This is the best Camp my kids ever been to!! They absolutely loved it, staff was happy and…read moreenergetic with kids Leaving electronics and all the commotion of the Valley behind this camp is a secluded Natural Amazing place. I was apprehensive to leave my kids for the first time on a away camp but the camp staff assured me my kids would have fun and boy they did... fishing, fire camps, archery, rock climbing, lake kayaking, hiking, swimming and just being around nature took my kids breath away my son literally told me "I never felt so peaceful like this week before" Definitely will be signing them up next year, thank you Sandra and all the staff for providing such a fun place for kids to be kids again, definitely a 10.

We had a mixed bag of adventures at Camp Nawakwa. Lol…read more There were a wide variety of activities and we had a camp staff to lead us in each. We loved the nature hike we had "Jelly" (a couple of our groups got rained out-obviously to no fault of the camp), we enjoyed archery, paint ball sling shots with "Stitch", painting wood necklaces, drama circle, and an amphitheater with breathtaking views of the the sunset. We loved our hike to the lake for canoeing. I too thought the pool was chilly but it was clean! Their swim rules seemed to be really intense to me. "No jumping off the edge of the pool" hmmm ok. In my opinion overly cautious. However, the Rock wall was a blast, equipment was in good condition. Hatchet throwing was hard, but fun. I wish the hatchets were sharp enough to grab the wood. It was rare anyone stuck one into the log rounds. Some combination of wood being too hard or axes not balanced correctly made that activity a struggle. We enjoyed trying. The team building activities were thoughtful and stretched our girls as individuals and forced team unity. Maybe my favorite part of all of camp. They lost a star for food quality and portions but the staff was always in good spirit. I also wish our group had the entire cafeteria to ourselves as we often were low on space at tables and often went outside as our designated seating was full. But the food was served on time and they got a lot of people food in timely fashion. They were organized. Our cabins were dry when it rained and i felt safe from the elements and wildlife that can live nearby. Some mattresses were thicker than others. I was comfortable enough for a week of camping. The plumbing struggled at times but not sure that was the camps fault or the 85 GIRLS who MAY have not disposed of things properly. Lol Overall I think with some retraining on camp cooking and a minor tweak here and there this would be a 5 star camp. The location was beautiful. The staff was friendly. The activities were super fun!

We had our wedding at YMCA Camp ELK in September 2023. We were blown away by the experience, and by…read morethe staff going above and beyond to help make sure our entire weekend went smoothly. I know they did so much more than we are even aware of behind the scenes, and we are so grateful for all of the staff. They were communicative, made us aware of red flags in the weather as the weekend got closer, and we generally felt very taken care of. The cabins were well-kept and clean, stayed warm against the cold weather, and had electricity for charging and lights. To future couples, I highly recommend having your camp wedding weekend here. Please note that this is very much a summer camp on mountainous terrain and is not easily accessible by anyone with difficulty walking - Jim is able to accommodate with advanced warning if you have your ceremony up at the chapel amphitheater (like he did with my grandfather) but there were at least two other guests that I should have specifically asked him for his help to accommodate. Plan ahead for the needs of your guests!

Camp ELK Review My son was physically bullied at Camp ELK…read moreduring the summer of 2019, and was turned away when he asked for help. He came off of the bus after camp in tears, showing us scrapes on his legs from being pushed onto the ground, said he couldn't write us because the bully in his cabin had gotten the other campers to gang up against him and they were shaking his bunk when he was in bed. My son said that there was a lot of physical bullying when they were in the cabin and the staff was outside. One night he reached out to his cabin staff by the name of Kyle, and told him that this bully was in the cabin kicking other boys in the private, and Kyle said, "I don't care - go back to your bunk." When I called the camp mid-week to check on my son, being that it was his first time at camp and he looked unhappy in the posted photos, I was told by 2 staff (including the Director, Jim) that he was doing great and that they didn't hear of any issues. While at pickup after hearing of these bullying incidents, we spoke with the Director, Jim, about how my son was physically bullied and how the cabin staff turned away his plea for help, and the Director Jim said, "That wouldn't happen", and completely dismissed all of these incidents. I am posting this for other parents to see and for the Director Jim and volunteers to see. Young kids should not be left unattended in the cabin, and the volunteers need to be retrained on how to watch for signs of bullying and how to address it.

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.

uCamps can be summed up in one word: Home. This camp is different than any other camp I have EVER…read morebeen to before. All of the staff is upbeat, positive, and always there for any camper! They all encourage acceptance and the campers follow their lead. No one is judged or bullied here. It is a magical place where kids from any shape, size, race,ethnicity, etc. can be accepted and celebrated! Any kid will be able to find their place at uCamps! During the week we got to pick our own schedule and take workshops based on our own passions. You can take anything from Painting & Drawing to Rock Band ( or even just sports ). At the end of the week at camp, everyone's art is displayed, weather it is fine or performing arts. All of the campers parents get to come up to camp and watch as their child achieved something incredible that week. Not only does this camp offer great activities, but they offer scholarships too! As a camper, my parents didn't have enough money to send me to camp. So, every year I saved up as much as I could and what I couldn't afford, uCamps gave me in scholarships! They do this because uCamps would rather give a camper a bunk and lose money than have that kid miss out on a week of camp!

Like the other parents who have written reviews, I also cannot say enough good things about the…read moreUCamps program. Bald E, Zula, Coffee and the rest of the staff work so hard to create a nurturing, fun and respectful environment for the campers. My son has told me that the best 3 weeks of the year are the ones he spends at camp. As we search for colleges, I can't help but have in my mind that we should find one as close to the Ucamps experience as possible. What more could a parent ask for than for their kid to come home exhausted but energized and talking about how we shouldn't forget to sign up for Winter Camp? Karen Marriner Walnut Creek, CA

The city of Buena Park had an Easter 2026 event with a petting zoo hosted by GUR…read more My daughter loved the pony rides and we greatly enjoyed all the animals in the petting zoo. They had a nice set up with boat loads of hand sanitizer and they clocked the time fair and square so everyone had a chance to visit. All the animals were nice and clean.

Do not recommend, incompetent staff that doesn't know their own policies. Came up with a new rule…read moreof having to be 7 years old, then 6 years old to ride the camel, even though kids younger and smaller never had a problem until my child. Was turned away and walked back to the car. Sitting in the car I looked up their website and good thing they posted own policies. Maybe the staff should read it together. Don't blame this on your help, it's poor leadership. If you don't know what you are doing, how are they supposed to know?

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.

My kids love this camp!…read more Imagine the cliche tv summer camp--cabins and friendship bracelets and archery... Add in fun learning opportunities--like street art and cooking and trapeze and rock band... Plus extra outdoor adventure--ropes course, ATVs, lake water sports... And make it fully supervised with qualified counselors and coaches, lifeguards, excellent wellness protocols, and a fabulous camper to staff ratio so parents feel it's safe... And that's Pali. 5 Stars and then some!

My daughter just came back from the 2nd session (magic theme) and she LOVE It! She love all the…read moreexperience, the different activities being offered. She said the time (1 week) went fast. She enjoyed meeting new friends. The opportunity to change electives.

Cedarbrook Camp So CA is the best, safe fun and a wonderful environment for children to learn how…read moreto grow in their Christian faith plus learn an appreciation of God's creation. Excellent Food, well trained Staff and perfect adult staff to camper ratio. My kids attended elementary through high school and now my grandkids are going and LOVE it.

Cedarbrook Camp Southern California is a Christ-centered year-round ministry established for the…read morepurpose of enhancing the lives of individuals and families, providing uniquely designed programs that stimulate personal growth through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Cedarbrook Camp Southern California (formerly known as Camp Cherith Southern California) is an interdenominational Christian camp located in the beautiful San Bernardino mountains above Redlands I have been a camp counselor with Cedarbrook for 3 years and I have enjoyed every minute of my time there. I have had both my children attend Cedarbrook, and they both love it. I must say that this camp is run like a family. The love and support that all staff show for each other as well as the campers is amazing, The age range of the staff ranges from 18 through 50+. The campers and staff receive three generous meals a day. The activities prepared for the campers are challenging and exciting. I think the best part of this camp is the focus on Jesus. Everywhere the campers go, play, and eat campers are learning about Jesus. This is a great place to bring your child. The actual site of the camp is on the website. The address above is the mailing address of the organization.