Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Listen for a moment. In much of this desert, the loudest sound is your own footsteps on gravel. Then a breeze moves through a creosote bush, and the air fills with a sharp, resin-like smell, like rain on hot pavement. The light here is clear and hard. It shows every ridge on the mountains around you and every crack in the dry washes below. Welcome to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California, and one of the quietest places you can stand in the southern half of the state.

First, a word about where you are. The park covers more than half a million acres. Most of it lies in San Diego County, but its northern reaches cross into Riverside County, and its eastern edge touches Imperial County. So this is not one viewpoint or one trail. It is a whole region of canyons, badlands, palm groves and open desert floor. You could spend weeks here and still not see all of it. Most visitors choose a few places and come back for more.

The name has two parts, and both tell a story. Anza comes from Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish military officer. In the 1770s, he led expeditions from what is now northern Mexico toward the California coast. His route crossed this desert, and parts of it followed Coyote Canyon, in the park's northern section. The second word, borrego, is Spanish for a young sheep. Here it refers to the desert bighorn sheep, an animal that still lives in these rocky hills.

Those sheep are worth a pause. The bighorn here belong to a population known as Peninsular bighorn sheep, and they are protected. They are pale brown, almost the colour of the rock, so they are hard to spot. They move across slopes that look impossible to climb. If you see one, it will probably be high up, standing very still. Look for the pale patch on the rump and, on the rams, heavy curled horns. Some seasonal closures in the park exist partly to give these animals space near water.

Long before Anza, this land had people. The Cahuilla and the Kumeyaay lived in and moved through these deserts and mountains for many centuries. They knew where the springs were. They knew which plants gave food, fibre and medicine. Across the park there are traces of that life, including grinding stones worn into boulders and rock art in some protected sites. Please treat any such place with care. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly where it is.

Now, a surprise that most visitors miss. This dry land was once very different. The rocks and sediments here hold one of the richest fossil records in North America for the last several million years. Researchers have found remains of animals you might not expect in a desert: mammoths, ancient horses, camels, and large cats. The badlands you see were once wetter, greener ground. So when you look across the eroded hills, you are looking at layers of an older, lost landscape.

The best place to feel that is Font's Point. A dirt road leads to an overlook above the Borrego Badlands. From the edge, the ground drops away into a maze of folded, cut hills. In the early morning or late afternoon, low sunlight catches every ridge. The shadows turn the hills into deep stripes of gold and brown. Check road conditions before you drive out, because sandy stretches can be difficult for ordinary cars.

If you want water and shade, walk to the palms. Near the town of Borrego Springs, a popular trail climbs into Borrego Palm Canyon. After a rocky walk, you reach a grove of California fan palms. These are the only palms native to California. Their old dead leaves hang down the trunks like a thick skirt. In a dry year the stream may be small. Still, the sudden green against bare stone feels almost unreal.

In spring, the desert can change completely. After a wet winter, wildflowers cover parts of the valley floor. You may see sand verbena in purple, desert lilies in white, and dune primrose spreading across the sand. In some years the bloom is enormous, and people drive from across the state to see it. In other years it is thin. It all depends on rain. The ocotillo, a tall plant with thin spiny stems, tips its branches with bright red flowers.

Here is a second surprise. The town of Borrego Springs sits inside the park, surrounded by protected land on almost every side. Because there is so little artificial light, the town has been recognised as an International Dark Sky Community. That means that after sunset, this is one of the best places in Southern California to see the night sky. On a clear, moonless night, the Milky Way rises over the mountains like a pale band of cloud.

On the edges of Borrego Springs, you may also notice large metal sculptures standing in the open desert. There are dinosaurs, giant sloths, horses, and a long serpent that seems to swim through the sand. These works are by the artist Ricardo Breceda. They stand on land outside the state park itself, but they have become part of the visit for many people. Several of the creatures echo animals from the area's fossil record.

A few honest words about safety. This desert is beautiful, but it is serious. Summer heat can be extreme and dangerous. Mobile signal is weak or absent in many areas. Carry more water than you think you need, and tell someone your plans. Start at the visitor centre near Borrego Springs. It is built partly into the ground to stay cool. Rangers there can tell you which roads are open and what is blooming right now.

Before you leave, stand still once more. Notice how far you can see. Notice the colour of the mountains, which changes as the sun moves. Listen for a cactus wren, or the dry rattle of wind in the brush. Most of this park has no fences, no signs, and no crowds. It asks only that you slow down. As you walk back to your car, look at the ground near your feet. Even here, something small is growing.