If you live in Southern California and are in desperate need of an escape into nature, you’re in good company. I live in LA and have been struggling to feel connected to anything. The city is so crowded and busy. It’s easy to forget how beautiful our state is when you branch out. I was feeling overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle and really just wanted to connect with nature and, honestly, hear my own thoughts again. So I packed up the car with snacks and some good books and drove two hours to Blue Sky Center, a glamping site in New Cuyama, California. So if you’re feeling like you need an escape, or are big into camping or glamping, here’s everything you need to know about a stay at Blue Sky Center.
Arriving at Blue Sky Center
Drive Time
Blue Sky Center is located at 1000 Perkins Rd, New Cuyama, CA 93254. It’s about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. And you’ll start feeling a sense of peace immediately upon leaving the city. The scenery to and from was unreal. The drive back from Blue Sky Center to the city was one of the most beautiful and scenic drives of my life. At times, it even looked like we were in the middle of Morocco with the rolling desert hills. If you’re coming from the Santa Barbara area, Blue Sky Center is also about a two-hour drive away.
Pro Tip: Download your directions to/from Blue Sky Center on your phone ahead of time. There’s good service and wifi on-site, but we lost signal a couple of times during the drive. Downloading directions ensures you won’t get lost even when your cell service is spotty.
Stocking Up
There is almost nothing near Blue Sky Center. And that’s part of the appeal! So we recommend bringing an abundance of snacks. They do have fire pits, a kitchen, and a grill so you can prepare a full meal on-site.
Self-Check-in
One of the perks of Blue Sky Center is that they have self-check-in. This means when you arrive and park behind your assigned hut, you don’t have to spend any time at a check-in desk. You can just walk right into your hut. There’s a welcome guide inside, and you’ll be sent a thorough email ahead of time. So you get all of the information you need and can relax immediately upon arrival. The only confusion we encountered was where to find the restroom. FYI: If you’re facing the front of the huts, the restrooms are in the white building to your right.
Who Should Stay at Blue Sky Center?
Glamping is a broad term. There are some glamping sites that really put the GLAM in camping. And there are others who consider it glamping just because you have a place to go to the restroom.
So where does Blue Sky Center fall on that spectrum? We definitely didn’t feel like we were roughing it. We had our own hut with doors that had multiple locks and a curtain to ensure full privacy. There is a clubhouse with a full kitchen and dining area, as well as a grill and fire pits. There’s cornhole to keep you busy and active. They had string lights that hung over the huts and the picnic tables to create a really peaceful atmosphere during the evenings. And as we mentioned, they have an indoor area with multiple bathrooms, including a private one with a shower. It may be up to you to decide if this is glamorous enough. We felt that it had everything we needed to be comfortable.
In my opinion, Blue Sky Center is best for groups. If you’re thinking of having a company retreat or team offsite or some other group bonding activity, this would be a great place to have it. It would be so much fun to book all of the huts so that you have the whole space to yourself as a group. This would be an especially great place for a wellness retreat or writing/artist workshop. Or even just to journal and have a moment of reflection. Like I mentioned before, being in a big city can be so loud, and it’s not until I’m at a place like this that I can really focus on myself and my priorities.
Blue Sky Glamping Huts
There are six huts to choose from. The huts are all almost exactly the same inside, except for the Quonset hut and the Sheepherder Wagon. The Quonset Hut has two beds inside, so it’s a bit more spacious and better for more platonic roommates. The Sheepherder Wagon is on the other side of the clubhouse, so if you’re looking for more privacy away from the rest of the group, this might be the right fit for you. The Gable Hut, Lflix Hut, Pope Hut, and Snail Hut are all essentially the same inside. The only difference is their unique shapes.
Additional Considerations
Weather
You can experience all four seasons in one day in California. It can be the most scorching day out, but once night falls, the temperature drops, and it might as well be winter. Well, at least by California standards. They do provide a heated blanket stored under the bed to keep you warm. We didn’t think we’d need it, but we did wake up shivering in the middle of the night. So don’t be like us! Get out the heated blanket or layer up. Wearing socks to sleep is acceptable in this environment. We won’t tell!
Noise
Blue Sky Center kindly provides earplugs in your welcome basket to drown out any noise. It is a remote area, so noise isn’t too much of a concern. But you’re likely to hear some animals nearby, so the earplugs are such a nice addition for total rest and relaxation.
Safety
The doors to the hut do lock in multiple places, so we felt secure. If you’re camping on their grounds instead of staying in one of the huts, it is more out in the open. That said, it still felt like a safe area.
New Cuyama Activities
New Cuyama is a place that focuses heavily on community. They emphasize local shops and farms, so when you come to New Cuyama, you’re giving back to the community. Here are a few activities near Blue Sky Center that we think are worth checking out.
Hidden Creek Ranch – Forget regular horseback riding! At this ranch, you can get a lesson on horseback archery! It’s $175 per person for two hours. We think this would be a great add-on to a team bonding trip. But this is also great as a solo activity.
Cuyama Sunset Sips – Taste some local mead made by Cuyama Beverage Co. while learning more about New Cuyama. It’s $35 per taster and reservations are required. You’ll also get a charcuterie board with your drinks.
Mt. Piños – While you can see the stars in their full glory at Blue Sky Center, you’ll get an even better look by getting out of the town and driving out to Mt. Piños.
Staying at Blue Sky Center New Cuyama really reset my nervous system and allowed me to focus on myself and nature. Its proximity to both LA and Santa Barbara makes it an easy weekend getaway in Southern California. We hope you get to visit soon. You can book your Blue Sky Center Airbnb stay by hitting the button below.
