Before I had known about The Desert Sculptures Of Galleta Meadows Estate, I was the lead organizer for a local motorcycle riding meetup group and was always on the lookout for new places to ride to. One morning I decided to do a solo ride to Borrego Springs for a day trip to see what was in the area. After having lunch in town, I explored the area and came across a couple of the large metal sculptures and the more I explored, the more sculptures I found!
I rode back home and two weeks later I brought a group of motorcycle riders, most of whom had never seen them before either. We were all incredibly impressed, and now I make one or more trips every year to see the sculptures again.
Galleta Meadows Estate
The sculptures are located outside the small town of Borrego Springs and spread out over a large area of several square miles. The sculptures were built by the artist and welder Ricardo Breceda for the landowner (the late) Dennis Avery. After Dennis Avery’s death, the land with the sculptures was set into a trust to be set aside for the public. Currently, there are no costs to visit the sculptures and it is open every day.
Overall, there are 130 sculptures of all kinds – dragons, dinosaurs, horses, elephants, and much, much more. The sculptures are all built with complete details that you can see up close. Printed maps with the locations of the different sculptures are available in town at the Borrego Springs Library, The Anza-Borrego Foundation, and the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association. Be sure to bring water and some good walking shoes, as you can spend a whole day and not see them all up close!
Anza-Borrego Springs Desert State Park
Adjacent to the town of Borrego Springs is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – the largest state park in California. The park is over 600,000 acres and contains habitat for a wide variety of desert plants and wildlife. If you are lucky or spend lots of time in the park, you may see the namesake animals of the park – the native bighorn sheep!
On the outskirts of time you will find the parks’ visitor center where you can get all the latest information of wildlife viewings and trail conditions. In addition, the park has both developed and primitive campsites for longer stays. If you have time while visiting the sculptures, make sure you visit the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center for other activities in the area.
A Treasure Trove of Sculptural Brilliance
Galleta Meadows Estate is such a unique place to visit, with photographic views in every direction! The sculptures have the mountains of the Anza-Borrego mountains as a backdrop. So, go out and explore the desert – you never know what you will find!
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“We will see YOU on the next adventure!”
