Such an amazing experience. Beautiful, great Naturalist and wonderful food. This was just an…read moreamazing experience. Thank you

This place is a great place for kids and adults to do outdoor activities like archery, hiking, zip…read morelining etc

I used to be a naturalist at this outdoor school. One of the absolute best locations I have ever…read morehad the chance to work and live. The most dedicated and fun loving staff, and a wonderful location. Just two days ago, a fire burned through the camp, leaving more ashes than buildings behind. I am hopeful for the future of the outdoor school here because of the staff.

My daughter recently attended summer camp and she absolutely loved it…read more Nice and dedicated staff make this summer camp an unforgettable experience.

We came to the open house to explore what the camp is and what it has offer. My boys, ages 12, 10…read moreand 7, have never been to summer camp...and that's a pity. At the open house, my boys got to tour, ask questions, explore, play and even sample the food (burgers and hot dogs). They were so excited. In fact, when I told my 7 year old we had to leave, he almost started to cry because he thought the open house was the first day of camp! He enjoyed the 3 hours we spent there so much he didn't want to leave. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley just inland of Santa Barbara, you drive up Main St. that turns into CA-154. The Saturday morning we went, the coast was gloomy with low clouds, overcast and some fog. As we drove up 154 on the winding two lane road, we started to see patches of blue pierce through the gray clouds. At the crest, before heading downhill, the clouds gave way to crystal blue skies and warm sun. We forgot jackets and I thought we'd be underdressed, but with the sun out, it was a pleasant 80°F. The drive there was absolutely gorgeous with lake Cachuma flanking us on the right. As we got to the turn out, we turned left right before the Lake Cachuma camp grounds. The dirt road is shared with the boys club campground, so make sure you make a quick left (there are signs) towards Circle V Ranch Camp. The dirt road has some undulations and uneven terrain that an average car or minivan can handle at slower speeds, but our 4X4 truck handled with aplomb. After the mile or so drive, the road becomes paved again and you cross a small stream and then the cabins come into view. The lush greenery and warm breeze welcomes you as you pass the pool to the general parking area. Once we got settled, the camp counselors greeted us and invited us on a tour. The facilities are campy, but in a good way. Log cabins and a big field and sport court are the highlights of the grounds. There really is something for everyone to do or find interesting. When the time came for the boys to be dropped off for their week at camp, my littlest one began to cry, as did my wife on the drive back home. She lamented that this was the first time all 3 boys were away from us and that her boys were "growing up..." Parents are encouraged to write letters or emails for the kids to read as the emails are printed every evening. My wife read aloud the email I sent the boys and she began to cry, again, as it was my way of telling our boys how proud I was of the way they were growing up and this, their first summer camp experience, was but one of many that the three of them will remember and enjoy for the rest of their lives. The week seemed like a month for us, but for the boys it wasn't long enough. They had plenty of stories to share and bragged about how good the food was. In fact, all of them wanted to go back right away. They even experienced a little depression when they got back home because they said every day at camp was better than the previous one. They sang their camp songs on the drive home from the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store drop off location in downtown LA and also showed us their prayers before meals. My 10 year old even told us he prayed every night, especially for his mama! When my 12 year old, who will be 13 soon, returns next year he'll be what's called a table leader and, if selected, said he would volunteer the whole summer! If we could afford it, we'd send them for 3 weeks. That's how much they loved the camp. But for the week they'll spend every year until they're too old to attend, it'll be more memories for them to store and share. And we can't wait.

Kaylyn is a 6-star instructor. She was patient, kind and friendly. Her students and horses…read morebenefit from her peaceful presence, and her enthusiastic spirit. We had a group of 5 (2 absolute beginners) and she was able to wrangle us in an orderly manner and brought a sense of security and calm to our ride. I highly recommend this riding school amongst the 6+ we have supported over the years and my kids absolutely loved their experience. The terrain is flat and safe so no surprises there. We will always hold this experience close to our hearts, thank you Kaylyn!

Went to watch my Granddaughter take riding lessons they actually are learning not only to ride but…read moreto take care of the horses I was very impressed with this Horse camp!

My daughter just got back from her fourth year and it's already begging to go again next year…read more There is something so magical for the kids out there, and they are all incredibly well cared for! all of the counselors are incredibly kind, and she especially loves the pool and the hiking. See you next year, Camp Natoma!

My son just got back from session 1. He had a blast! Sleeping under the stars, meeting new…read morefriends, singing songs. Everything camp should be. He plans to attend next year and has said he might want to be a counselor. (He is only 9- he's got a few years to be a camper still!) My sister went to Natoma for years. She and my son compared memories and except for some new songs and food/candy no longer being allowed in care packages, not much has changed in 20 years. The value is fantastic. I'm very happy with the camp (and so is my son!)

It attended a women's conference the location made the event even better. I would highly recommend…read moreattending an event. They're having an event there or even just taking your family to very going back next year.

Church rented facilities for high school summer camp. Everything was great. Food was good. Kids and…read moreadults had a great time.

Lori, our fantastic guide took us on an unforgettable adventure to experience this incredible…read moresanctuary. She was extremely knowledgable about the environment, the sanctuary and every horse on site. She know they herds, the horses names and habits. We got to be immersed in the world of wild horses, many who were interested in us and wanted to interact. We cant wait to go back!

Spent a wonderful day volunteering here today then thoroughly enjoying a 4 hour walking tour of…read morethis beautiful, wild horse sanctuary. The owner and staff shared so much knowledge and passion for these amazing animals. The horses are well cared for, healthy and have ride open pastures to roam in their herds. Absolutely fascinating- Highly Recommended for horse lovers!

Scammed me and many others out of camp in summer of 2024. Came up with many excuses as to why she…read morecouldn't provide us the week camp. I showed up the day it was supposed to begin (earl Warren show grounds) and police were there escorting her off the property. Stay away!!!

Run away! Complete scam and theives. They never scheduled us fir a time to go horseback riding and…read morearchery after we paid the money for the experience and refused ti send the money back after being so aggressive on the phone as I asked for the money back due to the unprovided service. So unpleasant and uncomfortable

For the past four summers, my youngest son, Emilio, has spent his summers not only enjoying the…read morebeach but creating some of the most beautiful memories and friendships with his counselors and the other kids. As a parent, it was difficult to find a camp in Santa Barbara that was both affordable and offered something more meaningful than just overpriced babysitting. Then we found this camp, and I honestly cannot say enough wonderful things about it. I could go on and on about how amazing Joe and his staff are, but I would still fall short of explaining what they mean to my little Emilio. They have created a place where he feels welcomed, cared for, encouraged, and--most importantly--happy. Every summer, he looks forward to coming back, seeing familiar faces, making new friends, and having adventures that he talks about long after camp is over. What I love most is knowing that while I'm at work, my son isn't simply being watched. He is being cared for, learning, growing, exploring, and making memories that will stay with him for years to come. The counselors have been such a positive influence in his life, and it means the world to me as a mom to see the relationships he has built with them. Four summers later, this camp has become such a special part of Emilio's childhood. I am incredibly grateful to Joe and his entire staff for the love, patience, kindness, and joy they pour into these kids. Thank you for giving my son a place where he can simply be a kid, have fun, feel safe, and make memories he will carry with him. I truly cannot recommend this camp enough. It has been such a gift to our family, and I am so thankful that Emilio has had the opportunity to grow up spending his summers here.

Does your kid want to spend all day at the beach hanging out with cool surfers who do gymnastics…read moreand crafts and being allowed to just follow their bliss all day? Send them to Lobster Jo's! This camp is fabulous because it's just incredibly loosely structured; the kids get to do some fun games and activities and crafts, and they can surf and boogie board and swim and snorkel and paddle with supervision and expert assistance, and they can also just sit and dig holes all day, and they will get a high five and to pet the camp doggie! There are tons of sunny campers to supervise their all day play and help them all have a great experience. One of my kiddos had a hard time with waves and got scared (we aren't from here so she isn't super down with the ocean yet) and was hysterical, but one of the counselors was there to get her through that fear, offered her a private surf lesson the next day and got her excited about the ocean and she did some surfing and boogie boarding independently! The counselors are super kind and stoked to get all the kids to love the beach. Obvious this would be awesome for any locals, but I will add we came down from Seattle to go to a family reunion thing and we put our kids in this for the week, and it was the most brilliant vacation scheme ever; the kids got a great California experience, the adults got hours every day where we got to be kid free! I would highly recommend this if you have friends planning a summer vacation in SB to suggest they look into if this camp is happening!

SC Gildred Family YMCA is a nonprofit organization devoted to health and fitness of its community…read more This huge facility has an olympic size pool, basketball gymnasium, cardio room, weight room, pilates, locker rooms etc. They have membership plans and free wifi. It was my first time here and staff were affable and respectful. Facility is clean and organized. I came to workout and play some basketball. I really enjoyed my experience here. Overall, this is a fantastic facility for the community. I recommend you visit if you're in the area.

My wife is the member and she is very frustrated over the pool being closed for several issues such…read moreas the heater going out, to much Chorine and the pump going out