Beautiful hike near the intersection of the 2 and the 39. Parking lot and pristine trails are…read morewell-maintained. Well worth the drive up from the Los Angeles basin. Check traffic, weather and fire status; the forest is extremely flammable at the moment. Bring water, snacks and first aid kit. An Adventure Pass is required to park within Angeles National Forest. Be prepared for a work-out and some beautiful views.

This is a strong 4 star hike...near Mount Baden-Powell and similar in many ways. Use the All Trails…read moreapp to get directions. Parking and the trailhead is on Hwy 2. We took the 210 to the 2 Hwy near La Canada Flintridge and it took us about 50 mins and 40 miles of twists and turns while sharing the road with motorcycles and high performance cars that are testing their cars handling. You will pass the parking area for Switzer Falls (see my review for that one) and you will pass the Red Box parking area you can use to do the Strawberry Peak hike (see my review haha) and still will need to continue on Angeles Crest Hwy for about 25 more minutes. If you want you can continue tpass the main parking area for the Islip saddle about one mile to the east and find some parking on the side of the highway that will allow you to take a shortcut trail that connects with the main trail but is about .4 miles shorter, so .8 miles RT...you can see the start of the trail near the metal barrier blocking any traffic on the access road. The first .6 miles is pretty steep and then you connect to the main trail and head left to the Little Jimmy Campground which is 1.1 miles and pretty flat. When you reach the campground it gets a bit confusing with intersecting trails. Don't stop here, continue on for about 1.5 miles to reach the Mt. Islip peak. The 3rd mile is the steepest and you will gain about 550 ft and pass the 8,000 ft elevation level and come to a fork in the trail that is well marked and you will make a right to go about .2 miles to the peak. It was 3.2 miles to the peak and 6.4 miles RT using the shortcut starting area that I mentioned in the first paragraph. At the top is the ruins of a small structure, some concrete squares, and a plastic and metal box with some notebooks. There is no sign with the name and elevation of the peak but it is about 8,250 ft. above sea level. There are some great views, not quite as great as Baden-Powell. This is a moderate hike, definitely not hard. We completed the hike in 2.5 hrs with no running. There are parts that are exposed to the sun, but equal amounts that have shade. I loved that we only came across 6 total people while hiking. I just hate that it takes so long to get here and especially the amount of driving the incredibly curvy Hwy 2.

The service provided by ARC adventure is phenomenal. Jackelin E. and Bob L. Do a great job managing…read moreeverything. From kayaking to rock climbing and camping, the adventure program is a great opportunity for arc students to experience the outdoors.

Great company to rent a rock wall from. I would definitely rent from them again. They were on time,…read morequick with set up and their staff was very nice and great with all the kids who came by.

My son attended his first season at Camp Adventurewood in 2023 - it was his first experience at a…read moresummer camp and he was a little nervous and shy but all his counselors made him feel so welcome and comfortable and after the first day he was hooked! He loved the variety of activities and made so many new friends. He came home with fun stories each day. I loved that they offered a variety of options from 2 days/week to 5 days. We returned last summer and an unexpected and sudden medical event threw our summer for a loop. They were beyond kind and accommodating. Michael, the owner, personally made sure we were taken care of at a very scary time and was just incredibly kind and communicative. I can't thank him and his staff enough for the support. I would recommend this camp for any family. Its like a classic, old-school summer day camp experience!

My son attended Adventurewood camp for the first time this week. For the most part he enjoyed…read morehimself -- particularly the characters they introduce throughout the week. However, we decided to pull him out for next week because of a very disturbing situation. He shared that a counselor had pushed him with both hands on his shoulders during a capture the flag activity. He had dropped his flag and was putting it back on when a counselor (he didn't know her name) pushed him back hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall. She also barked "you need to reset!" She didn't ask if he was ok or help him up. You'd think if this was an accidental push and he fell over she would say something like "sorry bud are you ok? Here let me help you up" but nope, not a word. A friend he's attending camp with witnessed the whole incident. Since I pick them both up in the afternoons they both recounted this situation to me and both of them noted how inappropriate her behavior was. I immediately reached out to Michael, the owner of the camp. He said he wanted to identify this counselor and get her side of the story. Understandable. My son felt uncomfortable going back the next day but I reassured him it would be handled and offered to drop him off in the morning and stick around to talk to Michael and the counselor. I wanted him to feel safe. Michael identified her (her name is Carson) and said he wanted to talk to her first, which he did a few feet away from me. I heard her say she didn't push him. They then walked over to me and she again denied everything. So we asked both kids to come over and recount what happened. They both did -- in front of her -- and reiterated she pushed him. She denied even touching him. So Michael suggests at this point that perhaps it was an accident and my son responds by saying "how do you push someone like that by accident?!" No response. So I ask her, are you saying these kids are lying? She again said she didn't touch him and at this point we send the kids away. I'm incensed because not only does she gaslight both of them to their face but tells this bold faced lie to her boss in front of the campers and me. I tell her I believe them and I think she's the one lying. At this point she gives me this dirty look - angry, irritated and almost rolls her eyes at me. I turn to Michael and say "and now she's giving ME an attitude?!" Unbelievable. In a follow up call, he tells me how good of a person she is and that this is shocking for him to hear but that she doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this...that she's getting her teacher credentials and he knows her really well. I am getting the vibe he doesn't actually believe any of this and he sounds very skeptical. I respond by telling him that it's almost always surprising when people exhibit bad behavior and that even teachers do bad things...that doesn't make her any more credible in my eyes. He acknowledged that. In fact, it's worse because I would be really concerned to have someone like that teaching a kid. Lack of empathy, accountability, and integrity. I mean, I think it's great he's trying to have her back but there are moments in life when you need to draw a line and act swiftly...these are one of those moments. Because ultimately, this impacts the reputation of your camp. I told him that it would be good to offer training to his staff in case this ever happens again in the future and honestly he sounded baffled and asked me to clarify...I said well maybe tell your staff not to give dirty looks to a mom who's clearly upset that her son just got pushed by a grown adult at summer camp?? I told him that the response to this situation could've resulted in a totally different outcome. Had she said something like "I really don't recall pushing you but if I inadvertently did and made you feel bad I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that" - I would've went home that morning feeling fine about the situation. When I told him this he said that he's not going to police all her reactions, that she's still young, that she's still learning and made all kinds of excuses for her. Exhausting. Apparently she got a "warning" and will sit out of the flag activity (umm, ok...). He seems like a smart guy and wish him nothing but success in the future and I was earnestly trying to offer advice for how to handle a situation like this better but it fell on deaf ears. I really hope that some kind of learning comes out of this for both of them. Oh and to top it off, my son's friend told her mom that Carson was giving her looks several times throughout the day today and when she asked what kind she said "side eye" looks. NOT COOL. My son also said she was kind of mean to him but wondering why they were even in close proximity when Michael said they'd absolutely be separated and would not see each other? Validates we both made the right choice by pulling them both out. He offered a refund but I'm still pissed about the situation.

My boys just got home from Camp Nawakwa and had the time of their lives!…read more My older son was homesick and his cabin counselor, Squirrel, did amazing calming him and getting him involved. There was lots of activities and they had options so they could choose the things that interested them. Swimming, crafts, archery, drama, rock climbing. They had a dance and camp fires, they performed skits. When I went to pick them up my little one had lost his voice from singing and cheering so much. My homesick boy didn't want to leave... He even asked to go back for the next weeks session. Days later they are still singing their cabin songs and telling stories about what they did while they were there. I know my kids can't wait to go back and I'm so thankful they had this experience. And I'm going to make sure they return to Camp Nawakwa because they have made memories they will cherish for a lifetime...and they'll make even more in the summers to come

Camp Nawakwa-Angelus Forest Site I went on a camping trip…read morewith our church Agape Christian Center on June 5-7, 2015. I wanted to take a moment to compliment you on the cleanliness of your camp! I was pleasantly surprised. Your staff were all very friendly,courteous, and helpful. I specially wanted to thank your head chef, (I hope I have the name right, Shawn?)I have a gluten free kid and he was so nice, and helpful. He completely went out of his way, his food was delish!He made my job of having to pack gluten free food obsolete! I am so thankful! All in all had a great time, we Will definitely be back!!! See you soon! Delia Ybarra

BEST WEDDING VENUE EVER!…read more My husband and I dreamed of a wedding where everyone could stay together onsite, immersed in nature, with no worries about driving after a night of fun, and Camp Osito Rancho made that dream a reality. Our families stayed in the health center, lodge, and electrified cabins, while our friends embraced the adventure of summer cabins and tents. The venue offers so many stunning spaces, from the spacious dining hall for meals to the stage/amphitheater with fire pits--perfect for s'mores and late-night stories. We exchanged vows at the top of a hill near the outdoor pavilion, with a gorgeous backdrop of pine trees and a view of Big Bear Lake in the distance. We were able to offer our guests camp activities like archery and a pool day, as well as had room to setup other activities like craft tables and lawn games. The biggest perk was the complete freedom to choose our own vendors, allowing us to create a truly personalized experience (huge shoutout to Scratch Kitchen for catering--our guests still rave about the food). We spent a year making signs, collecting décor, buying solar lights, and crafting to transform this Girl Scout camp into a full-blown wedding festival. If you're up for planning the details, this venue is the ultimate blank canvas. Last but not least, the Camp Osito Rancho team is absolutely amazing. A huge thanks to Angel for her help throughout the year, Ryan for his help throughout the weekend, and to Gerardo for the tour that sold us from the start. For a wedding that feels like an unforgettable getaway, this place is pure magic

Amazing camp!! Came with sweet elite Girl Scouts 2020. My daughter canoed, rode horses, zip lined,…read morelearned archery. So many activities. Well worth the work. Beautiful campsite.

Amazing surf school. Both my daughters learned to surf in one three hour lesson. Bella became very…read morecomfortable and nearly independent after her second lesson. The staff is very friendly and spot on. I opted for the Will Roger's State Park location over the Venice Beach option and was very happy I did. In fact I recommend you try Will Roger's State Park.

We did a one day camp with Sunrise just to see if my son would like it. He is six, and I wasn't…read moreready to drop him off and leave him as he LOVES to run to the biggest wave. So I wanted to keep an extra set of eyes on him and ended up hanging around out of site so we wouldn't be distracted by me, but close by so I would feel comfortable knowing how he'd respond to the instructors. I think they were fine with me being even closer but I stayed a little further away so my child would really focus on them. Also, it was his first surf lesson so I didn't want to miss it! What I saw had me grinning the entire time. When my son wanted to push the limits and travel a little too far out where I was ready to run in after him, instructors were pulling the kids back. They had their eyes on him. And there was a dedicated staff member standing on the beach keeping their eyes on the entire group whenever they were in the water. And it was amazing to see my kid stand up on the board for the first time ever. And the way he jumped and kept going - it was clear he was SO happy the entire time. Not my kid, but there was clearly a little one who was not comfortable with the waves. I don't know the full story, but what I saw was an instructor holding that child the ENTIRE camp in the water. That kid got to be as close to the water as they were comfortable, the instructors never sat her aside to play in the sand, they were clearly trying to get her comfortable and making sure she had some water experience. Props to you all for investing in every child at every level. Props to the instructors, we hope to return if schedules allow this summer. The only request I have is to put kids in bright orange/yellow/green rash guards instead of the blue ones. It was easy to see the instructors in the orange, but I would feel better if we could REALLY see the kids from the sand in water safe colors. That's it - THANK YOU again for a great day. My son really loved it and was so proud of what he accomplished in that short time with you.

We love the Laurel Foundation it has been so amazing at creating a community for our family which…read moreinclude: summer camps, outings, and social hours with other parents. We are deeply grateful for Margot and her team. We highly recommend all programming at the Laurel foundation.

Thank you so much to everyone at the Laurel Foundation for Camp Mulberry! My 15-year-old just got…read moreback from camp - it was her first time away from home without one of us with her, and it was her first camp experience. She had what I can only describe as a transformative time. She came home so much more self-confident, joyful and the most comfortable I've ever seen her in her body. After years of suffering from depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, seeing this kind of change and growth in my child in such a short amount of time made me teary eyed. I'm forever grateful.

My Son Loves going to camp here! My son really didn't want to go to summer camp. He loves Code…read moreRev! This is his third year!

Signed up for one day of camp at the very last minute. My daughter was excited by the sample…read moreitinerary on the website, which included things like "outdoor games" and "pair and share." When I went to pick her up, the group (including the instructor) looked like zombies staring at their computers... no acknowledgement I was even there as I'm looking for my child in a sea of office chairs. I'm willing to take my daughter's claim that she didn't learn anything new and was told she could just "play in her Minecraft world" all day with a grain of salt, because there's probably more to it than that. But she did confirm that there was no outdoor play and that she sat in the same seat for five hours. Overall, she called it "boring." I give it a few stars because they kept my kid safe, but we won't be going back.

Great teacher, and I love the boutique environment. I strongly recommend them for your fitness…read moreneeds.

Brenda's instruction help me to try new more challenging positions that I would be too intimidated…read moreto try without her expert guidance and encouragement. She keeps my herniated disc from limiting my abilities daily. #grateful