing on the trail is reason number two because it vaguely associates the pass with tequila. So I can only speculate as to where that name really came from, and that makes it more fun. If you do decide to take a hike on Alcoholic Pass, I recommend a gigantic bottle of water, some snacks, and a cooler full of beer waiting in the car for after the hike, not before or during. Even in December it is mighty warm out there.

When you continue down the road after it ends and turn to dirt, you go down maybe a mile and…read morethere's an obvious place to park your car on the right hand side. When you get out of the car you head up the trail which is to your right. Supposedly the trail was so named because back in the day "cowboys" and traders would come through the pass to the town to wet their willy. Anyhow, it's a nice hike up, it's hot but nice. (maybe about a mile n' a half?) When you reach the top you get a very nice view of the valley and can sea the salt collections of where the lake used to be. You can continue on or turn around. When you look in the opposite direction of the sun you can see trails that riddle the mountain. It's an awesome place to go boulder scrambling and you don't really need to stick to the path. BUT BEWARE though fuzzy bear cactus' have branches that break off and burry themselves in sand. Found that one out the hard way! Haha, had to use my camera to peel the arm out of my shoe, a good inch of needle got into my foot. Not so cool. My hunny decided to kick it away and got it stuck to him to. So use your brain people!!!