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***10 Acre Desert Afforestation Project***
Only 1.5 hours from Los Angeles, our camping site is a poetic tree planting project in the unincorporated desert of Los Angeles County.
We rent out our unique tiny home, **the Starry Night Skoolie**, in order to raise funds for our tree planting efforts.
***100% of your booking goes directly to hauling water, planting trees, protecting the garden, and maintaining it’s growth.***
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***The Starry Night Skoolie***
Our cute tiny home has a very warm, loving, and inviting feel. We curated our air conditioned skoolie to attract nature lovers and adventurous explorers looking for a homey retreat in the desert.
You will experience true hospitality during your stay—it feels a lot like staying at a friend’s secret clubhouse in the middle of nowhere. Because of this, our unique tiny house is one of the best kept secrets in the desert.
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***Activities***
Plant a desert pine or a desert fruit tree.
Come to one of our black new moon stargazing workshops.
Invite your friends for a bonfire and hammock party.
Bring your special someone for a romantic candlelight dinner underneath the stars.
Enjoy quality time with your family and play games inside the bus.
You can even come by yourself to relax with a quiet, private, luxurious self-care stay.
The Starry Night Skoolie is perfect for a special one-night evening…but guests who stay longer often tune into the slow, healing rhythm of the desert by the second day.
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***Starry Night Sky***
One of our "extras" is a 20-minute guided workshop and meditation on how to relax and enjoy the view of the starry night sky.
Out here, away from the smog and light pollution of Los Angeles, you can see:
✨ The Big Dipper
✨ The Little Dipper
✨ Polaris (The North Star)
✨ The Milky Way
✨ And much, much more!
Lay down in the hammock and fall asleep while you watch the magnificent starry sky reveal itself to you, sparkling before your eyes.
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***Skoolie Accomodations***
✅ 100% Solar Powered
✅ 1 Full Bed
✅ Air Conditioner (window unit)
✅ Fast WiFi
✅ Shower + Sink (well water)
❌ Hot Water (under construction)
✅ Toilet (compost)
✅ Kitchen (camper stove, convection oven, hot plates, pots, pans, tea kettle, dishware, utensils, refrigerator)
🪲 There are flying insects and moths in the desert that are attracted to lights at night
✅ 600W of Solar Panels power 2 LiFePo4 12v batteries; plus, there are 2 extra power stations for your glamping needs
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***Sustainability + Stewardship***
100% of your booking goes towards cultivating, maintaining, and watering our desert trees. You can help us reach 40,000 trees in 10 years by booking a stay! 🌲
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***Vacation Views***
Our property is located just over the mountain butte range. It is normally extremely silent, but on occasion you will hear a distant generator or an airplane. Some nights, you can hear music playing or fireworks going off in the very, very far distance. You will be able to see clear skies, 360 degree mountains in the distance, and pure desert without any main roads.
Our land is a Stargazer’s Paradise. Visitors have seen the biggest comets of their lives out here. Every night, the sky lights up with an incredible view of constellations, shooting stars, and even the Milky Way galaxy.
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***Privacy***
The property is enclosed within a wire fence, and there is a locked farm gate at the entrance. It feels very quiet because we are hidden by a slight hill that conceals us from the main road; this means people driving by will not be able to see you.
We have security cameras located on the fencing of the property, as well as one near the door of the bus. We will cut the feed to make sure that you maintain 100% of your privacy.
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***Wildlife***
Lizards, beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, bees, birds (especially crows), chipmunks, ants, and mice have visited our garden.
At night, desert insects--no mosquitoes or roaches!--will be attracted to the lights. If you do not like bugs, make sure to turn off all the lights. This includes candles, headlamps, and the solar lights. You can also set aside a large light away from the skoolie, so that the insects will be attracted to it instead of to the bus.
There is an owl that has taken residency in a nearby joshua tree. We’ve seen its long white wingspan at night.
We feed stray dogs who are dumped in the area. They have not bothered anyone during their stay, as they are extremely cautious of strangers. One dog, Rainey, is particularly attached to our garden. He came after a huge rainstorm in June. My daughter and I were on the skoolie, listening to the thunder and watching the rain and thunder. This new dog showed up while we were pointing at a rainbow. I call him Rainey, Rainbow, and Rain Dog. He is the garden’s protector.
Early in the morning, you can hear the roadrunner calling from a nearby joshua tree.
We have also seen/heard a rattlesnake, a scorpion, and a baby coyote.
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***Nearby Attractions***
\- Sattleback Butte State Park: Water, Hiking, climbing, picnic, camping, restrooms.
\- Butte Valley Wildflower Sanctuary: Water, Wildlife, hiking, socializing, theater, swimming, classes, fitness, restrooms.
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***Social Media***
🚌: [@StarryNightSkoolie]()
🌲: [@ForEveryStarATree]()
We just had the most amazing experience at the Blue Jay Nest. Our host, Shantel, was so thorough with the information we needed to prepare for our trip. She was quick to respond to any questions. The site and bell tents were gorgeous and comfortable and Shantel provided more than expected amenities where you literally only need food and ice (and your old clothes of course ☺️) The bathrooms and showers were clean and accessible. The tree tent was such a neat experience for an overnight sleep and felt safe and secure even on a windy night. Shantel greeted us upon arrival to give a thorough tour of anything we needed to know and you could feel her passion for making sure her guests had the best experience at their site. Hiking trails were in walking distance and a great adventure for our family. Highly recommend Alter Experiences for a family outing, girls weekend or even a romantic getaway!
We had such a lovely experience with Alter Experiences and hope to be back again soon. Our family ended up having a super busy weekend and all sorts of delays that made it seem like the universe didn't want us to make it to the campsite. But once we finally arrived, the set up of the tree tents, bell tent and the outdoor kitchen truly exceeded our expectations. One of my children who is camping-averse was pleasantly surprised and slept so warmly in the bell tent with the Buddy heater. Even though we have a lot of camping gear, the outdoor kitchen had everything we needed and was so convenient to not have to pack and lug our gear with us. My older kids loved hanging out in the tree hammocks during the day and the spot was nestled in the trees which provided a pretty landscape for a very relaxing time. Shantel was so wonderful answering all of our questions and incredibly gracious when we ended up being so delayed. We really hope to visit again for a longer stay and hopefully to have campfires!
We had an amazing time staying in the Lion's den in Mt. Laguna. They provided everything we needed. We just needed to pack clothes and food.
We stayed just two nights but plan on staying a minimum of 4 next time we go. This is the perfect spot to camp without needing any big equipment.
We ABSOLUTELY reccomend.
I’ve been following Alter Experiences via Instagram for a few years. I LOVE Mt. Laguna and was so curious about the glamping experience. I’m so happy I finally pulled the trigger and booked.
This is 5⭐️ camping for sure.
It was so nice rolling up and not having to set anything up. The kitchen was fully stocked and extremely clean. Our bell tent was so clean, really cute, and extremely comfortable. The beds are platform beds with comfortable pillows and mattresses.
The temp dipped to 30° at night and we were warm and never even felt the wind blowing.
As for my two kids (11 & 14,) they each had a tree tent they never wanted to leave. They both commented on how comfortable they were. It was a real treat for them to sleep in a hammock tent.
We plan on making this an annual trip!
We stayed in the Blue Jay Nest in November and had a wonderful time. The bell tents were clean and very roomy, and the beds were warm and comfortable.
The family favorite was the giant hammock where we would relax during the day, and bundle up at night to lay on for some star gazing. Other friendly campers strolling by inquired with envy about the suspended tents and hammock.
Everything you need was provided in the kitchen in addition to cookware. There was coffee, tea, hot cocoa, a cutting board, plates, utensils, paper towels, foil, etc.. There was even a wash station set up and toiletries provided.
The campground itself was sparkling clean and the bathrooms were better than expected for a campground.
The owners were helpful and responsive. We would definitely recommend this unique glamping experience and hope to visit again soon.
