Starting in 2020, Alter Experiences will be offering glamping event packages at Mount Laguna, or your preferred location.
Plan your next special event at one of our group campgrounds in Mount Laguna:
We'll help you plan your outdoor event whether you're planning a wedding, birthday party, group retreat or family reunion - we'll make sure your event runs smoothly in comfort and style. We'll wok with you to configure your desired site staging, lounge areas and can offer customized experiences for your group. We can also recommend some local catering companies Such as Jeremy's on the Hill, Julian Beer Company and Quechos.
Alternatively, we'll bring the glamping to you! Host a glamping party in your own backyard. Our team will deliver and stage at your property for your special event, anywhere in San Diego.
Our bell and tree tents are a perfect and comfortable accommodation option for your overnight visitors.
Let's bring our signature outdoor hospitality standard to your next event. Contact us now for more info: info@alterexperiences.com
Group Events at Mount Laguna
The most we can outfit at one time is for 100 people and may require a combination of bell tents and tree tents. We'll handle all of the staging logistics in preparation for your event including:
All your visitors have to bring is their own sleeping bag, pillows and toiletries. We can recommend some local catering companies, or we can outfit your personal group kitchen for additional costs.
We bring our signature outdoor hospitality experience to any gathering and ensure your event runs smoothly. You'll be immersed in the beautiful mountain forests of our pristine Cleveland National Forest at altitudes of 6,000+ ft. We'll take care of all the logistics so that you can spend time engaging with your group and building life-long memorable experiences.
We'll work with you to create a custom tailored outdoor experience specific to your group needs and desires. Whether you're looking for a weekend group retreat or something a bit longer, we'll make sure that every night is spent in comfort.
Both our tree tents and bell tents are comfortable and of the highest quality in the market. Bell tents come standard with either 1 queen therapeutic mattress or 2 full. Our tree tents are available in either single, double, or triple units and we can configure whatever combination you desire, depending on site. Try our fun double bubble that is a stacked tree tent with a hammock right under. It can sleep 6 people and is perfect for families with young children. We also deploy our trillium hammocks to provide additional lounging areas for your group.
We put a lot of thought into our staging and have lots of experience with this area through our years in service as outfitters. We bring a lot of expertise and have worked with many other groups towards creating the best and most unforgettable outdoor experiences.
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There is no better place in San Diego to stargaze than our backcountry mountains. We're fortunate to not have very much light pollution at these elevations, which makes for the most splendid star gazing encounters. Each one of our sites is also provided with a a state of the art Trilluim Hammock by Tentsile, which allows you to enjoy the dark sky well into the night. Many of our visitors opt to sleep out on the hammock during summer nights.
About the Laguna Mountain observatory from SDSU web-site:
Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO) is operated by the SDSU Department of Astronomy to support its research, training, and educational programs. Current institutional partners include the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the University of Kansas (KU). MLO is located 45 miles east of downtown San Diego at a dark site in the Cleveland National Forest at an altitude of 6100 feet (1859 meters). This site is well protected from the urban lighting of the San Diego metropolitan area. Its remoteness, along with the high percentage of clear nights and excellent seeing, makes Mount Laguna one of the best overall observatory sites in the continental United States.
The three major research instruments and their auxiliary equipment are: the 50-inch (1.25-meter) Phillips Claud reflector with KU, currently under construction (4K^2 CCD camera system); the 40-inch (1.0-meter) reflector with UIUC, manufactured by Astro Mechanics, Inc. (two CCD cameras, Cassegrain spectrograph, near-IR camera, automated photometer, Coude bench spectrograph); and the Clifford Smith 24-inch (0.6-meter) reflector (automated photometer, SBIG CCD camera). Our students lead observational projects with these telescopes under the advisement of the faculty. A five bedroom apartment building, four bedroom dormitory, and large shop building are also located on site. Instrument and CCD development are carried out at the on-campus mechanical and electronics shops. Observatory support staff includes a resident astronomer, an engineer, and the observatory superintendent.
Sky conditions at MLO are photometric 60% of the time and spectroscopic 75% of the time. The poorer weather usually occurs in late winter and early spring (February and March). The summer monsoon conditions that plague Kitt Peak in July and August are greatly moderated at MLO. The sky glow from San Diego and other urban areas contributes only about 5% at the zenith on moonless nights. Thus, on these dark nights, the sky brightness at the zenith in the Johnson B filter averages 22.8 magnitudes per square arcsecond. Seeing is generally less than two arcseconds and frequently less than one arcsecond.
The Reginald Buller 21-inch (0.5-meter) visitors’ telescope, manufactured by J.W. Fecker, Inc., is used for instructional support of our General Education Astronomy classes and labs and for special SDSU public outreach programs. This classic telescope has superb optics for viewing by eye.
For information about the MLO Summer Visitors Program, please call 619-594-1415.
We have various waterfalls in the San Diego backcountry which you can visit including: Green Valley Falls, Cedar Creek Falls, Three Sisters Falls and Merrigan Trail Falls. They run strong on occasion if we've had some good winter rain.
A fairly difficult hike, Three Sisters Falls is by far the most popular. Please be prepared and do some research if you're attempting this hike.
Green Valley Falls and Merrigan trail falls are much easier hikes for families and smaller children. Carry plenty of water and plan your hike early to avoid the scorching afternoon sun. Please be careful on the trail and watch out for rattlesnakes.
Our San Diego mountains offer many bird watching opportunities including Bald Eagles at Lake Cuyamaca.
This vast open area, surrounded by rugged hills, is a great place to spot raptors, such as hawks, golden eagles and owls. The lake also attracts waterfowl, gulls, Red-naped and Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Lewis' Woodpeckers and mountain bluebirds.