Blue Jay, CA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Blue Jay is surrounded by family-friendly activities. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Blue Jay, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
$40 - $81 / night
"Each trail I used offered lovely views. This campground is huge, yet felt homey. My cat watched the squirrels play on nearby trees from the RV."
"Stayed a couple years in a row with me family. ( and dog)
site large enough for two large family tents. Picnic table and fire ring."
$45 - $350 / night
"Silverwood Lake was just that. Lush green mountains in the back drop that surrounded every view you turned to take in. "You need to recharge your batteries!""
"ATV with ice cream and firewood comes around right before dark. Campsites are a bit crowded for my liking. Access to the Silverwood Lake recreation area is a great benefit."
$29 - $58 / night
"I felt like it was the prefect spot given the leveled ground and the fact that we had a kid and dog posse.
But let me tell you about the ranger named Shawn."
"There is a lovely hiking trail at the far end of the site. There is water, flush toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables. It is a short walk to Lake Arrowhead. This is a dog friendly site."
$33 - $67 / night
"We were tucked up into the hill side with neighbors far enough sway to make it very private. There were no showers so we brought our travel one and hung it from a branch."
"We arrived at Hanna Flat campground around 11 am on Friday, August 21. First thing about the campground is that the road to get to it is pretty rough."
$44 - $91 / night
"Big Bear Lake near by, lake level appears to be receding. Bears and coyotes in the area, recommended not to let small dogs or cats roam unattended."
"We camped just a few steps away from the lake, there were other campers there but the campgrounds are far enough away from each other."
$50 - $100 / night
"Lake Arrowhead is close for supplies or food. "
"Views are worth it and this is so conveniently located next to Santa's Village.
Will definitely be coming back again sooner than later!"
"The green spaces are full of stickers and mostly unusable for things like walking dogs, kids playing. I was charged junk fees. $7 to make the reservation myself online and then $1 per pet, per night."
"There’s no larger wildlife, like bears, so less stressful when you have pets or kids. Plenty of space to bring bikes and ride around."
"Tons of land to hike, on or off trail. Geocaching sites nearby. The Keller Peak Lookout was amazing."
"Each site is decent size and tucked away into the rocks. Many will fit multiple people easily. They fill up fast may-sept."
"Most of the sites have incredible views looking out over Lake Hemet and of the San Jacinto mountains."
"Fun off-road adventure to get to the site. Minimal sites so not much crowding."
"After years of venturing into and around Lake Arrowhead (often a mere stop on my way to Big Bear/Fawnskin) I finally started exploring off the beaten path by accident last year and holy cow!"
"Green valley lake campground is an awesome place for a fun getaway. We wanted to get away for the Fourth of July but waited too long to book in Big Bear."
GuideGreat campground 25minutes from town. Accommodates travel trailers/rv well, water spigots around. Lots of trees, shade & blue jays. Alpine bike path!
TravelerWe have stayed at Blue Jay a few different times and the weather is mild, but it can get fairly hot. This is a really fun getaway for anyone about an hour or two away, it’s not too far off of the Ortega highway. But far enough away to make you feel like your in the wilderness. Campgrounds are a little small. Being a non-reservable campground the sites fill up pretty fast on Weekends. Depending on the months we have had issues with the bugs that wouldn’t leave us alone. But our most recent experience in May was bug free except for a few ticks from the nearby trails. Overall, Blue Jay is a clean, semi-quiet, fun campground with toilets and running water. We would probably give it a three and a half stars if possible.
TravelerA blue Jay was an awesome experience. We were able to find a spot tucked away off one of the loops to the left after a small hill. Neighbors played loud music but we didn’t mind at all. Our site had firewood left behind which was a lucky plus! We couldn’t even see our neighbors spot so 👍🏼 on the privacy. Great stay with lots of hiking trails and views of the area. If you are coming off of South Ortega, apple maps will take you up a steep and narrow road, once you get to the top there is a dirt trail on your right, that will take you to the radio tower... Amazing view in all directions!
TravelerBlue jay is a pay to stay campground. You pay at the gate and get what spot you can find. There is fresh water in camp and there are bathrooms. The locations are pretty good and pretty private from each other. If you like to hike bike or trail run, there’s tons of trail. Lots of hills though so don’t under estimate them. We love it here
TravelerBlue Jay is very close to most of Orange County so it’s a great easy camp if you just want to be away but don’t want the big drive. Sites were nice but we were very lucky to be there when it was pretty empty. I read some yelp reviews that said it can get a bit loud with parties but I guess that’s the flip side to being easily reachable. We enjoyed the hiking in the area and the bathrooms were clean. The area can get pretty hot so check the temps beforehand. I don’t believe there are hookups in any spots.
GuidePerfect location. Easy to get to from the Los Angeles basin right off of Hwy 38 makes for an easy drive. Camp ground was very clean. Bathrooms were not open during our stay but it did not matter to us with our RV and composting toilet. Camp hosts were super nice! I was able to get full bars of Verizon no problem. Easy to park our 26.5 foot Lazy Daze. Camp spot was pretty flat but ended up with a few blocks just to level us better.
Great hiking and cycling nearby. Cold mornings but perfect temperature during the day. Hiking to Jenks lake and Santa Ana River were very nice. Deer, blue jays, lizards, squirrels, reported bear sightings but we did not see any bears.
RangerMy family joined our extended family for a weekend away at Blue Jay campground. It is only an hour drive from our home in Newport Beach, but felt like we were a million miles away.
Getting to the campground is fun and gorgeous. Ortega Highway is a pretty drive and the final two miles up the mountain was steep and felt like I was driving in another country.
Campground has 50 sites that are first-come-first-serve. We got there on Saturday morning around 11:00am and there were roughly 3 sites open. We stayed at site 3 - the first site we saw - and loved.
Went on two great hikes, both to the nearby waterfalls. Each hike was beautiful.
Stopped off at a small Candy Store & Deli on Ortega Highway on the way that we loved!!
It was a fun trip we’ll do again.
RangerVery clean, dog friendly ( with dog park) helpful nice staff, propane available, small playground and swimming pool, picnic tables and grills at each site
GuideSuper friendly staff, super clean, 2 dog parks, offers really good wifi & cable. Can pick the oranges out of the tree
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Blue Jay, California, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Blue Jay, CA is Dogwood with a 4.7-star rating from 33 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 223 dog-friendly camping locations near Blue Jay, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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