It's a tradition at elementary schools across the Bay Area to provide their 5th graders with a week-long trip to Jones Gulch. I'm a 90s kid, so mine was a while ago. It's a wonderful experience and I thought I'd provide a few highlights, a couple of which are quite funny: 1) For meals, all of the campers are brought into the large cafeteria and assigned to tables that fit about a dozen kids apiece. Because of the sheer amount of students there, chances are good you'd only be sitting with one or two kids from your class, so it was a good opportunity to socialize with kids from other schools. One such kid at my table was a guy we'll call Pete. Pete was a nice kid. He really liked the eggs they served for breakfast. He also had a laugh that mimicked a hybrid cross between an elephant seal and a failing bus transmission. One day I was sitting next to him for breakfast and someone told a joke and he belted out the most obnoxiously hilarious HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW I've ever heard. I remember it to this day. If you're a fellow 90s kid compadre, think of the surfer dude boyfriend from the movie Prehysteria and how he laughed. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. 2) One kid in my bunk was also from my school, we'll call him Chris. Chris had a mouth on him like nothing I had ever heard up to that point in my young life. One night, one of the prefects we'll call them, was making her routine rounds and came into our bunk. Her and Chris started up a conversation and Chris was commenting how he has the same watch that she was wearing. They really seemed to be getting along. 10 minutes later she abruptly tells Chris to go to Gyro (camp's administrative office, the equivalent of getting sent to the principal's office). I have no clue what transpired in those 10 minutes, but Chris stormed out. A few minutes later the prefect caught up with Chris and told him to rejoin his bunkmates. He was so confused and angry and, being the little mouth he was, swore up a storm. I'm guessing he used some naughty language while chatting with her which led to his ejection. It was hilarious. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. 3) During our bunk's skit on Thursday night we did a goofy dancing number where we all fell down in front of the entire camp. It was funny. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. 4) Campers were assigned to smaller groups to do activities with. The leader of my group was a fella named Lucero. Nice guy. Great sense of humor and worked famously with us kids. Gave me the last cookie during one of the lunches. He signed all of our yearbooks with the note "don't forget to be an earth keeper!" There was an overweight kid in our group, we'll call him AJ, and he mistakingly read it as "don't forget to be an earthquake!" It was hilarious (HAWHAWHAWHAW). Lucero, if you ever read this, you definitely helped make Jones Gulch an unforgettable experience. 5) The most notable thing I remember was again in the cafeteria. Half the camp was out doing activities and the other half was inside for lunch. It was very quiet, and that's when Solar Steve himself, the head administrator of the camp, strolls in with his guitar and starts singing. What unraveled was something that I'm in awe of even today: Solar Steve not only sang and played his guitar, but he got US to sing along with him. I've never seen that before. On the spot, completely impromptu, struts in and just gets us all to start singing. Willingly I might add! How does someone do that??? It was like something out of The Simpsons or South Park! I even remember the frickin' song; the chorus he had us sing went like "Sol-ar En-er-gy!" What an unbelievable talent. Doing a search for him I don't see him on the Jones Gulch website anymore, but it does appear he was principal of the camp up until recently and is still very active in San Mateo County youth programs. Yes, we all kissed a banana slug and no, it was not that gross. Learned a lot, too. Was really a great overall experience. HAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW. read more

I was a camper there in 5th grade. I loved it so much. I went back as a camp counselor, They go on night hikes, skits ect.U meet different kids from different schools. They asked if I wanted a cabin of girls or boys, I choose the girls. U learn a lot at this camp. I highly recommend. We all went back up and visited next campers. read more

I do not understand the five star reviews here! My son went here for music camp last summer and it was the most outrageous experience he ever had! When we arrived to check him in, he was placed into the last cabin available, which consisted of 15 other 5th through 8th graders who all treated him like bullsh!t because of his encopresis and hearing loss. In particular, one guy who came in THE DAY AFTER CAMP STARTED and chose one of FOUR bunk beds available, which just so happened to be the one right under my son's! He started berating my son about how messy he is, and it got to the point where the cabin's counselor had to intervene, and not only that, he discovered my son's encopresis, which he hasn't directly mentioned to any student at this point. They decided that it was emotionally too much for my son, and that I would pick him up halfway through the camp. Not to mention, all students were required to take choir ALONGSIDE the instrument they played, which for my son, who is very shy about his voice, was WAAAAY too much. The choir director was also the lead counselor, the WORST person in the entire camp! She never even mentioned this, but apparently, you are supposed to arrive 10 minutes early to every meal, which his cabin failed to do because she never even mentioned it! As a result, his cabin would arrive 15 minutes before each meal, and he did not do anything wrong! Unacceptable. We won't be coming back. Just a side note, this review is for a program (La Honda Music Camp) that was hosted at this location, not the site itself. This is because apparently, it's so little known that there is nothing on Yelp about it. read more

I want to retell my outdoor Ed experience I stayed in a cabin with bugs with was LIVE OAK. I saw the other cabin TOYON with was a house It was shocking. My showers were extremely small I could barely fit. I couldn't move at all my water wasn't hot there were cracks on the floor paint ripped off the floor while the TOYON cabin had luxury shower that were nicer than some hotel showers I have seen In RENO they didn't even need there showers shoes. I know this all because my friend was in the other cabin. My cabin leader was a girl with was extremely weird since we were all boys she constantly told us to SHUT UP even though we're children she should have been fired for telling us that. We were completely forgotten by the staff who kept forgetting our cabin name. They sang bad songs. In short I had a bad time. read more

YMCA Camp Jones Gulch - The Toyon cabin - Summer Camps Near Me - La Honda, California

This place is the best! I went here as a kid when I was in 5th grade for the week away from home. You stay in cabins, have a high school cabin leader, and a naturalist that takes you on numerous adventures. It has an awesomely rigid schedule so you're never bored. Breakfast starts on time, you take turns setting up, cleaning up, and learn about all types of recycling so that you have no waste (forget all their terminology). You go on a night hike to learn about constellations, trust walk, more hikes, learn about the estuary habit the day before a beach day, and more that I can't think of. I also went here as a teacher chaperone for 6th graders at Taylor Middle School this past year. I think they could appreciate it just as much or more at that age. Any older and it's not as valuable. In the day in age when there's so much media like TV, computers, iPhone, etc. this really brings back the core values of respect for nature, each other, and yourself. And of course, self-responsibility. Every kid should go on this trip as part of their schooling and I feel sorry for private schools that must go elsewhere. Of course, you have to kiss a banana slug and Solar Steve is the MAN who runs this place. read more

YMCA Camp Jones Gulch - Closing song. ::tear:: - Summer Camps Near Me - La Honda, California

Do you LOVE just getting away from it all? Do you LOVE fresh air, redwood trees, and banana slugs? If you're ready for some outdoors-y nature stuff, then this is the place for you. I accompanied the 5th graders up to "Outdoor Ed" at Jones Gulch for the past two years. The site is fantastic, the naturalists are friendly and knowledgeable, and the food is awesome (I think I gained like 5lbs in 5 days). The site is equipped with cabins which have heaters, bathrooms, and beds, several campfire areas, a dining hall and more! read more

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We took our 33 employees to the ropes course to kick off our company offsite. Xander was patient and helpful during the planning stages, and he and the other facilitators (Sonia & Colby) were kind and fun facilitators during our event. It can be tough to find an activity that everyone will enjoy (particularly when it involves physical activity outdoors), but the combination of high and low elements ended up being the perfect ticket. For some folks it was their fist time at a ropes course, and others had done courses elsewhere, but everyone found ways to challenge themselves and step outside of their comfort zones. Our team walked away from the event feeling more bonded and excited for the remainder of our company offsite, which were our goals from the start! read more

For years I had the time of my life here, got to spend time with my dad and best friends. Now we are all in college and whenever we come back to town we talk about all of our great times here. read more

I went in the 70's and early 80's i still remember the fun I had from the camp Olympics to the hike and sleep out where we did the rope course and the dreaded jump off a perfectly good tree to try and reach a trapeze (never made it) my time there 2 sessions a summer are the fondest memories I have of childhood read more

We had a great experience using the Ropes Course at Camp Jones Gulch with my staff of 12 adults. Xander checked in ahead of time to gather my goals for our team and did an amazing time tailoring our three hour experience to fit the specific needs of our group. I can't recommend our experience more highly. We had a mix of low and high elements to work with and a great focus on success and strengths, which I had requested. Xander is a confident and comfortable facilitator to work with, and this ropes course is in an amazing piece of forest. Thank you! read more

I love this camp! I was a camper here from the summer of 2006-2008, a LIT in 2009, and Volunteer Camp Counselor in 2010. Through my experience, I have made friends, had memorable times, and worked with amazing staff members. Reflections are really good and having the youngsters as campers was such an honor. It's a bummer because these past two summers, I wasn't able to come cause I had plans then but I hope to come back someday soon. read more

We go to family camp at least once a year. In my opinion there is no better value for the dollar then camp jones gulch. Activities (lots of activities), meals, hiking and a break from the cell phone. (WiFi in office if you just have to check). Stay to yourself or play with others, it is up to you. The staff is always wonderful. It's relaxing, great for the kids and the adults. Try it once and I bet you will go again. We always fill the cabin with our friends and family and have a weekend that will have you Camp "Jonesing" Gulch for the next time. read more

I've been attending the YMCA Women's retreat at Camp Jones Gulch for seven years. It's such an incredible location and the staff is always amazing. The food, activities and everything about this place is so refreshing and nurturing. I highly recommend it! The ropes courses are amazing as well read more

YAAAY!!!!!! This is where I went for band camp for four years! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!!! :D

Went here for a Family Camp, super nice staff, but setting was 'rustic' to say the least. Had a bat flying around the rafters in the dining hall at dinner. Food was so-so. Accomodations were old, lots of bug bites sleeping in the rooms. Campfire was fun with smores and such. Rock wall climbing and archery were fantastic, instructors were patient and kind with the kids. Zip line looked fun, but kids wouldn't let Mommy try it. Nice little hikes, and yes, lots of banana slugs wherever you look. read more

This place is amazing!!! =)) I was here this past weekend for my 25th birthday. I have to say I never knew this place existed and I will never forget my experience. Thank you :) the meals are delicious :)) read more

I did the ropes course with Jordan and Sarah as part of the YMCA Women's Weekend Retreat. The course was amazing. We were a group of about 15 ladies of all ages (30s to 60s) and levels of strength and fitness. For the low elements, we split into two groups. This part of the course really focused on team work, and collectively coming up with solutions that leveraged the strengths of different people in the group. Most people in the group did not know each other, but the activities were led in a way that got us feeling very comfortable with each other quickly, and helped us to really work as a team. For the high elements, both groups came together, and we worked in pairs. This part of the course was challenging for most of us - some were scared of heights, others were not physically strong enough to progress, and some just lacked confidence. But we quickly figured out that we could get past all of this if we worked as a team and supported each other. It was like a light-bulb moment! Every single one of us pushed through the discomfort, got further than we thought possible and finished the course with a little more confidence in ourselves and lots of laughs! I enjoyed the course very much, and could really see the learnings from it translating into the corporate environment. We are currently working on booking the course for our company offsite where we focus on team building and leadership exercises. Looking forward to doing the course all over again soon! read more

We had a half day work retreat here doing a ropes course with Xander, and it was excellent. The area is beautiful, the course was really fun and the activities fostered a supportive, understanding attitude in our group which we will take with us moving forward. Xander was a wonderful team leader, smart, funny and experienced. I'm planning to bring my family here for a day of fun in the future. Highly recommend. read more

I just returned from the Labor Day Family Camp with my husband and two kids (4 & 7) and it was wonderful!!!! The camp is in the most beautiful setting and we all had a wonderful, fun and relaxing weekend. The cabins are rustic, but that's what camp is all about and my kids LOVED sleeping in sleeping bags and thought it was so fun. We went canoeing, horseback riding, did arts & crafts (decorated t-shirts, made bracelets), played basketball, zip-lining, archery and climbed the rock wall. The kids had a great time just exploring and looking for the famous banana slugs. We will definitely be back next year and hopefully for many more years to come! To echo what another reviewer said, "This place is the best!". read more

Does anyone know if they have a parking lot big enough to accomodate a small RV camper (23 feet)? Thanks all. Sounds great.

If you are looking for a great place to bring a group for a memorable team bonding experience than the Leadership Ventures program at YMCA Camp Jones Gulch in La Honda is the place to go! The ropes course is set in a beautiful, secluded redwood forest just a ten minute walk from the parking area, but it feels miles away. The amazingly experienced and wonderful staff led the group through several fun games and team-building activities, with names like the "Spider's Web" and the "Wild Woozy" before getting us in harnesses to climb, literally up into the Redwoods! The "Vanuatu" was amazing, I think it was almost 60 feet off the ground, and then walking out onto a diving board and jumping off then getting safely lowered back to Terra Firma. On the administrative side of things, they were professional and offered great flexibility in setting up a date that would work for our group. The rates were affordable and we definitely felt like it was money well spent. Overall, we were very pleased with Leadership Ventures and would definitely recommend them to other groups looking for a fun, challenging and great team bonding experience. read more

Large campsite able to accommodate more than 3 of the girl scout troups who participated this past weekend. Amenities included climbing wall, archery, horseback riding (close dcurrently due to equine virus), tiny pond for canoeing, campfire, showers, etc. Too bad it was cold and raining (in June!!!). The drive to the high altitude camp is pretty but tracherous in terms of the superfluous crooked and hairpin turn roads (if you are driving safely and within your lane should take an hour). Consider dramamine for the sensitive ones. More than 3 moms got lost a couple of times as well. My Garmin worked great. Lost signal when almsot at camp- cell phones don't work here by the way (pay phones on site). Food was ok-standard bacon, eggs, potatoes or spaghetti or bbq hotdogs or hamburgers. Too many desserts-cookies, brownies, smores. Was tired by daily lemonade adn hot chocolate. Thank goodness for coffee right? Acceptable for ymca or girlscout camp. Camp run over by fat, yellow, slimy, banana slugs-stored toothpaste in tupperware and no outside food was allowed so no mishaps from raccoons. Best parts of the camp were the swap meet, zip line, archery, and the garden center: the girls loved the tasting tour, finding a blue bellied lizard, toucing a warm newly laid egg,and trying to catch and hold a chicken (there is a proper way of doing so, so that you don't get scratched or startled by flapping wings-huh, who knew?). Um, so not bad. read more