Blue Jay Campground

Unfortunately It has been sometime since my last camping trip. It is a strong desire of mine to get outside as much as possible, but life happens and sometimes an overnighter seems so unrealistic. So when the opportunity presents itself I must pursue it. Valentines day weekend seemed like the perfect weekend to get away.

My wife and I have gone on a couple of dates since our boy, Remington Cash, was born 9 months ago, but we have yet to spend a night away from him. Getting my wife to agree to a weekend away and leaving our little sand bag of joy (he is really big) with family was a lot easier than I thought. The camping trips I typically plan involve being out in a remote area, down back roads and Jeep trails and at least an hour and a half drive away from home. My wife, though she enjoys these type of trips, would probably be a little nervous about leaving Rem for such isolated destinations for our first trip away from him so I planned something a little closer, a little more accessible and much easier for family to find us in the event of an emergency. Blue Jay Campground in the Cleveland National Forest ended up being the perfect pick.

I rounded up a coworker, Irma and her spouse, Isaac, to join us for the weekend and after work on Friday we headed out. Irma and Isaac got off earlier in the day so they had already secured a spot for us. We arrived right after the sun had gone down and we made quick work of setting up our tried and true (and notably aging) tent. This was followed by cooking up some chili and enjoying some good fireside conversations. The campground was at capacity since it was a holiday weekend and as a result the noise level was much louder than I prefer. To add to our entertainment was a group of boy scouts in a neighboring campsite. Even with the elevated noise and activity all around sleep came easy thanks to such a busy, tiring week... and ear plugs, very big ear plugs.


I woke before everyone else and enjoyed the sunrise. I walked around the campground and found a spot where I could easily see Catalina Island off the coast catching the first rays of the day. Everyone else was awake soon and after a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and blueberry pancakes we got ready for the day's activities.

Stopped at a pull off along the Main Divide Truck Trail to take in the views. In the distance Catalina Island can be seen.

View of Lake Elsinore from the Main Divide Truck Trail

We took the top off of the Jeep and began the drive up Main Divide Truck Trail. There was a trail run event going on so we made pretty slow work of reaching the ridge, but once we did we found ourselves on a mountain island surrounded in all directions by amazing views of the coast, the Inland Empire and the high peaks of  Southern California (the San Gabriel, the San Bernardino and The San Jacinto Mountain ranges). One of my favorite things about being on the ridge is the breathtaking view of the ocean, Catalina and San Clemente Islands.

Chaparral, Oak, Pine and Fir dominate the slopes and canyons of the Santa Ana Mountains



Rock Climbers doing their thing at a very dry Ortega Falls

After eating a quick lunch we hopped back in the Jeep and headed down to the nearby Ortega Hwy to explore the area. I took the group through El Carisso Village and down the road a few miles to a turn out where one can find a series of short trails leading to Ortega Falls. We made the very short hike down to the falls area. Due to the very drought we have been in the waterfall was dry as a bone, but the large boulders and rock climbers were still fun to look at. I have come to this spot in wetter seasons and have seen this waterfall in all its splendor. I would strongly recommend people checking this place out. It is definitely one of the easiest accessible waterfalls in Southern California.

I then took the group to the Ortega Oaks Candy Store where we stocked up on candy and some other supplies. This small shop right along the Highway really has quite a bit and should be a definite stopping point if you ever drive the Ortega.

The day ended with us back at camp, enjoying a fun game of Carcassonne. As the sun set Alysa and I made our way down to the meadow near the entrance to the campground. We enjoyed the changing of colors of the tall grass, oaks and pines. As we watched the sun drop behind the large old growth oak trees I also took advantage of the opportunity to get some nice pictures.

The meadow near the entrance to Blue Jay Campground



That night we enjoyed some flame licked brats, s'mores and more good conversations. The scouts had left at some point earlier in the day and the crowed campground had thinned out after the trail run event was over. This made for a much quieter night. After attempting some stargazing (kind of difficult due to the white of the city lights seen over the ridgelines) we hit the sack. As I fell asleep I found myself reflecting on everything in my life that I have been blessed with. Moments of silence in nature, even though aided by very big ear plugs, are always perfect for personal reflection.
In the morning we ate some bomb breakfast burritos, broke camp and said our good-byes. The weekend away was fun and relaxing, but we were definitely missing our big, little boy. And judging by the expression on his face when he saw us after coming home from visiting Great Grandma Dee with his grandparents he missed us as well.

Campground Profile:
Blue Jay Campground is easily the best campground with in an hour drive from Riverside and is only 3 miles down a paved road from Highway 74 (Ortega Hwy). Very accessible, but still in a beautiful part of the Cleveland National Forest. It sits around 3,000 ft in the Santa Ana Mountains and the projected high and low temperatures seemed very comfortable for February. There are around fifty sites at the campground, but currently only 39 are open. The campsites are situated beneath the California Live Oaks and amidst the chaparral (and poison oak) that dominate the area's terrain.

Watch out for Poison Oak

Being so close to major suburban areas would easily lead one to the conclusion that there is not much to do in the area. False... The Main Divide Truck Trail climb the slope to the ridge of the Santa Anas and provide access to forests of pine, fir and oak. From these ridges one some of the best views of Orange and Riverside Counties at hand. Also close at hand are several hiking trails that lead to mountain peaks, rock climbing opportunities, swimming holes and even waterfalls. Stargazing definitely is not the best because of the proximity of major metropolitan areas, but even still the night sky provides much enjoyment.

Activities:
- Bird Watching
- Hiking
    - San Juan Trail (Chiquito and San Juan Falls, swimming holes)
    - Bear Canyon Trail
    - Los Pinos Trail
    - Tenaja Falls (waterfall, swimming hole)
    - Hot Springs Canyon (waterfall, swimming hole)

-Driving
    - Ortega Highway
    - Main Divide Truck Trail (North and South)
    - Indian Truck Trail
    - Silverado Truck Trail
   


Playing board games

   

So thankful that Isaac and Irma joined us on this trip.