Love love this place! Purely kind hospitable accommodating. Kind! Love the hikes and the…read moreprogramming. And I don't think there is a bad bone in any staff member there. In two words rare jewels! I especially appreciate the ability to eat! They met my families diet restrictions. I expected to starve but I'm happy that we did not.

I want to start by thanking all the staff and camp woodcraft for making this possible. My child is…read moregenerally shy but we saw her blossom and really take to the group. The escape from technology and outdoor approach to the entire camp really resonated with her. She did not miss screen time at all. It even opened her palette as she would normally only stick to basic kid foods but is now asking for things that she would normally avoid. We really look forward to the coming years and sending the rest of her siblings so they can relish in the experience.

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!

My daughter went this weekend with girl scout troop to Wasewagan. This review is to warn anyone…read morethat drives a sedan and not SUV/truck as i dropped off my kid and you have to drive thru two rivers. The one in picture in a past post is the easier one closer to camp. The first river tho is a danger, it is all loose big rocks and hidden dips. Water was not so deep but no flat grounding. I had a sedan and rock punctured my transmission pan. Now my car is stuck in big bear for few days at a auto garage to replace pan. Unless u have at least 8" clearance i wouldnt drive to this camp, wish i knew as its a costly repair and car stuck on mountain. I can give feedback from the girls as there was alot of complaints but really just wanna warn others in sedans.

When I was browsing for camp, there were not too many for 6 years old, and Camp Wasewagan welcomed…read morekids from 6 years old. First time I let three of my kids in stayaway camp. Options are available for one week, two or even eight weeks. My kids, who are 6,8,9, loved it. They got to bike ride in nature while observing bugs and insects, lizard hunting, fencing, climbing, archery, ziplining, watersliding and horseback riding. Pretty much everything that they won't be able to do with me. O.O I was surprised that my 6 yrs old loved it and none of my kids were excited of me picking them up. Lol. The owner, "Crazzy" Craig, was very pleasant and responsive to phone call. He would give me update for the first three days by phone if we called him. There were lots of paperwork in the beginning and we need to send $500 deposit for each kid, with remaining balance due on the day of. They only accept check or cash. All the counselors were friendly and sweet. The kids got option to prefer top or bottom of the bunk bed and they would be placed together with other kids that was about the same age as them.

I attended summer camp at Ponderosa Pines many years ago. It was a life changing experience for…read morethis young pup. It boosted my confidence, I learned some outdoors skills but most of all, it was great to be around other children my age and learn to work together in a safe environment. Based on what I have seen through other sites and reviews, it appears they maintain the same mission with the same great care for our most vulnerable, our children. God Bless the team but most of all, the volunteers that serve as mentors during the various sessions held through the years.

Camp Pomderosa was great for the Hearts of Beauty (HOB) retreat. Great facility, great staff, great…read moreoverall experience!

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!

I want to kick myself for not sending him sooner. My son had the best time of his life. He had new…read morefun experiences. He gained the courage to try things that scared him, like the zipline, and was able to overcome his fears. He said he went on two more times after. He was able to get over his social anxiety and made several new friends. He was soo excited to see us and tell us all about his adventures when we picked him up he started spilling his stories before we even got back into the car. I found this place years ago and was too afraid to send him off by himself. It was best thing I could have done for him this summer. I want to kick myself for not sending him 5 years ago when I first found them. If you are considering it but are apprehensive about letting your child go, I will suggest for you to get over it. Your child will thank you. He definitely will be back next year

Amazing location, huge mountain setting. Small lake, tons of hiking trails. Great summer programs…read moreand off season for both scouts and other group use.

I think that it was just my troop that didn't get the good side for 2025 but we were like just a…read morebit less then a quarter of a mile from the dining hall and whatnot. the food when we came was trash except most breakfast food. the counselors were awesome and pretty much always energetic and just great. I think that if you stayed closer to everything (ik im being dramatic but we were literally all the way across camp being the farthest) but overall I would like a little bit more information for activities and not frozen apple juice. dont trust me because I just didn't choose my merit badges based on distance so I'm just here to warn you.

This is my daughter and I second time coming to Camp Oakes. Chef Mike made it special both times…read more Great job with the chow Chef! His Let's Eat program is super special as well. The Camp itself is phenomenal. Tons to see and do. Loved the sledding and rock climbing in particular. I look forward to going again. Thank you!

DO NOT WORK HERE. -…read moreThe workplace culture at modern Camp Oakes was extremely toxic during my time there (4/8/23-5/2/23). It felt like a mob-mentality environment where interpersonal drama often took precedence over professionalism. In my experience, if a single staff member took issue with you--for any reason (in my case, I suspect it was related to my spiritual background)--they and their peers could create a hostile environment that made it impossible to remain. - In my situation, someone even contacted law enforcement. I was never informed of what was said, but it appeared to be an effort to pressure me into quitting. Whatever was reported triggered a traumatic and unnecessary investigation that led me to resign under duress. - I've since filed a lawsuit for defamation, constructive discharge, and other related claims. While employed, I raised concerns about staff harassment directly with manager Samantha Rosenburg ("Wizz"). However, my personnel file appears to omit those complaints entirely--raising serious concerns about whether there was an attempt to obscure institutional awareness of misconduct. Afterward, several individuals in upper management and HR resigned, which I believe may have been an effort to avoid accountability. - In my view, this organization failed to provide a safe or supportive work environment. I've worked in summer camps, childcare, elder care, and recreation across multiple U.S. states. Nowhere else have I encountered treatment this hostile or damaging. - This staff requires serious reform and retraining if this camp is to remain in operation. - DO NOT WORK HERE.

My daughter went on a 3 day w her school She loved every…read moreminute of it!! The camp counselors were fun and the archery and the Gaga ball was all she could talk about

My daughter was at Pali this past week (2/17-2/20) during blizzard like conditions. As a parent,…read moreI'd expect at the very least, that there would be enough food for everyone. This did not happen. My daughter said the other school "ate all the food" and her school was left with undercooked rice, slivers of french toast, no juice for their table, and were told by Koda to fetch their own water. These other schools were able to get seconds whereas her school was denied this same privilege. There wasn't enough silverware, cups were wet leaving kids wondering if they used cups or wet from being freshly washed. A counselor told them "smell it, if it doesn't stink you can use it." In addition, male camp counselors frequently cut the line in front of the kids, ensuring that THEY ate before the children did. My child also stated that the previous school left a huge mess on their tables in which they had to clean up. I didn't pay hundreds of dollars for my child to go hungry during blistering conditions. In speaking with multiple chaperones that I am friends with, they all spoke the same thing: that food was awful and lacking. Frankly speaking, what kind of program are you running where safety standards aren't met, food isn't prepared properly, counselors are putting themselves first before the children, and children are left starting their day hungry? How could so many things go wrong with a well-established camp program that has been in business for many years? Is this the standard you wish to uphold?