Borrego Springs, California
Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat
About Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat
Nestled within an ancient ironwood forest with some of the best wildflower viewing around, you'll find the Borrego Institute for Living Design, a non-profit dedicated to "rehabilitating feral humans for reintroduction to the wild," with an emphasis on climate resilience and "biocultural renewal"––reconnecting people and place through hands-on naturalist practices like tracking, observation and listening, plein air arts, Biomimicry innovation and discovery, ethnobotanical cultivation, harvesting, renewal, and arts, "living archeology" fieldwork and trainings, and good old campfire stories. We call it The BILD. Once the home of Gale Gordon, producer of The Lucy Show and a dear friend of Lucille Ball, noted Hollywood figure and former Borrego Springs mayor, the house and grounds retain their rustic Hollywood charm. We offer two 3 bed suites for retreats, guests, and short creative residencies, shared Infrared sauna and communal kitchen, with extensive grounds and incredible cactus garden. A photographers' delight! Campers will discover their own classic Springbar-style canvas glamping tent with Memory Foam queen size mattress. Nature-lovers, artists, and creatives of all kinds will enjoy endless inspiration, glorious birdsong, beautiful wanderings, and incredible sunrises in this unique place. Enjoy birdwatching or artistic pursuits in deep solitude and silence under the Milky Way. It's like having your own State Park, minutes from the amenities of Borrego Springs, yet worlds away. We offer two spacious Kodiak canvas tent-cabins for you, 10x10 and 10x14, with complete 4 wall ventilation as desired. Each has one Queen and we are happy to add an additional mattress or cot for you for maximum occupancy 4 persons. We also offer two car camping sites among the ironwoods––protected from wind and sun, with unbeatable views. The campground offers Insta-worthy campfire chairs and bistro table dining, enchanted solar lighting, a gas BBQ, grill and campfire. Communal kitchen prep area. Easy access outdoor bathroom with privacy and eco-friendly toilet. Water and electricity accessible (no hookups). Are you an artist, naturalist, tracker, researcher, or Indigenous biocultural practitioner? We are happy to accommodate special requests for spaces to draw, paint, do research, conduct Indigenous biocultural practice etc. How can we help you grow and support your connection to place? Find out what we do by visiting BorregoInstituteforLivingDesign.org or TEEMLab.com. Please note: this is a remote wilderness area, home to much wildlife, including bighorn sheep, coyotes, bobcats, even mountain lions and rattlesnakes, and a great deal of prickly cactus. It can be very hot. It is not suitable for pets, and children should be supervised. Bring good shoes, drink lots of water, and stay out of direct sun.
Accommodations on the property
- Primitive site
Location
Borrego Springs, California
Open in Google MapsWhat people say about their stay at Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat
Synthesized from 22 review mentions across 5 aspects.
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Setting & Nature
“the section I stayed in was beautiful, as long as you didn’t turn around”
8 mentions
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Host & Communication
“Tamsin gave easy to follow directions and was a great host”
6 mentions
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Amenities
“nice amenities for a campsite”
3 mentions
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Comfort & Sleep
“The space was very big and felt so private”
3 mentions
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Value for Price
“Not what I was expecting, and didn’t feel welcoming”
2 mentions
Gallery
Recent reviews
It was a nice set up. Really windy but host was accommodating
We spent booked our stay on Tamsin's land last minute and were had the best time reconnecting with nature. She provided detailed directions when finding the property and we enjoyed the scenic dirt road drive to the site. The space was very big and felt so private. The stargazing was unbelievable and the sunrise was even better. Can't wait to visit again soon!
Overall a positive experience. There was plenty of space for our pups to roam around and for there to be privacy from the other family camping there on our second night. The wind was a LOT the first two days! And we didn’t really find wind breaks to set up next to that weren’t in the common area for campers. However there was a spot that seemed to have an abandoned tent and mattress that might have been protected from the wind. The host was very communicative with directions to finding the site well! Which definitely helped because the coordinates from hip camp wasn’t correct. The location wa…
Beautiful Views in this entrance to a desert canyon. Lots of fun scrambles in the boulder covered hillsides. Just be sure, as the host recommends, taking advantage of the windbreaks for camp set up on site in case you get an occasional wind event. Close enough to Borrego Springs and surrounded by Anza Borrego State Park, you can do day trips if desired. We used our mountain E bikes to go back and forth to town.
It was a nice property, but the winds were too strong and we ended up leaving. Couldn’t pitch a tent, so cowboy camped for a bit but ended up leaving.
The campsite was exactly what we were looking for. Secluded, easy to access, and it had nice amenities for a campsite. It was nice sleeping under the desert sky.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat located?
Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat is located in Borrego Springs, California.
What types of accommodations does Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat offer?
Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat offers Primitive site. Specifics vary — verify the exact unit availability with the operator before booking.
How is Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat rated?
Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat has a 4/5 rating from 9 reviews on aggregate. Ratings reflect aggregate sentiment from public review platforms; we don't moderate operator reviews.
How do I book Dark Sky Wilderness Retreat?
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