For most of the year, this common plant to the Colorado Desert attracts little attention. It's pale, gray-green leaves tend to blend with the surrounding drab colors of the desert, but that all changes during a few glorious weeks... — Updated 9/14/2023

I get it. There are lots of people out there who don't like snakes of any color, size or type. And while only the rattlesnake is potentially dangerous in this area, there are many species of snakes in Anza-Borrego Desert State... — Updated 7/18/2023

On the map, it's marked as Culp Valley, but since my first trip when a glorious arch of colors was hanging over this wilderness pot of gold, I've called it The Valley of Rainbows. Like a geological balcony overlooking Borrego Valle... — Updated 7/18/2023

A decades-old effort to kill invasive tamarisk trees in Anza-Borrego may be getting help from Mother Nature in the form of a beetle that naturally destroys the plants. Resource managers and environmental watchdogs are excited by... — Updated 7/18/2023

At a time when soaring summer temperatures will keep most people away from the desert, dedicated state park volunteers will soon be trekking into remote locations to conduct the annual Anza-Borrego Desert Bighorn Sheep Count.... — Updated 7/18/2023

It was like being greeted by the spring wildflowers that lined the rocky sides of the sandy desert wash as I approached. The cluster of happy little Parish's poppies seemed to act that way as their bright yellow flowers danced... — Updated 7/18/2023

Shhh...don't tell anyone, it's one of those best kept secrets. Summer in Borrego Springs can be a spectacular time for visitors looking to explore the heavenly show of clear night skies, escape vacation crowds or encounter unique... — Updated 7/18/2023

Summer can be a special time in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It can also be deadly. The lack of crowds, comfortable nighttime temperatures, spectacular summer night sky with a glittering Milky Way or dazzling meteor shower can... — Updated 6/21/2023

It was a record year in Borrego Springs for the number of migrating Swainson's hawks arriving here, and part of that success was a healthy crop of grasshoppers. And it's even more interesting than that. It began with a strong... — Updated 6/15/2023

For their size, lizards are speedy little creatures and often hard to identify as they dash across the desert landscape. One of the resident species found here in the Anza-Borrego Desert is the desert spiny lizard and found... — Updated 6/8/2023

It was warm for a spring day with temperatures nudging the low 90's as we bumped along the dusty road into Coyote Canyon last week. Most of the wildflower have vanished at lower elevations, so this adventure seemed to be more... — Updated 5/24/2023

Borrego Hawkwatch 2023 is officially completed, but the count of migrating Swainson's hawks continues because of the unprecedented numbers of birds stopping in Borrego Springs on their journey north of South America. Officially... — Updated 5/24/2023

If they call the wind Mariah, then surely, we must acknowledge the artist who created some of the most spectacular formations in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Oceans, floods and even fire from ancient volcanoes certainly had a... — Updated 5/10/2023

You know there is something special about things that have several names. That's certainly the case with a delicate and colorful wildflower known as the Desert five-spot, lantern flower of the Chinese lantern. It's not a blossom... — Updated 5/10/2023

One of the joys of living or visiting the desert is the chance to see wildlife that you won't see anywhere else. The pear-shaped Gambel's quail is just one of those beautiful creatures you may encounter while hiking in Palm... — Updated 5/1/2023

Let's begin with a spelling lesson. Bighorn is one word when talking about wild sheep. They are not big horns; in fact, they don't make much noise at all. That being said, seeing one of these iconic desert creatures is generally at... — Updated 5/1/2023

The calls come in daily. Is it a Superbloom in Borrego? You could debate for hours over the meaning of super, spectacular or outstanding, but it might be more fun to just enjoy the wildflowers. And, who cares when you are... — Updated 4/28/2023

It may not be one of the larger cactus species, but the diminutive beavertail cactus makes up for it with one of the most strikingly beautiful flowers. Found on dry, rocky hillsides throughout Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, this... — Updated 4/5/2023

You might zip right by Coachwhip Canyon while traveling east on Borrego Salton Sea Way, but this short desert wash at the rugged toe of the Santa Rosa Mountains is well worth a little time to explore. Coachwhip Canyon is one of... — Updated 4/5/2023

The American robin is not an uncommon winter visitor to Anza-Borrego, but this year the iconic bird has arrived in numbers seldom seen here. The first clue was during the annual December Christmas Bird Count, when 935 robins were... — Updated 3/21/2023

It was an incredible moment of connection as I touched the finger marks frozen in time in the broken piece of crude pottery scattered on the desert floor. This was a larger piece of broken, fired clay that had once been an olla... — Updated 3/21/2023

There is something quite magical about discovering a palm oasis in the middle of a barren desert landscape. Several unique palm groves are available to Anza-Borrego visitors and scattered about the sprawling 700,000-acre park, but... — Updated 3/14/2023

The eagle-eyed bird watcher may soon notice there is another large bird mingling with the turkey vultures and soaring on the wind currents above Borrego Springs. Any day now, the annual migration of Swainson's hawks will begin as... — Updated 3/14/2023