Scout Camps in California

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Summer Camps, Aquatic Bases, Hi-Adventure Treks and Wilderness Areas in California.


BSA Scout Camps

Golden State Jamborees

  • California Scouts (Facebook) - Latest news on all sorts of joint activitiews for older scouts in the Golden State. Please "Like" our FB Page today!
  • Camp Chesebrough Mountain Man Rendezvous (Sept) - Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council - Annual event for high-adventure troops and crews. 1840’s event emphasizing the lifestyle of the old trapper days. Where else can you shoot black powder rifles, throw tomahawks and knives, and live like a mountain man? Bring: Tents, chairs, candle lanterns, tables, and 1840’s era dress and camp equipment for judging.
  • Long Beach Invitational Regatta (3rd Weekend in March?) - Long Beach Area Council Sea Scouts sponsors this unique test of sailing and navigational skills.
  • Mataguay International Camporee (3rd Weekend in May) - This is a unique weekend event sponsored by San Diego-Imperial Council. Every year over 1000 participants come to Mataguay Scout Ranch from the United States, Mexico and other countries. The International Camporee will provide a venue and opportunity for Scouts from all over to meet each other and share their customs, traditions and scouting experiences. (This event is very popular for English and Spanish speaking scouts - bilingual staff operates this camp.)
  • Laguna Mountain Rendezvous (Sept)] - (Organizer: Laguna Mountain Shooting Club - Held at Mataguay Scout Ranch. Enjoy an authentic pre-1840s Rocky Mountain Fur Trader’s encampment. Become part of our historic past as part of the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, the finest mountain man encampment in the Western U.S. You will experience demonstrations of primitive survival skills such as cooking, tool making, tomahawk throwing and black powder target shooting that make this rendezvous an unforgettable experience.
  • International Rendezvous (1st Week of August) - RENDEZVOUS 2020 is the 10th "mini-World Jamboree" hosted by Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council. This is your chance to experience the World Brotherhood of Scouting without extensive travel or expense. First, we will spend an exciting and fun-filled week at Camp Hi Sierra, with many special activities. Previous International Rendezvous have been attended by Scouts from Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania and Trinidad. In 2020, we expect approximately 150 Scouts (boys and girls) representing 12-14 nations.
  • FloatDecorators.com (Lat Dec) - Many Volunteers needed to help decorate floats for the annual Rose Parade in So. Calif.

Active Scout Camps

Camping is at the heart and pride of the Scouting program. Activities include everything from day and weekend camps, unit and family campouts, to long-term camps and high adventure trips. Scout camps operated by BSA council units located in or closeby to California:

# Camp Name Council Status Location Notes
01 Balboa Scout Camp San Diego-Imperial Council Urban Base Camp San Diego CA Urban setting in scenic Balboa Park, adjacent to San Diego Zoo. Visit historic sites and nearby attractions. (Council HQ)
02 Camp Bashor San Diego-Imperial Council Wilderness Camp Chula Vista CA New Camp - Scheduled to Open Late 2020!
03 Big Horn Scout Camp Greater Los Angeles Area Council BSA Summer Camp Lake Arrowhead Large traditional mountain summer camp with shooting sports and equestrian ranch.
04 Boulder Creek Scout Reservation Pacific Skyline Council Wilderness Camp Santa Cruz Mtns BCSR offers a convenient year-round location for outdoor activities in the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
05 Cabrillo Beach Youth Waterfront Sports Center Greater Los Angeles Area Council BSA Sea Base San Pedro CA provides a unique aquatics and beach camping experience
06 Camp Chawanakee Sequoia Council BSA Summer Camp Shaver Lake CA 8 weekly sessions of traditional scout camp, located western Sierra Nevadas in the Sierra National Forest.
07 Chesebrough Scout Reservation Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council BSA Hi-Adv Base Castle Rock State Park Year round camp connected to major backpacking trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
08 Cherry Valley Greater Los Angeles Area Council Aquatic Base
Summer Camp
Santa Catalina Island Located on the leeward side two coves north of Two Harbors at Cherry Cove.
10 David Wortman Scout Camp Sequoia Council Wilderness Camp Badger CA rustic, wilderness BSA Summer Camp located in the Sierra National Forest
11 Emerald Bay Western Los Angeles County Council BSA Sea Base Catalina Island operating since 1925
12 Emerson Scout Camp California Inland Empire Council BSA Summer Camp Idyllwild CA Operated since 1919 - Oldest operating Scout Camp in California.
13 Fiesta Island Youth Aquatic Center San Diego-Imperial Council BSA Summer Camp San Diego CA Popular Sea Base located adjacent to Sea World San Diego in Mission Bay, San Diego
14 Firestone Scout Reservation Greater Los Angeles Area Council Active Diamond Bar CA Cubland and Scout World camping facilities and shooting ranges.
15 Forest Lawn Scout Reservation Greater Los Angeles Area Council Active Lake Arrowhead AKA Camp Big Horn.
16 Fleischmann Scout Camp Nevada Area Council Recovering from Fire Damage Mount Lassen Volcanic Park Located in the Cascade Mountains.
17 Camp Herms Golden Gate Area Council Urban Base Camp El Cerrito CA Base camp for touring historic sites and attractions in the San Francisco Bay Area.
18 Hi-Sierra Scout Camp Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council BSA Summer Camp Tuolumne County Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and set in a historical logging camp, Hi-Sierra embraces this living history opportunity by immersing Scouts in a fully themed mountain man town.
19 Holcomb Valley Scout Camp Greater Los Angeles Area Council Active Big Bear Located north of Big Bear Lake in the old mining district of Belleville on the site of the old Hitchcock Ranch and close to the Pacific Crest Trail.
20 Hubert Eaton Scout Reservation Greater Los Angeles Area Council Active Lake Arrowhead AKA Camp Big Horn.
21 Irvine Ranch Orange County Council BSA Outdoor Education Center Irvine Regional Park Overnight educational programs. Science, Shooting Sports, Academics, Mining and more.
22 Josepho Western Los Angeles County Council BSA Summer Camp Opened in 1941, Rhe 110-acre camp is located in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County.
23 Log Cabin Wilderness Camp Los Angeles Area Council Active Inyo N.F. A high adventure base camp located in the Inyo National Forest, near the Tioga Pass Road on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada bordering the Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite National Park.
24 Kern Scout Camp Southern Sierra Council BSA Summer Camp Huntington Lake High Sierras Traditional Scout Summer Camp.
25 Lassen Scout Camp Golden Empire Council Active Northern Butte Co. Overnight horse treks in the Sierra Nevadas.
26 Log Cabin Wilderness Camp Greater Los Angeles Area Council CLOSED 2016 Lee Vining Eastern Sierra adventure base camp.
27 Long Beach Sea Base Long Beach Area Council Sea Base Long Beach CA hosts traditional aquatics summer camp and many Sea Scouting adventure treks. Frequent host of the International Sea Scout Cup Race.
28 Lost Valley Orange County Council BSA Summer Camp Borrego Desert Desert hi-adventure program
29 Makualla Scout Camp Crater Lake Council BSA Summer Camp Crater Lake OR Features both a traditional summer camp program and hi-adventure whitewater rafting, caving, mountain biking and several tall mountain hikes.
30 Marin Sierra Scout Camp Marin Council BSA Summer Camp Chubb Lake 320-acre camping facility in Tahoe National Forest.
31 Mataguay Scout Camp San Diego-Imperial Council BSA Summer Camp NE San Diego County Located near Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw. Popular features include Glider rides, equestrian trips and quick access to backpacking on Pacific Crest Trail. 2020 Summer Camp Sessions have been relocated to Fiesta Island Youth Aquatic Center.
32 McConnell Scout Camp Greater Yosemite Council Active Livingston Located on the banks of the beautiful Merced River and used for Council Trainings, Cub Resident Camps and Unit Campouts. Home of the Yosemite Klondike Derby.
33 Mensinger Scout Camp Greater Yosemite Council BSA Summer Camp Stanislaus National Forest Features deep Merit Badge classes in all-day format instead of traditional hour-by-hour program.
34 Newport Sea Base Orange County Council BSA Sea Base Newport Harbor Serves a variety of oceangoing adventures.
35 Noyo Scout Camp CLOSED. Site is now privately owned Willits, CA Found deep inside Northern California's Redwood Forests, this camp is only accessible by riding the world famous Skunk Train. Redwood Empire Council runs 1 or 2 weeks of camp.
36 Camp Oljato Pacific Skyline Council BSA Summer Camp Huntington Lake Located at 7,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the western shore of Huntington Lake. Located next to Camp Kern.
37 Oso Lake Scout Camp Orange County Council Wilderness Camp O'Neill Regional Park features a 100-acre lake for fishing, camping and shooting sports.
38 Pendola Scout Reservation Greater Yosemite Council Active Stanislaus National Forest Home of Camp Mensinger and Pendola Sierra Adventure Base.
39 Pico Blanco Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council BSA Summer Camp Big Sur Beautiful Coastal Forest Setting. Closed in 2018 from severe wildfire damage.
40 Rancho Alegre Los Padres Council Closed
Fire Damage
Lake Cachuma Elevation 2200 feet in the wooded oak foothills of Los Padres National Forest. Features Lifeguard Academy and year round Outdoor School. This camp was severely damaged in the Whittier Fire of 2018 and is temporarily closed.
41 Rancho Los Mochos Golden Gate Area Council Weekend Camp Livermore Located 14 miles south of Livermore
42 Camp Riggs
(AKA: Elk River Scout Camp)
Crater Lake Council Wilderness Camp Eureka former logging camp located in the redwoods near Eureka California
43 Camp Robert Cole Golden Empire Council BSA Summer Camp Truckee Lake Beautiful High Sierra wilderness adventure camp near Lake Truckee.
44 Camp Royaneh Golden Gate Area Council BSA Summer Camp Cazadero Located in beautiful, coastal redwoods area in Sonoma County.
45 Schoepe Scout Reservation
AKA: Lost Valley
Orange County Council BSA Summer Camp Borrego Desert Includes desert hi-adventure programs
46 Silver Fir Verdugo Hills Council BSA Hi-Adv Base Huntington Lake High Adventure Base on the north shore of Huntington Lake in the Western Sierra Nevada. Trailhead for the Dinkey Lakes Loop Trek
47 Soap Creek Greater Yosemite Council BSA Hi-Adv Base Stanislaus National Forest Backpacking, BMX and Canoe Treks.
48 Tahquitz Scout Camp Long Beach Area Council BSA Summer Camp San Bernardino Mountains sits on one square mile of pristine forest land next Mount San Gorgonio, tallest mountain peak in SoCal.
49 Camp Tamarancho Marin Council Wilderness Camp Fairfax 480 acres of meadows, redwood and oak forested campsites. Famous for world-class bike trails.
50 Three Falls Ventura County Council BSA Hi-Adv Base Los Padres National Forest Complete the Weeklong series of challenging day hikes, rugged overnight outpost so you can earn their "Frontier Survivor" neckerchief.
51 Trask Scout Reservation Greater Los Angeles Area Council Wilderness Camp Monrovia Canyon
52 Verdugo Oaks Verdugo Hills Council Wilderness Camp Castaic Lake Wilderness camp located near Castaic Lake. Pool, archery, nature trails.
53 Willett Scout Camp Ventura County Council Wilderness Camp Sulphur Mountain Rustic wilderness camp located at the base of Sulphur Mountain in northern Ventura County.
54 Whitsett Western Los Angeles County Council BSA Hi-Adv Base
BSA Summer Camp
Sequoia National Forest Whitewater Rafting, Horse Pack and Backpacking Trek Opportunities.
55 Winton Scout Camp Golden Empire Council BSA Summer Camp Bear River Combination wilderness and aquatic camp with overnight canoe treks on Bear River Reservoir in the Central Sierra Nevada mountains.
56 Camp Wolfeboro Golden Gate Area Council BSA Summer Camp Stanislaus National Forest High Sierra Boy Scout camp with water sports, rock climbing and shooting sports.
57 Wente Scout Reservation Golden Gate Area Council BSA Summer Camp Willits WSR is one of the largest Scout Camps on the West Coast. Scouts can hike, backpack, sail, mountain bike, fish, ride horses, and go rock climbing all in one week.

Closed Scout Camps

Camp Name Council Status Location Notes
Ahwahnee Scout Reservation North Orange County Council Closed San Bernardino Mtn Summer Camp at Green Valley Lake (1954-1980)
Anza Scout Camp
Berryessa Scout Camp Closed 2005 Napa Valley CA Converted into Eco-Camp
Arataba Scout Camp California Inland Empire Council Closed Barton Flats CA closed in 1960
Cedarbrook Scout Camp Alameda Council Closed Closed in 1999.
Circle B Scout Ranch Old Baldy Area Council Closed Lake Isabella Open from the late 1950's until 1974,
Camp Dimond-O San Francisco Bay Area Council Closed 1979 Tuolumne River the jewel of the old Oakland Area Council, served as a Boy Scout summer camp from 1926 until 1978. The camp was located on the north side of the middle fork of the Tuolumne River about 2 miles southwest of the town of Mather at an elevation of 4300 feet. Site is now a National Forest campground under the same name.
Camp Echo Closed Echo Lake CA between 1940 and 1959
Camp Harvey West Echo Lake CA The Kleeberger Camp on the Upper Lake, was later operated as the Harvey West Boy Scout Camp. Both introduced many visitors to the Echo basin.
Helendade Scout Camp California Inland Empire Council Closed 2018 Running Springs CA Partially burned in the California October 2007 fires
Camp Lindblad Mount Diablo Silverado Council Closed 2017 Santa Cruz Mtns Sold in 2017
Masonite Navarro Redwood Empire Council Closed 2012 Navarro CA The Masonite Corporation sold Camp Navarro to the Sonoma-Mendocino Area Boy Scout Council in 1956 and it was renamed Camp Masonite Navarro. It was a private Scout camp and the 'crown jewel' property used by the Scouts as well as other youth groups for over 60 years
Camp Minkalo
Camp Mirimichi Southern Sierra Council Adjacent to Camp Oljato on Huntington Lake. Now a private camp - Golden Arrow Camp
Camp Nejedly
Camp O'Hara
Camp Okihi
Camp Pacifico
Camp Pahatsi
Pardee Scout Sea Base Western Los Angeles County Council Inactive Marina Del Rey Former home of S.S.S. Islander SSS-16.
Camp Pomponio
Rancho Los Flores Orange County Council Closed Camp Pendleton USMC
Will J. Reid Reservation Long Beach Area Council Closed Sold to developer in 2013.
Camp Rokili Orange County Council Closed Barton Flats
Camp Silverado Mount Diablo Silverado Council Closed Silver Lake CA
Camp Wolverton Western Los Angeles County Council Closed Sequoia National Park
Opened: 1939 / Closed 2011 - operated by Crescent Bay Council, Great Western Council and Western Los Angeles County Council.

GSUSA Scout Camps

California State Parks

National Parks, Forests & Monuments

California Hi-Adventure

Camp Name Council Status Location Notes
Lava Beds National Monument Volcano Modoc County located in northeastern California, on the northeastern flank of Medicine Lake Volcano and has the largest total area covered by a volcano in the Cascade Range. Here are found numerous lava tube caves, with 25 having marked entrances and developed trails for public access and exploration.
Pacific Crest Trail 3000 mile trail California From Mexican border, up the length of California, across Oregon and Washington, to the Canadian border. It provides numerous opportunities for both shorter and longer backpacking trips and high adventure training.
Redwood National and State Parks Nature Park Humboldt County a group of four parks, together, protect 45% of all remaining coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) old-growth forests. These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth.

Other Large Group Camps

Camp Name Affiliation Location Notes
Dos Picos County Park San Diego County Parks Ramona CA Two seperate youth group camp areas with wilderness trailheads.
Original Rawhide Ranch private Bonsall CA Get ranch hand experience at this Wild West Reenactment. Experience with horses and livestock
Verdugo Pines Bible Camp Southern California Bible Conference Wrightwood CA Cabins / Retreat Center
Wildwood Ranch The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ramona CA Church youth camp operates year round with zip-line, swimming pool, archery range, hiking trails and more. Site of the 2017, 2018, and 2019 BSA Buena Creek District Camporee.

See Also