Wildflower Blooms Appearing in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Briana Ross
Phone: (760) 767-0446

February 10, 2010

Wildflower Blooms Appearing in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Enhance your visit with a guided hike

Borrego Springs, CA – Early blooms of Sand Verbena, Brittlebush, and even the spectacular Desert Lily are popping up in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP).

Environmental Services Intern Paul Johnson predicts a “very good to outstanding” bloom this spring, with the peak expected between the last week of February and the second week of March, depending on the weather.

Wildflower sightings will be updated weekly at ABDSP’s website, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638 and Anza-Borrego Foundation’s website, www.theabf.org. You can also call the Wildflower Hotline (760-767-4684) for regularly updated information on the bloom.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s Visitor Center will be open seven days a week from February 22 through April 11 to ensure that all visitors can get the information they need. ABDSP and its cooperating association, Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF), will both offer wildflower walks and tours throughout the bloom. To view the schedule of events, visit ABDSP’s website, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638 or ABF’s website, www.theabf.org.

When the bloom reaches its peak, the massive fields of wildflowers are found at the northern edge of Borrego Springs on Henderson Canyon Road and at the northern end of DiGiorgio Road, about ¼ mile beyond the end of the pavement. A great variety of wildflowers are found along washes or in the canyons of the Park. An off-road trip through the badlands, a hike up Borrego Palm Canyon or a trip to Plum Canyon may yield a startling array of wildflowers.

Anza-Borrego Foundation’s Step-On Naturalist program tailors trips especially for those visiting on tour buses and in groups of twenty or more. Schedule a guided tour with a naturalist who will take you to the lesser known hot spots in the Park. Contact Kelley Jorgensen at (760)767-4961 or visit www.theabf.org for more information about this unique opportunity. Starting at $10 per person, tours focus on a variety of topics including geology, general botany, and prehistoric animals of the Anza-Borrego Desert. Park naturalists lead half-day or full-day trips which can be catered to the needs of your group.

If you need 4WD transportation for your trip, consider a licensed Park tour with California Overland, who will take you on a special wildflower route through varied terrain in open-air jeeps and excursion vehicles. Call (760) 767-1232 or visit www.californiaoverland.com for more information.

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