Frequently Asked Questions

PinnaclesApril 1 - April 6 $950(6 days)ages 10 - 16
Big SurJune 20 - June 27 $1700(8 days)ages 9 - 15
Mendocino July 1 - July 10$1900(10 days)ages 10 - 16
Sierras July 14 - July 25 $2100(12 days)ages 11 - 17
Backpacking July 29 - August 5 $1700(8 days)ages 14 - 17

All sessions leave at 9:00 AM from 2434 McKinley Ave, (off Dwight Way) in Berkeley (see below for directions). The return times are 4 PM for the Big Sur session, 5 PM for the Mendocino session, and 6 PM for the Sierra session.

We use chartered school buses for transportation in the three main sessions. Please have your child there at 8:45 with the following supplies:

Bag lunch and full water bottle in his/her daypack.
Duffel bag with the required personal supplies (please pack the duffel with your child so they know what they have and where it is located). Label clothes and other items and don’t tie anything to the outside of the duffel bag.
Sleeping bag in a secure stuff-sack and sleeping pad tied securely. Label the outside of both. Frame packs for the Sierras should be packed empty.
Tent in a secure bag. Label the outside and make sure all parts are functional.

Directions to 2434 McKinley Ave:

We are very close to Berkeley High School. From the intersection of University Ave. and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Berkeley, drive seven blocks south to Dwight Way; turn right for one block. Walden School is on the northwest corner of McKinley Ave. I am next door to Walden School on McKinley Ave.

Mail Delivery

There is no mail delivery at camp. If you want to communicate with your child, enclose a note in his/her duffel bag. We do offer postcards to campers, midway through the session, and encourage them to write a note home. We do not require this.

Phone Access

There is no phone service at camp. Most sessions do not even have cell phone service. Emergency phone contact numbers:

  • Big Sur Ranger Station 805 968-6640
  • Mendocino Ranger Station 707 937-5804
  • Tahoe NF Ranger Station 530 289-3700 or 530 862-1212
  • Less urgent messages may be left on Lee’s home phone 510 843-6157

Contraband:

  • Cell phones, iPods and MP-3 players and any other electronic devices. Cameras are the exception.
  • Magazines that promote pop culture
  • All food items beyond the bag lunch including gum and snacks. We provide lots of healthy food and keep little critters away from it.
  • Sheath knives even in a secure sheath.
  • Drugs of any kind, legal or illegal. Prescription and OTC medications should be given to Lee at the bus in a labeled zip-loc with clear instructions. Your child's group leader will monitor these medications at camp.

For more details please visit our Structure and Philosophy page.