Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is located south of Palm Springs, California, and is a part of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve. Cacti and ocotillo dot the landscape, and visitors should keep an eye out for red diamond rattlesnakes. The park is open from dawn to dusk, but camping is available. Anza-Borrego covers 600,000 acres of land under very dark skies, and the community of Borrego Springs (California’s first International Dark-Sky Community!) anchors the park. Stargazing programs are offered throughout the year at the Visitor Center and main campground.
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.