Give your students the adventure of a lifetime in California’s largest state park! Let Anza-Borrego Foundation, the official State Park partner, arrange half-, full-, or multi-day field trips in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. There are many subject areas to choose from, including natural history and ecology, archaeology, Native American history, paleontology and geology, and astronomy. We weave in social-emotional and mindfulness skills in our educational or outdoor recreation programs, and give students the knowledge and confidence to be outside in this incredible landscape.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California and the second largest in the US, with about 1,500 species of native plants and animals, thousands of archaeological sites as the traditional homeland of the Kumeyaay and Cahuilla people, and important paleontological finds, including the most complete Pleistocene fossil record on the planet.
We offer highly curated Education Programs that are vetted by the State Park, serving the general public, teachers, and students from kindergarten to graduate level. Our programs engage participants in meaningful outdoor experiences in nature, bring State Park resources to those who might not have access, and we work to create desert advocates who will protect and benefit from this incredible natural resource for years to come. We work collaboratively with California State Parks PORTS (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students)® Program to offer a multi-touch point experience for students that includes virtual engagement before heading out on a field trip.
Serving Kindergarten to Graduate-Level Classes
Desert Discoveries Field Trips are run by Anza-Borrego Foundation and PORTS, which have decades of experience guiding youth in Anza-Borrego. We are available to offer field trips from mid-October to mid-May.
Virtual Engagement:
Most field trips are preceded by a virtual session with a PORTS Interpreter – usually 30-45 minutes.
Single day Field Trips:
Range from four to eight hours and include a guided adventure hike, team building games, and activities tailored to school curriculum (e.g. plant and animal adaptations, geology, Native American history, etc.).
Camping Field Trips:
Typically three-day, two-night experiences which include essential camping skill building (e.g. tent construction and cooking), guided adventure hikes, team building games, activities tailored to school curriculum (e.g. plant and animal adaptations, geology, Native American history, etc.).
Activity and Topic Examples:
Additional Considerations:
Grade Level and Capacity:
We are flexible in terms of grade levels and program length, please let us know what you are looking for!
For more information, download a sample camping field trip itinerary or a single-day field trip itinerary. Please also see our Student Learning Outcomes for virtual, single day, and overnight camping adventures
Fees are on a sliding scale to cover our costs for coordination, program facilitation, food, and site fees. We ask that you pay the most that your budget can comfortably accommodate. Please reach out with any questions or concerns about the fee.
Length of Trip | Up to 30 students | Up to 60 students |
---|---|---|
Half-day Field Trip (~4 hours) | $450-750 | $750-1,150 |
Full-day Field Trip (~8 hours) | $675-975 | $1,225-1,625 |
Three-day, two-night camping program | $3,400-4,400 | N/A |
Thank you in advance for the opportunity to host a Desert Discoveries Field Trip with your school!
Please consider that most arrangements are flexible and can be tailored to each school’s needs. Anza-Borrego Foundation looks forward to the opportunity to collaborate in igniting a lifelong passion for nature, instilling a sense of environmental responsibility, and inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders in your students.
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