We’ve been putting together our East Bay Summer Camp Guide for four years now, but we’ve heard that you want sleepaway camps, too! I’m happy to present our inaugural Overnight Camp Guide for Bay Area families. Be sure to tell us in the comments your favorites that we missed.
Overnight Sleepaway Camps (Sponsors)
JCC Maccabi Sports Camp (Menlo College, Atherton)
JCC Maccabi Sports Camp is a Jewish overnight sports camp in the Bay Area with programs in soccer, basketball, baseball, and tennis for boys and girls entering grades 4-12. Two-week sessions combine high-level specialized sports instruction with the fun, friendship, and community of a Jewish overnight camp. Community, culture and character are at the heart of this Jewish camp experience.
Website >
Duration: All sessions are two-weeks long, beginning on a Tuesday and ending on a Sunday.
Price: One week (weekdays only) $2845 for 2-week session; Multi-session & multi-sibling discounts are available. Save $100 if you mention {510} Families!
Wanderers (Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Lassen National Park, Yosemite National Park. Bus from San Francisco)
Wanderers offers outdoor education-focused day and overnight camps throughout northern California for kids, ages 7-14. Active one-week summer camp with days spent touching tide pool starfish, finding huckleberries, spotting tule elk, playing among the redwoods, and camping and backpacking in some of California’s most magnificent remote wilderness areas. Lassen Explorer is offered with Girls Only option.
Website >
Duration: Sessions are one week (weekdays only)
Price: $1,075 – $1,295 per session depending on destination selected.
Camp Unalayee (Trinity Alps with bus transit from Berkeley Marina)
Camp Unalayee is a wilderness backpacking camp that provides diverse young people with transformational experiences and outdoor adventures since 1949. Whether boating, backpacking, making crafts or learning leadership skills, campers learn how to safely enjoy a remarkably beautiful wilderness setting. Ages 10 to 17.
Website >
Price: $1995 for 15-day session or 10-day intro program for $1575; robust financial assistance available to those who qualify
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Northern California Overnight Camps (Marin and North)
Bar 717 Ranch Summer Camp (Trinity County)
At the Bar 717 Ranch, everyone has something different to get excited about: horseback riding, backpacking, arts and crafts, music, gardening, swimming in the river, and a ton of different activities. Campers are free to choose which programs they want to participate in, and there are always opportunities to contribute positively to the camp community of this big ranch family. Family camp also available.
Website >
Duration: Two weeks
Price: $2900/2 weeks; discounts for multiple sessions; transportation not included
Cazadero Music Camp (near the Russian River in Sonoma County)
Cazadero Music Camp brings the love of music and learning to young musicians ages 10-18. Summer Music Camp brings together a diverse and talented student body from across the Bay Area and beyond. Campers work closely with skilled Conductors, talented Music Faculty, and a devoted Camp Staff. Young musicians program starts at age 6 for children with at least one year’s experience on their instrument.
Website >
Hours: One- or two-week sessions based on age
Price: $720-$800 for one week and $1510 to $1680 for two weeks.
“Cazadero Music Camp is amazing for older, music-playing (“One time at Band Camp…”) kiddos. For rising 5th graders and up. Gorgeous place, incredible staff. Great way to get better at an instrument very quickly.” ~ Alissa
Camp Full Belly Farm (Capay Valley, one hour northwest of Sacramento)
Campers become “farm kids” for a week by participating in all aspects of farming, from milking cows and collecting eggs to harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables for their meals. Ingredients for the meals come almost entirely from Full Belly Farm and campers help to prepare every meal eaten at camp. Campers sleep in tents provided by the camp and spend hot afternoons splashing in Cache Creek. Evenings are filled with campfires, game playing, and skits.
Information {pdf} >
Duration: Sessions are one week
Price: $600 for campers ages 7-12; $750 for campers ages 13-16; Discount to CSA members
“My daughter and I both love Camp Full Belly Farm; Molly has been going since age 7 so this will be her third year. It is a fantastic place, caring and family-like setting for kids who don’t mind getting dirty.” ~ Alissa
Camp Newman (Santa Rosa)
Immersive summer camp based on creating a joyful Jewish life. Activities include athletics, outdoor adventure sports, music, art, dance, leadership training, and social action.
Website >
Duration: Program is 13 days for 3rd through 10th graders with longer options available.
Price: $2690 for two-week session. Many other price points; discounts to URJ members
Plantation Farm Camp (Cazadero with bus transportation from Bay Area)
Plantation Farm Camp offers a traditional summer camp experience on a real working farm. Campers are hands-on, active participants in the farm community, with the freedom to choose their own activities every day.
Website >
Duration: one- two- and four-week sessions
Price: $1450/1wk; $2500/2wk; $4800/4wk; sibling & early enrollment discounts available.
“Plantation has been a camp for decades, with a long history, lots of fun traditions, and a stunning setting — it really feels like a family. It’s a working farm and the kids do farm-related activities and all the usual camp favorites too.” ~ Alison
Point Reyes (Point Reyes National Seashore)
Camp programs combine outdoor adventuring with environmental education techniques, marine and coastal field excursions, and traditional summer camp activities. Ages 7-12 do nature science camp and ages 12-16 take on adventure camp.
Website >
Duration: one-week session
Price: $650-$815 for slight differences in your definition of a “week” of camp.
“Point Reyes is an incredible camp; one of those camps kids return to year after year. I think of it as a life experience.” ~ Liz
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Sierra and Tahoe Region Overnight Camps
Camp Augusta (Sierra foothills)
Resident camp designed for boys and girls between the ages of 8-16. 140 activities to try such as archery, equestrian, climbing, kayak, field games, crafts, and so many more. Mini camp for children 6 to 9 who want a taste of overnight camp life. Back country wilderness trips also available.
Website >
Duration: Varies from two nights (mini) to two-weeks.
Price: 1 week is $1590; 2 weeks is $2540; mini-camp also available
“My 10-year old daughter just came home from 2 weeks at Camp Augusta in the Sierra foothills (Nevada City) and she loved it. So many activities, lots of creativity and adventure, a smallish group of girls and boys and a very low counselor to camper ratio. She can’t wait to go back next summer.” ~ Wendy
Camp Chrysalis (Big Sur, Mendocino, Sierras, Sequoia National Park)
Now in its 33rd year, Camp Chrysalis offers children (8.5-17 years of age) the chance to combine recreation, learning, woodworking, crafts, and personal growth in three distinctive natural environments: Big Sur redwoods, Mendocino coastal tidepools and Sierra Nevada mountains. Campers study the environments to develop natural science skills as well basic camping and wilderness skills.
Website >
Duration: Varies from 8 to 12 days based on destination.
Price: Varies from $1050 to $1550 based on destination.
Deer Crossing Camp (Eldorado National Forest near Lake Tahoe)
An outdoor adventure for 8-17 year olds in Northern California’s High Sierra with emphasis on skill-building and wilderness safety; developing resilient youth; in a Daniel Boone location (where campers hike in and gear is boated in).
Website >
Price: $1500/1 week; $2550/2 weeks
Echo Lake (High Sierra near South Lake Tahoe, Bus from Berkeley included in fees)
This year, youth ages 7 to 13 can enjoy a five-day overnight summer camp available in three sessions at this camp in the foothills of Lake Tahoe. Daily activities include: canoeing, swimming, sports, all-camp games, fishing, archery, arts & crafts and hiking. Evenings include a campfire sing-along, talent show, star-gazing, and a dance. 14 and 15 year-olds have CIT opportunities. Bus service is provided to/from Berkeley.
Website >
Duration: 3 one-week sessions available: 8/3-8/7; 8/10-8/14; 8/17-8/21
Price: $493 Berkeley resident/ $542 non-resident.
Girl Scout Camp (Bothin, Skylark Ranch, and Sugar Pine)
Girl Scouts of Northern California offers a variety of camp experiences for girls ages 5-17. Girl Scout membership not required.
Website >
Price: Varies.
Mountain Camp (near Lake Tahoe in El Dorado National Forest)
Mountain Camp is a co-ed, sleep-away, adventure camp for kids entering 2nd-12th grade.
Website >
Duration: One week: 2pm Sunday to 10am Saturday
Price: $1700
Camp Tawonga (Stanislaus National Forest, near Yosemite)
For grades 2 to 10. Founded in 1925 to foster positive self-image and self-esteem, create a cooperative community, build a partnership with nature, and explore spirituality and positive Jewish identity in children.
Website >
Duration: “A taste of camp” is a 6-day session for those new to overnight camp; Regular sessions last from 2 to 3 weeks.
Price: $379/week for core program; Discounts for siblings & JCC members.
Two Rivers Soccer Camp (Graegle, CA, in the northern part of Tahoe National Forest)
Boys and girls age 7 to 17 Camper fee includes all soccer instruction, housing and meals.
Website >
Duration: Campers arrive Sundays and leave Saturday afternoons. The campers who stay for multiple weeks are fully supervised between sessions. There is no charge for the additional day.
Price: $1395 for one week; $3140 for two weeks of “soccer plus”
Walton’s Grizzly Lodge (Sierras)
Campers ages 7 – 14 choose daily from over 40 activities including water sports, horseback riding, craft activities, athletics, archery and ropes course activities with a 500 foot zip line across the private lake.
Website >
Duration: One- and two-week sessions
Price: $1750/1wk; $33/2wks
Camp Winnarainbow (Mendocino County)
Stilts, trapeze, drama, juggling, unicycle, martial arts, swimming, singing, dancing, hot cocoa, the labyrinth, hanging out and more for campers ages 7–14. There will be a final show for parents and friends on the last day of every two-week session
Website >
Duration: Two-week sessions contain 12 camper days. The one-week session contains 6 camper days.
Price: $865/1wk $1725/2wks; Discounts for multiple-weeks.
Camp Woolman (Sierra Nevada foothills near Yuba River)
Campers age 9 to 14 spend their days playing games, singing, making art, being silly, learning about peace, nature, the garden, and so more
Website >
Duration: One- and two-week sessions offered
Price: $800/week; discounts for multiple weeks; shuttle from Bay Area offered for a fee
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South of the {510}: South Bay, Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz Sleepaway Camps
Camp JaK (Lake Castaic)
For kids 6-17, Camp JaK is a place to unplug and have “FUN, FUN, FUN”. Kindness, respect, and compassion are emphasized as kids navigate the activities throughout their days. Located off Hwy 5 about an hour north of Los Angeles, chaperoned flights from Oakland are available. The camp directors live in Berkeley.
Website >
Duration: 2-week session, beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday, which can be easily combined into four- or six-week sessions (campers attending two or more sessions may stay overnight between the sessions)
Price: $2800 per 2-week session with discounts for multiple sessions. Fees increase in May.
Frontier Ranch (Scotts Valley)
Rising 4th graders through junior high campers will combine adrenaline sports with getting to know God. Many activities available (some, like surfing, require an additional fee)
Website >
Duration: One week sessions
Price: Junior camps $370/week; Junior high camps $380/week
Hidden Villa (Los Altos Hills)
Programs for rising 4th through 10th graders. Whether sleeping in a Tipi or out under the stars, the overnight experience is wildly fun and life changing. Getting away from home and learning to develop a community with others is an opportunity for campers to discover themselves in new and empowering ways. Resident program begins for those entering fifth grade and is a 12-day camp with wide array of activities and a focus on social justice. to begin outdoor skills and sleep in Tipis as they learn about the Ohlone tribe.
Website >
Duration: 5-day for those entering 4th and 5th grades; 12 day program for older campers
Price: $555 for 1 week; $1045-$1065 for 2 weeks; financial aid available
“When I was a kid, I LOVED Hidden Villa. I am looking forward to sending my kids there when they are old enough!” ~ Karen
Kennolyn Camps (Soquel, CA)
Offering specialty camps in equestrian, surfing, adventure, or good old-fashioned resident camp, Kennolyn is located on 300 acres of redwood forest, with close proximity to the beach. Days are full of fun activities, but until everyone has had a full breakfast and cleaned their cabin! Hooray for traditions! (The food looks amazing!)
Website >
Duration: Session length varies throughout the summer: one-week and two-week camps are available as well as 10 days and a mini-camp of 4 days.
Price: 1-week camp is $1895, but prices vary with session length
Camp Trackers (Santa Cruz mountains with bus transport from Berkeley)
The hillside site featuring redwood groves, incense cedar-covered slopes, creeks and springs, and even a fishing lake. Campers sleep in cabins or, for survival-focused programs, rustic yurts and tents. Overnight camps begin for rising 4th – 12th graders.
Website >
Duration: One week, Sunday through Friday
Price: $775; includes transportation from Bay Area; Discounts early registration.
YMCA Camp Campbell (Campbell, Santa Cruz mountains)
For ages 7-16, Camp Campbell offers a traditional sleepaway camp experience in cabins with a wide range of activities from singing, reading and jewelry-making to tennis, ultimate frisbee, and football.
Website >
Duration: Two-week sessions are typical; mini camps also available.
Price: $1045; member discount (reduced rates for shorter camps)
“Set in the redwoods, some of the cabins are on raised platforms with walkways through the trees, like an Ewok village. The swimming pool has a water slide and the lodge is reminiscent of Yosemite. It is so lovely there people also rent if out for weddings. My nine year old stayed there and loved it. It was also my first sleep away camp!” ~ Jennifer
YMCA Camp Jones Gulch (La Honda – West of Los Altos, toward Pescadero)
With mini-camps for kids entering grades 1-3 and resident camps for grades 3-10, Camp Jones Gulch welcomes kids to an activity-packed experience where children will develop a strong sense of belonging. Two open houses before camp starts allow parents to meet the directors and see the experience.
Website >
Duration: mini-camp is three nights; resident camp is 5 nights.
Price: mini-camp is $425; resident camp $625
510Families reader Vivian has fond memories of Camp Jones Gulch as a child.
YMCA Camp Loma Mar (Santa Cruz Mountains)
Run by YMCA of the East Bay, each of these redwood forest encircled cabins becomes home to 12 campers and one or two adult counselors. Camp Loma Mar in the Santa Cruz Mountains offers a tiered pricing model to encourage more families to come, and offers optional bus service from Oakland. Space still available for this summer.
Website >
Duration: 1 week sessions
Price: $600/week is full price with need-based discounts available
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Even further, hop on an airplane?
Did you know that some Bay Area families with connections to far-away cities like to send their kids away on airplanes for sleepaway camp? I have friends with longstanding traditions in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and New England. We had a positive experience with some single overnights last year, so air transit is not in my particular deck of cards. What about you?
We work really hard to make sure that prices and hours are accurate but they do change throughout the season; please check with vendor for current rates and availability; and tell ‘em 510families sent ya!
All decisions for this guide were made by Heather and Whitney, founders of 510families.com, we apologize for any errors or glaring omissions. Promotional consideration was paid by sponsored listings as indicated. If you’d like to be considered for future Camp Guides, please see this info page or contact us at ads@510families.com for information.