Songdog East Campsites

It was great! Gorgeous starry sky at night. A little buggy because of location of trash can at campsite but otherwise fantastic

This was HEAVEN! Jim was the most incredible host, so kind and helpful. What an amazing vibe this place has. We will be back :)

My boyfriend stopped by here for a night on our way up to yosemite. We loved it! It was peaceful and quiet. The campsites are huge! Jim provides you with firewood, portable rocking chairs, and a shaded picnic table. It's away from city lights so the stars are out in full force. We fell asleep to the sound of yipping coyotes. On top of all that, we met Jim and he was a very welcoming and accommodating host! One more plus, it was just us and a family and the entire site! Thanks Jim!

Spent the night @ SongDog East and it was a great time. Perfect Setup - Jim was Cool, Had a lot of privacy, potable water, bathroom. Insane Sunset and Stars. Would go back in a heartbeat - It does get very hot in the summer months.

First time campers here. We had a great time at Songdog - had a little trouble finding the actual campsite but everything went smoothly once we did. Jim has everything set up really well - we were grateful for the included firewood, kindling and fire starter! We ate a hot dinner while enjoying a truly spectacular sunset.

We had a large neighboring group staying in the nearby lodge for a yoga retreat, and when they started pumping music with booming bass around 8pm we thought our chances of getting any sleep that night would be doomed. Luckily they only kept it up for an hour tops before switching to zen meditation sounds (which was actually great for enjoying the stars), and then turned it off completely!

The area is also filled with jackrabbits, cottontail bunnies, quail (we saw families with tiny little chicks running around), lizards, and some adorable little kangaroo mice.

Had a great time, would come back again!

We absolutely loved our stay at Songdog East Campsites! Jim was a great host and very welcoming. He had firewood, two chairs, and a water trough with a hose attached to it ready at the campsite when we arrived. We stayed at campsite #1, which offered a lot of privacy and was only a short walk to the bathroom. The views are beautiful and you can't beat the stargazing at night. It did get a little hot during the afternoon so we may opt to come back during the spring or fall next time. But, we will definitely be back to songdog soon!

Everything is great!!!!! enough said.

Really incredible place. Very quiet. Immaculately clean and tidy. Potable water at each site and well designed fire rings with adjustable height cooking grill. Firewood was provided.

Feels like you are in the middle of nowhere (in a good way!). Great views and the sunset vista is breathtaking. We stayed two nights at site #3 in the East section. Loved our spot but the others looked great too. Hard to go wrong. We visited in July and it was hot hot hot but there there are nice sturdy shade structures at each site.

Ojai is a 1-hour drive to south and makes a fun day trip, lots of dramatic scenery along the way.

Jim, the host, is lovely and sweet.

We'll be back!

I almost don't want to write a review for Songdog because it's too good to share! Just kidding ;) there's plenty of camping space for everyone and that is part of the reason why I love it!

Jim is a great host and each time we go back, we fall more in love with Songdog! I highly recommend it to anyone who isn't afraid of a little dirt and seclusion. The stargazing is irreplaceable and you really feel like you are out on the range. Each campsite is fully loaded with a fire pit and Jim even provides some wood for certain campsites. We've also stayed in the Speakeasy Lodge which is quite a rustic wonder of it's own.

Songdog is the perfect retreat from the bustle of the city! I may just book my next trip right after finishing this review because I can hardly wait to go back!

Had an amazing stay at Songdog Ranch. The campsites are beautiful, come with firewood and a picnic table, and the whole place is easy to get to. Jim was great and he even takes care of trash for you. The sky is amazing during the day and night. We only stayed one night so didn't do too much walking around but the land is beautiful. We'll be back and I highly recommend checking this out.

Songdog is a unique campground with beautiful views, large camp sites & Jim is a great host. Make sure you turn at the "Songdog In" sign just past the house on the left. We didn't & ended up at the recreational area before turning around. Going up to the mesa looked intimidating because we are newbies but it wasn't a problem for our 30' motorhome. Just watch out for some shrubs hugging the drive on the top of the mesa. The camp site is huge! Has a nice covered picnic table & the firepit has a moveable grate & hook for cooking which I really wanted to try out but didn't have my cast iron with me. Jim left wood, lighter fluid & matches at the site too! The sunset was beautiful just like everyone mentioned. I would definitely come back here for winter camping.

What a beautiful, magical experience. One of the most peaceful and serene. Would come back in a heartbeat. And you may be lucky enough to meet Gypsy. The sweetest. Thank you for a special time.

Unique location and set-up with very welcoming and uncomplicated host. We'll be back!

This was a very comfortable campsite. Wood was waiting at the fire pit, along with fuel and matches! The sunset from the Mesa was beautiful in the summer.

Jim was very welcoming and offered me to explore the property to my liking.

Thank you again Jim for a great stay on your property!

Beautiful area. Great site. Can't wait to go back next year.

What an amazing experience. Jim the host was super accommodating. We booked two nights, and it was one of the best experiences I've ever been to. I booked it during the weekend of the Perseid meteor shower and it was unreal. Huge open skyview and peaceful - just perfect. The area was spacious and open, my dog was able to run around off-leash and he was such a happy camper, literally! Jim left firewood for us, nice touch! He even let us use a small tub for my little kids to stay cool in. Jim, thanks for sharing with us. We will be back again to visit. I'm definitely a happy camper!

Seclusion is great here.

I thought Songdog East was great. Our site was clean and comfortable. Well isolated from the other sites there. Jim, the host was the perfect amount of helpful. It was a nice oasis tucked away atop a plateau. The structure and picnic table were useful for avoiding the afternoon sun and prepping dinner. Jim already had chairs, firewood, matches and charcoal lighting fluid waiting for us before we arrived. Running water at the site was great too. The sunset view was spectacular. My only negative comment about the trip was how we could hear some farm equipment running overnight a few miles away. It wasn't too loud or upsetting. It was just noticeable against the serene silence of the campgrounds. Definitely not a deal breaker and definitely not the responsibility of Songdog ranch. I'd gladly come back. Hopefully some time this winter.

We decided last-minute to take a Labor Day Weekend camping trip. Knowing our usual favorite had been booked up 2 months prior, I did a quick Hipcamp search for available campsites in California, and this was the closest to us (only 1.5 hr drive!) Though the fella was skeptical about heading to New Cuyama in a heat wave, we gave it a shot.

We're pretty sure we'll be camping here a few times a year.

The things we loved:
1) Our hosts were welcoming, friendly, and accommodating (including the 2 camp dogs!). They're the kind of people you want to be your friends, outside of the hipcamp experience!
2) Our site (#3 on the east) had a great view of the valley and highway heading into the mountains, and besides the "Speakeasy Lodge" on the next ridge, you could only see the tops of the picnic table shelters at the nicely-spaced sites closest to us on the Mesa.
3) Sites on the east were spacious, and included a fire ring and grill, little bench by the fire, 2 canvas ROCKING CHAIRS, a picnic table (with a shelter sturdy enough for hanging a hammock), large trash can, and water
4) We were able to rent a tub (cleverly fashioned from a horse trough of all things) to fill will water and sit in during the hottest part of the day.
5) The sunrise as well as the sunset was stunning, and if it weren't for a bright moon, I am sure the stars would have been incredible!

(As it turns out, this place turned out to be about 10 degrees cooler than the coast for the whole weekend!)

*Bottom line, if you're looking for a laid-back spot to relax, with simple comforts and wide open skies, head out to Songdog! We'll certainly be back!

Great, clean, easy, and beautiful site. Easy drive to way up elevation and stunning forest trails and views.

Seriously so awesome! We booked our site the morning of and it ended up being such a score for a last minute trip. The site came with firewood and starter and 2 stargazing chairs. The site was nice and flat for our tent and had lots of room to roam but was nice and secluded from the other campsites. Jim's land is ideal, the sites are perched up on a hill so the view over the valley is super neat. We would 100% come back to stay again :)

very large space camping spot, we have the whole ranch by ourself during the week day, very nice host, provided firewood and there is running water on the site. Super nice view and clear star sky. Love it.

One of the best, most private sites I've been to. Beautiful area and the stars were amazing

Gorgeous, private, cool campsite with thoughtful amenities though I'd bring extra wood if you want to burn all night. Amazing trails. Sacred land. 10/10.

The campsite was really lovely, as was the host. There was a covered eating area, chairs, firewood and water readily available. The drive through Los Padres forest to get there was beautiful as well.

We really loved our stay here. The scenery was beautiful and the vibe tranquil. Was a pleasure to meet Jim as he passed by on his walk. We will definitely return!

Clean, and easy to access !!
Jim is very welcoming, and he helped give us the direction ! We really had a great experience here ! Thank you !!!

Beautiful campsite! Jim is the best, thanks Jim!

Gorgeous setting, ideal campground, kind host. Loved everything about it.

Songdog East was incredible. It’s “rustic”, but with an outhouse and water, it really is very pleasant. Jim was very kind, the camp was clean and the views were nice. We took our large van up to site #1 which provided a nice flat spot and privacy. We camped with our toddler and newborn and loved every minute. We’re definitely coming back.