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Blue Sky Center

94%

· New Cuyama, Santa Barbara, California

267 acres hosted by Blue Sky C.

13 lodging sites · 10 RV/tent sites

Off-leash friendly

Pets can be off-leash at some sites.

Creature comforts

Enjoy the comforts of home at some sites—including flush toilets, showers, and a kitchen.

Amazing views

Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.

1948- On January 1, 1948 a wildcatter named George Hadley, who had been oil prospecting in the valley for 10 years, made the first oil strike in the Cuyama Valley. Richfield Oil Company soon moved in and extracted nearly 300 million barrels of oil in just a few short years. To accommodate an exploding workforce in the early 1950s, the company built the town of New Cuyama, its infrastructure, public buildings, the Cuyama airstrip (L88) and all the industrial structures that are now home to Blue Sky. Richfield Oil Company, later merging with Atlantic Oil Company forming the Atlantic Richfield Oil Company (ARCO), created high-paying jobs, a safe and prosperous community, and developed schools, churches, and recreational areas for the employee-residents. 1973- With dwindling production in the area and new discoveries in Alaska, Atlantic-Richfield Oil Company put the town of New Cuyama and its associated infrastructure up for sale. Word of an entire town for sale made its way to entrepreneur, Russell O’Quinn of the Foundation for Airborne Relief (FAR) and Mildred Dotson, a wealthy widow from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The two worked together to acquire the townsite and adjacent land. O’Quinn, an aviator, inventor, and test pilot, aspired to use the New Cuyama airstrip and facilities as a base for humanitarian relief and a non-profit trade school. Though not fully realized, FAR’s primary vision included utilizing converted military aircraft to airlift food and medical supplies to developing countries and global disaster areas. Dotson had loftier goals. Her plans included an 18-hole fly-in golf course, expansion of the Buckhorn Restaurant and Motel, and a 40- to 50-acre lake for amphibious landing and water sports. 1986- Another visionary, Harry Kislevitz, inventor of the popular design tool Colorforms® and founder of Future City/Villages International, sought to develop the site as a “City of Friendship,” an all-electric village of 5,000 earthen homes. The dwellings were to be designed by Nader Khalili, an Iranian-born architect who specialized in earthen structures, worked with NASA on prototypes for lunar homes and received an award from the United Nations for his work towards the development of low cost, sustainable structures for human shelter in impoverished and disaster prone environments. One 628-sq-ft Khalili prototype remains on the property today ("the Cantina"). Khalili went on to form the California Institute for Earth Art and Architecture, Cal-Earth, in Hesperia, CA. 1993- Recognizing the transformative potential of clean, solar power and the attractiveness of a rural destination, entrepreneur Mike Nolan worked to develop the Solar Skypark and Big Sky Guest Ranch with Santa Barbara Architect, Barry Berkus. The Sky Park included plans for sixty-five fly-in residences on one-acre lots powered completely from clean, solar energy. The Big Sky Guest Ranch was intended to function as a clubhouse for Skypark residents complete with an equestrian center, a small subsistence farm, pool and plenty of enriching recreational activities. 2012- At the end of 2011, the Zannon Family Foundation made a long-term investment in acquiring the New Cuyama Airport property with the vision of rehabilitating the site to be a low-cost resource for programs and organizations working to advance sustainable living practices and technologies. Plans began soon after towards developing a framework and organization to develop the space and coordinate with prospective programs and institutions. In 2014 Blue Sky Sustainable Living Center ("Blue Sky Center") received 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status, endeavoring to reclaim this property for the public good. Today, Blue Sky Center provides unduplicated services and technical assistance to support small businesses and entrepreneurs as well as the local food system, with core work focused on community research and advocacy led by Cuyamans. Learn more on our website and consider supporting our community work with your donation or by hosting your next special event here!

Activities

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Off-roading (OHV)

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94%

645 ratings · 405 reviews

Daniel C.recommends

April 23, 2024

Blue Sky Dispersed Camping

Very relaxed, clean, and pet friendly. Would be happy to come back to New Cuyama.

Rick P.

April 22, 2024

Blue Sky Dispersed Camping

Great place to stay.

Blue Sky dispersed camping is great. The facilities including the showers, restroom, shared kitchen are great amenities. Our only complaint is the large number of barking dogs in backyards bordering the Blue Sky property. It's definitely a bummer considering that the great folks at Blue Sky probably can't really do much about it. Wonderful property. We will be back! (With earplugs)

Ariella A.recommends

April 21, 2024

Blue Sky Dispersed Camping

10/10

We had such a great time! The campgrounds are clean, the sunset was amazing, the sky was clear so we could see the constellations, sunrise was beautiful. Facilities were cleaner than expected, so that’s a plus! And our camping neighbors were very sweet. Would definitely recommend!

Alex A.recommends

April 21, 2024

Blue Sky Dispersed Camping

Unfortunately, due to weather, I was unable stay at Blue Sky and explore the area. (It rained super hard and we have an old dog and yeah, don’t like camping in a tent with a wet dog.) The management was super accommodating and allowed for a refund so that I can plan to stay there again. My hope is that we stay there sometime this year and get to witness the land in all of its splendor!

Gary And Mercy L.recommends

April 10, 2024

Pope Hut

Stargazing in the snail hut

As a solo female camper, I felt very safe at blue sky center. Everything was spot clean, the huts, restrooms, shower room and communal kitchen. Camp host provided so many recommendations for food and activities. The down side was neighbors dogs were barking at night but I know it’s out of their control. Next time I’ll book camp site instead 😊

Kevin M.recommends

April 9, 2024

Blue Sky Dispersed Camping

Charming pet-friendly camping

We had a wonderful experience. It was my wife’s first time camping ever. The views were absolutely gorgeous. Because of when we went, we had plenty of privacy, the facilities were immaculately kept, everything was clear, and the staff was very helpful. We were so grateful to find this place that also accepted our dog. Seeing the planes land throughout the day was such a little bonus experience.

Location

New Cuyama, Santa Barbara, California, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Chumash, Salinan, and Kuyam First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Blue Sky C.Joined in June 2016

Response time: Within 24 hours

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