The Sunrises At This Park In Southern California Are Worth Waking Up Early For
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Southern California offers stunning desert landscapes, especially during sunrise, with opportunities for hiking, camping, and viewing wildflowers.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is located in Southern California and features beautiful desert trails. It's especially striking during sunrise when the shadows and colors dramatize the rugged landscape. Visitors can hike and camp at the park. In the springtime, the park is often covered with colorful wildflowers. Anza-Borrego is about a two-hour drive north-east of San Diego. At 600,000 acres, it's the largest state park in California.
The beautiful reds and purples of the sunrise are gorgeous.
Wake up before dawn, grab your hiking shoes and head out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. To learn more about trails in the area, click here. For information about the park, visit the California Department of Parks and Recreation website here.
Known for its immaculate scenery and unobstructed views of the Pacific, California's Highway 1 is a bucket list scenic drive. But when NorCal's famous highway ends, the state's scenic shoreline continues on to form a meandering, 120-mile stretch of Pacific coast that boasts solitude unlike anywhere else in the state, known as California's Lost Coast. Here, you'll find some of the best state parks in Northern California. This rugged slice of the state is also home to Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, one of the most remote state parks in NorCal. But this isolated state park is more than just overlooked; it's also wild, crowd-less, and beautifully serene.
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Sinkyone Wilderness State Park in Northern California encompasses approximately 60 miles of the southern end of the Lost Coast, which stretches from Orange County north toward Mendocino.
Sinkyone boasts an incredibly unique amount of eco-diversity, which only adds to its isolation. Dense natural forests create a thick barrier between the beach and the rest of civilization.
Fortunately, at hundreds of miles from the bustling hotspots of Northern California, civilization is equally far away as well.
Sinkyone is bordered by the King Range National Conservation Area, a 42,000-acre preserve that holds the distinction of being the first national conservation area in the country.
For this reason, there are no modern services at Sinkyone Wilderness SP. This is the perfect place to unplug, but it's vital to come prepared.
After bushwhacking through the Lost Coast Trail, park visitors can explore a variety of non-motorized activities, such as surfing, horseback riding, and beach strolling.
The Golden State is full of natural beauty, but Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, one of the most remote state parks in Northern California, is a hidden gem that has remained one of the best-kept secrets in the state and we absolutely love it.
State parks in Southern California and other recreation areas offer a vast and diverse range of landscapes, including mountains, forests, beaches, islands, lagoons, caves, deserts, and more. Whether you want to stay close to home or venture off the beaten path, and no matter what kind of natural features and outdoor activities you enjoy, there is a state park worth exploring. I am personally drawn to beaches and lakes, but there is something fascinating about the desert, too. For anyone that wants to explore the California desert and have a little off-roading adventure, this remote park in Borrego Springs, CA, is worth the drive.
These include Blowsand, one of the more popular areas, Main Street, Devils Slide, Shell Reef (an estimated 4-million-year-old ocean reef that was pushed up via seismic action), Holmes Camp, Pole Line Road, etc.
Another popular site is the so-called “Pumpkin Patch.”
Some of the creatures are flat-tailed horned lizards, desert iguanas, long-nosed leopard lizards, kangaroo rats, coyotes, desert foxes, and more.
There are a variety of camping options, depending on how much you like to rough it. There are campsites with services such as vault restrooms and pay showers.
If you have an RV (or rent one from RV Share), you can take advantage of open camping areas throughout the park. Keep in mind you will need to fill water tanks and dispose of waste outside the park.
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Ocotillo Wells is a fantastic rugged playground for off-roading enthusiasts of any age.
Before you head out, make sure you have everything you need (proper gear, flags, etc.) to play safely and stay visible.
If you were to do a search for "state parks near me," this spot would most certainly appear near the top of the list!
This park is in the middle of the desert, so there is virtually no shade, and summer months get very hot, so it is important to bring plenty of sunscreen, water, etc. Do you love off-roading adventures? Have you ever explored Ocotillo Wells SVRA in Borrego Springs?
Have you ever been to this amazing place? If so, what was your favorite part? Would you agree that it it among the best state parks in SoCal? What are some of your favorite SoCal State Parks? We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, as well as any tips and recommendations you have to share!
Find park information, including conditions, warnings and closures, tips and safety recommendations, and more by following Ocotillo Wells SVRA on Facebook.
