Family Camp removes distractions to allow families the freedom to focus solely on one another. Families get to know each other outside of homework, after school activities, technology, and day to day business. Bring your family closer together through outdoor fun and teamwork.
Enjoy cabin accommodations and a variety of activities in the heart of the redwoods – an ideal way to foster connections in a safe, beautiful and supportive environment.
Y staff creates the schedule, provide the activities, and cook the meals so you can relax and focus on quality family time. Family's of all forms are welcome at the Y, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, stepfamilies, single parents and more.
Enjoy a fun-filled family getaway in the heart of the redwoods.
Enjoy a fun-filled family getaway in the heart of the redwoods.
At YMCA Camp Campbell all of our cabins have bunk beds with twin sized mattresses, electricity, heating, and bathrooms. We have two villages at camp, Brandenburg Village (formerly Treetop) and 49er Village.
Treetop Cabins
49er Cabins
On Memorial Day, 4th July and Labor Day Family Camp Weekend we also offer platform tent cabins as an option for families. These are equipped with twin sized bunk beds and have a max capacity of 8 campers per platform tent.
Cabins are communal and shared with other families. All family members that you register with will be placed in the same cabin or platform (depending on what you register for). Please let us know through the online registration process if you wish to share a cabin with specific friends or another family. Please note that we cannot accommodate more people than the available beds in each cabin. We’ll try our best to accommodate one or two cabin mate requests.
We will send out a recommended packing list via email about two weeks ahead of camp. This email will also include additional details about your camps. We recommend that you plan to dress in layers because temperatures can vary greatly between day and night, it can rain unexpectedly at camp so rain gear is always recommended. Because we are located among the towering redwoods, please pack clothes and items for possible rain. You will also need to bring warm bedding (sleeping bags, warm blankets, and/or), reusable water bottles comfortable closed-toed shoes, a flashlight, and a positive attitude. Please leave electronics, valuables, and any drugs or alcohol at home. We also recommend labeling your belongings, as many families bring similar looking items.
We are located at 16275 Highway 9, Boulder Creek, CA 95006, about 45 minutes away from San Jose. Most internet map directions, smart phones or in car GPS devices will direct you to use Bear Creek Road. While this route is faster by a few minutes, the road is very narrow and winding and is sometimes closed. We recommend taking the Highway 17 route or the Highway 9 via Saratoga.
Parking is available in our main parking lot at the entrance of camp, prior to crossing the bridge. During check-in hours staff will be in the parking lot to assist families in locating a park spot. We highly encourage families and guests to carpool to save gas and limit the number of cars on site. A maximum speed limit of 5 miles per hour is enforced throughout camp. There is no availability to drive up to the cabins or around camp. Please only bring what you can carry or transport in a luggage cart.
Check in begins at 4 pm on the first day of camp, unless you are notified otherwise via email. Please plan to arrive before 6 pm, if you need to arrive later please contact us at redwoods@ymcasv.org. In order for our maintenance staff to clean the cabins for our next group's arrival, please plan to have all of your belongings out of your cabin by 10 am on the last day of camp. We cannot accommodate early check in or late check out. On the last day of camp activities will run until 12 pm unless otherwise specified in your welcome email. Off-site programs may have a slightly different schedule, more detailed schedules are shared via email 2-3 weeks before the start of camp via email.
We offer nutritious, family-friendly meals, served buffet-style at designated times. Please be sure to visit our dining hall during meal times, as we do not serve food at other times. We can accommodate vegetarian/vegan, lactose free and gluten-free diets; however, we do not have the capacity to prepare special individual meals or take meal requests. Each meal will include a vegetarian option, and lunch and dinner will include a fresh salad bar. If you or your family has any special dietary needs or allergies, please let us know when you register. Our meals are peanut-free, but may contain wheat, soy, egg, dairy or other allergens.
Family Camp Sample Menu
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Breakfast |
Lunch Afternoon Snacks |
Dinner *Vegetarian and gluten-free options included |
There is minimal cell phone service in camp. There are some carriers that have some signal in portions of the parking lot but generally cell phone service is limited at camp. Our office is open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm, and our staff can pass along messages to guests. Wi-Fi is available in some buildings at camp. Please ask a staff member for assistance. To protect your valuables, we do not recommend bringing expensive electronics, and we are not responsible for lost or stolen items. We do recommend taking the opportunity to unplug, disconnect and enjoy the outdoors.
Our camp staff members are certified in First Aid and CPR and can assist with minor medical needs. Several medical centers also are within driving distance of camp, including Kaiser and Sutter Urgent Care options in Scotts Valley, and Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. During the weekend, our health cottage is not open or staffed.
In case of emergency, please be aware of the following procedures:
1.An alarm will announce the emergency.
2.When you hear the alert, everyone should go directly to the brick patio/Garden Side of the Dining Lodge.
3.We will direct you in the next steps.
If you have an emergency, please contact a staff member immediately.
The Boulder Creek community has mandated quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. seven days a week. Observing their guidelines, things like amplified music, drumming, and loud talking or singing are not permitted during these hours.
Money is not required for any activities during camp, with the exception of massages during Women’s Wellness Weekends. However, the camp store is open for you to purchase items at various times throughout the weekend, including camp clothing and souvenirs, as well as a limited selection of toiletries, in case you forget something important. We do not sell food, candy, soda or gum. We accept cash, checks, and debit and credit cards.
•Smoking (cigarettes only) is only permitted in designated areas of camp and never in cabins.
•Please do not move furniture from cabins to any other building.
•Campfires are only permitted in designated areas.
•Pets, firearms and fireworks are not permitted at camp.
•For sanitary reasons, cooking and food storage is not encouraged in the cabins.
•Alcohol and drugs (including vaping) are prohibited at all YMCA facilities.
Family Camps and Parent Child Weekends at YMCA Camp Campbell are an opportunity for you to strengthen your family bonds in a natural, outdoor setting. We provide the programming, activities, facilities and food, so that you and your family can enjoy your time together.
Family Camps serve entire families, providing you a fun-filled family getaway without the distractions of daily life. We bring you closer together, as you meet other families and enjoy the outdoor environment. Parent Child Weekends offer more one-on-one time between a parent and a child.
Parent Child Weekends include Mother/Daughter Weekends, Mother/Son Weekends, and Father/Child Weekends.
Many activities in both Family Camps and Parent Child Weekends are the same, but some do vary.
Families come in all shapes and sizes and from all backgrounds. At the Y, we welcome everyone. Our family programs are open to all ages. For Parent Child Weekends, we recommend that participants be 4 or older. We are happy to have your family join us.
Supervision of children is ultimately the responsibility of the adult guardian. We encourage our families attending camp to take this time to focus on your relationship to one another and spend activity time together around camp. Our activities are designed to engage both children and adults in quality time together.
We have three Adventure Family Camps. The Camping and Kayak Weekend (06/19-9/21) will take place at Sunset State Beach Campground around 30 minutes south of Santa Cruz. Our Learn to Camp Weekend (6/5-6/7) will take place at Henry Cowell State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Camping and Canoe Weekend (9/25-9/27) will take place at Burkes Canoes in Forestville on the Russian River.
To allow each family joining us to have more flexibility, comfort, and convenience with your travel plans, we are asking families to meet us directly at the designated campground. This way it allows our camp staff to get to the campground earlier in the day and have it set up for families arriving. We hope that this allows your family more convenience in travel. It will also give you the flexibility to choose the time of your departure on Friday and also Sunday, giving you the option to stay and explore the area for the day after our staff pack up the campsite to go back to Camp Campbell.
Camp Campbell will provide and set up tents for the weekend. Families are responsible for providing their own bedding and pillows. A full packing list will be sent out two weeks before the program. To help with your enjoyment throughout the weekend and let you put your feet up Camp Campbell will be providing and cooking all meals during your weekend. This includes dinner on Friday, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. We will also be providing some snacks throughout the weekend but please feel free to bring your own personal snacks to meet your specific family needs.
Registration for year-round Family Camps and Parent Child Weekends opens in November. We recommend registering as early as possible, as many camps fill up quickly.
Camp has a new registration portal for the 2020 season. To register please follow this link. Scroll down to the BLUE programs button on the left:
1. To find Family Camps select Family Programs from the program drop down AND Family Camp from the sub-category drop down. Scroll up to the PURPLE search button and hit search.
2. To find Men's/Women's Weekends select Overnight Camps from the program drop down AND Adult Weekend from the sub-category drop down. Scroll up to the PURPLE search button and hit search.
Once you register online, you’ll receive an automated email from our online registration system. This is your official confirmation. Please check your Junk or Spam folder if you don’t see an email reply from our online registration system. We will send more details about the camp you registered for via email at least two week prior to the camp’s start date.
At the Y, we believe that everyone—regardless of age, income or background—should have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. That’s why we offer financial assistance to individuals and families for membership and programs to ensure that no one is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Please note that if you wish to apply for financial assistance for camp, you must first complete your FA application and be approved before you can register online.
To apply for financial assistance, please complete an application and provide proof of income , applications can be found on our website. Complete both forms and send to them to YMCA Camp Campbell using one of these methods:
•By mail - 16275 Highway 9, Boulder Creek, CA 95006
•By fax – 831-338 -9486
•By email - redwoods@ymcasv.org
Please allow two weeks for processing. All applications are handled confidentially.
We will refund program fees for cancellations made 30 days prior to the start of the session (less a cancellation fee of 25%)* or in the event of illness or injury verified by a physician’s statement.
To cancel a registration please email it to redwoods@ymcasv.org.
* For Sequoia Lake the refund fee is the $150 deposit per person.
YMCA Camp Campbell offers amazing opportunities to reconnect with family and enjoy adventures together. We offer a variety of active, outdoor activities for each camp session, with specific programming changing from weekend to weekend.
Common weekend activities include archery, the mole hole, Habitat House and hikes, the climbing tower, the pool and waterslide, the high ropes course, gaga ball, group games, arts and crafts, tie dye, campfires, night activities and more. While most of our programming is open to all ages, for everyone’s safety, some require minimal ages or sizes to participate.
For all activities, children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. All of our programming is designed for adults and children to participate together. Get ready to have silly fun, laugh out loud, and be creative.
Sample Family Camp Schedule
Friday
4:00-6:00 pm Check in and move into cabins, open activities
6:00-7:00 pm Dinner
7:00-7:45 pm All Camp Game
8: 00-9: 00 pm Welcome Carnival
9:00-10:00 pm Night Hike and Evening Games
Saturday
7:00-8:00 am Sunrise Hike
8:00-9:00 am Breakfast
9:15 am- 12:30 pm Open Activities
12:30 pm-1 :30 pm Lunch and Camp Store Open
1: 30-2: 00 pm Family Time
2:00-5:00 pm Open Activities and Swimming Pool
5: 00-6: 00 pm Habitat House and Open Activities
6:00-7:00 pm Dinner
7:15-7:45 pm S’mores
8:00-9:00 pm Family Campfire (families and staff perform)
9:00-10:00 pm Family Trivia and Star Lab (inflatable planetarium)
Sunday
7:30-8:30 am Polar Bear Plunge- morning swim
8:30-9:30 am Brunch and Morning Inspiration
9:30-10:00 am Move Out of Cabins and Camp Store Open
10:00 am-Noon Open Activities
Noon Check out — see you next time!
The pool and waterslide will be open during our fall, spring and summer seasons at specific times during camp weekends. Both are closed during the winter. Pool and slide availability varies.
For safety, children ages 12 and younger will be required to complete a swim check prior to getting in the water. Swimmers that do not meet these requirements, or do not complete the swim check will receive an orange wristband. Orange bands must swim with a parent or guardian (15 years or older) in the water. Parents or guardians must remain within arm’s reach, in the water and can have no more than 2 orange band swimmers.
The swim check consists of two parts:
1. The swimmer must enter the pool unaided into the shallow water, recover to an upright position, swim the width of the pool twice (there and back, 25 yards), and climb out of the pool. This will gain the swimmer access to the shallow end of the pool up to 3.5 feet mark.
* In order to qualify for the shallow water wristband, swimmers must be at least 48” tall. If swimmer does not meet the height requirement they can complete the deep end swim check alternatively.
2. In order to successfully pass the deep water swim check, swimmers must swim 25 yards with face in the water (without assistance). Then, recover to a back float position and hold for 10 seconds, tread water for 1 minute (head up), and climb out of the pool. Swimmers must also understand pool guidelines.
* To use the water slide, campers must be at least 48” tall and perform, at a minimum, part 1 of the swim check.
At the Y, safety is our number one priority. We believe in the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, so please be considerate of others. Please help us by following our pool guidelines and listening to our lifeguards, who have a responsibility to prevent and respond to emergencies. Running, diving, horseplay, and inappropriate language or behavior is not acceptable.
Our high ropes course is a series of activities that call for heightened physical challenges while following precise instructions. High ropes activities include the Leap of Faith, Flying Squirrel, Zip Line, and a Challenge Course 35 feet in the air. The high ropes course is open for Family Camp weekends, and on some Parent Child weekends. Because of the physical challenges you may encounter while completing the high ropes course, to participate, you must be at least 11 years old. For everyone’s safety, please help us by following our high ropes course guidelines.
