The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course

If desert days appeal but hiking doesn’t, there are other ways to explore Anza-Borrego: sign up for 4x4 or night sky tours to see it without having to amble, or wander around the Desert Nature Center and Museum within five minutes’ drive to get that desert vibe a little closer to home base. For non-guided adventuring, there are 85,000 acres of desert suitable for off-roading at Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, 25 minutes away – it’s a top spot for ATV trails, dunes and ancient reefs, so make immediate tracks if that gets the motor running. More peaceful days are a cinch: take in some art and culture with a poke around the Borrego Art Institute and a tour of the stunning Ricardo Breceda metal sculptures that dot the town (an absolute must), before venturing further afield for tours of the Eagle Mining Company gold mine and the California Wolf Center.