Camp Woodcraft Summer FAQs

Camp Woodcraft is located in Mountain Center near Idyllwild, CA.

For an illustrated map of our camp grounds, visit Our Camp page. 

Driving instructions will be provided in the Parent Guide upon registration and prior to camp sessions. 

Roundtrip bus transportation (LA-Camp-LA) is provided at an additional cost of $80 per camper. Our Camp Director will send pick–up and drop–off details upon registration and prior to the start of camp.

We offer a variety of activities at camp including

• Archery
• Archery Tag
• Arts & crafts
• Campfires
• Cast the Axe
• Day and night hiking
• Environmental science
• Lake Swimming
• Low Ropes
• Rock Wall
• Stargazing
• Teambuilding activities
• Theater
• Water games
• And more!

Campers are placed into units or sleeping pods based on age and gender, with a ratio of 8 campers to 1-2 counselors.

Where will my child sleep?

Campers sleep in cabins on camp-style bunk beds. Each camper will be assigned an individual bunk bed. Cabins are rustic and without modern conveniences such as electricity. This is an important element of our camp – campers get a more personal experience with nature and develop resiliency. (Flashlights and lighting are available to ensure camper safety.)

Where will my child shower?

Modern bathrooms with electricity and hot water are located near the cabins. Campers are scheduled to shower daily. Bathroom facilities are divided by gender and are equipped with individual stalls for privacy.

What should my child bring for showering?

Campers should bring all toiletries and a shower towel. See last summer’s packing list. A revised packing list for Summer 2023 will be updated and e-mailed soon. 

What should my child bring for sleeping?

Campers should bring a sleeping bag with a rating of 35 degrees or less, and/or a sheet and blanket with a pillow for their bed. See last summer’s packing list. A revised packing list for Summer 2023 will be updated and e-mailed soon. 

Campers will enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Our options are kid friendly, and students share a table with their camp unit.

Campers with dietary restrictions will be accommodated as necessary (meat free, dairy free, gluten free). We are also a nut-free camp and our meals are prepared with nut-free oils. If your child has specific food allergies, please indicate this on their medical health forms along with detailed instructions for remediation (epi pen, etc). Our camp nurse and kitchen staff will arrange for alternative meals accordingly.

Our meals are prepared by certified kitchen staff. Our menu is created with the support of a child nutritionist/dietician to ensure our campers are well nourished for daily activities.

Please do NOT send any food or snacks with your child. For the safety of all campers and with respect to allergies, we cannot allow campers to bring or share outside food with other campers. All food must be stored in secure areas throughout the camp and cannot be stored in cabins or with camper belongings.

We will have plenty of food available during meal times for your child. Fruit and other healthy snacks will be available should they get hungry between meal times.

Before camp, we provide a Parent Guide which helps parents and campers prepare for a full week away at Camp Woodcraft, and eases transition and separation issues. 

In May, before the beginning of the camp season, we will host virtual orientations and meet-and-greets for newly enrolled and prospective families to learn more about Camp Woodcraft, our facilities, meet staff and ask questions. 

Upon boarding the bus to camp or arriving at camp for their session, campers are invited to play fun ice-breaker games, meet cabin mates, cabin counselors and administrative staff, and get situated with the camp facilities. The first day’s schedule includes a welcome lunch cook-out, and an opening campfire adds to the warm welcome. 

We also encourage campers to pack a family photo and/or a sentimental item that they can refer to when they feel homesick. All campers will receive a journal to write experiences they would like to remember and share with their families afterwards. Parents can also provide pre-stamped envelopes for their children to write letters home. These items will be optional and included in the packing list. 

We understand that homesickness is natural and often occurs with both new and returning campers. We prepare and train our staff to handle homesickness and have had remarkable success helping many campers navigate and overcome this feeling and enjoy a fantastic Camp Woodcraft experience. 

Two health care providers will be on-site at all times and available to campers and staff to administer first aid, medications, and general care as needed. We also have contingency support services lined up with our local hospital, evacuation and emergency medical providers.

Per the American Camp Association standards, we store and dispense all medications through our Health Center. Parents must indicate their child’s medication with instructions on a ‘Medical Health Form’ that is completed during the enrollment process.

All medications must be placed in a clear zip-top bag, clearly labeled with the campers name. Medications should NOT be stored in the camper’s luggage.  When checking in your child, you will hand the clear zip-top bag to a camp staff member for proper storage and recording of medication received.

When you pick your child up at the end of camp, a camp staff member will return the medication to the authorized pick-up adult.

For illnesses and medical emergencies requiring additional assistance, we follow appropriate EMS procedures. The closest hospital is approximately one hour from camp, with emergency helicopter transportation available if needed for a faster transport time.

We will provide parents with the Camp Director’s phone number as well as a number to our Woodcraft Rangers Headquarter Main Office in downtown Los Angeles as a part of the parent guide.

Our camp staff include:
• Camp director
• Camp manager
• Camp coordinator
• Camp counselors
• Certified activity instructors (low ropes, naturalist, archery, etc.)
• Camp photographer
• Two camp nurses
• Maintenance staff

In addition, the Woodcraft Rangers office staff, located in Downtown Los Angeles, is available to support the camp team and parents, as needed. 

Campers are assigned to units of 6-8 and led by 1 camp counselor. In addition to camp counselors, there are also additional adults available on-site 24/7 to support various general needs, including activity instructors, nurses, administrators, etc.

Yes. All camp staff must pass a background check with the FBI and Department of Justice and NSOPW. Most camp counselors are also year-round youth development workers with Woodcraft Rangers that work directly with students in schools and districts throughout LA County.

This varies depending on final registration numbers, but we estimate between 30-40 staff members, as needed to maintain an 8:1 camper to counselor ratio.

Camp Director, Helen Santos has over 15 summers at camp, has worked in youth development for 18 years and holds a BA in Child Development. Uniquely, most Camp Woodcraft counselors and staff also work during the school year running afterschool programs throughout Los Angeles County, logging 500 to 1000 hours serving youth each school year.

All camp staff must go through an extensive hiring process including interview, background checks, and training. Staff will be trained in best practices in youth development and camp programming, social and emotional learning and trauma-informed care, diversity and inclusion, how to work with youth in an outdoor setting, basic counseling, conflict resolution, and emergency procedures and precautions.

All camp staff are certified in CPR and First Aid as well as youth mental health first aid. Staff in positions that require certification must also present current certificates for specialty positions (such as archery instructor).

We understand the want or need to contact your child, so we encourage you to write a letter or send them a card while at camp. We do not allow students to make calls or receive calls so as to not interrupt their experience in nature. In case of emergency, parents/guardians will be contacted by camp staff.

We will also post daily activity photos through PhotoCircle, an app-based photo album for only parents with campers in a particular session participating. Access to each session album will be shared closer to camp start date.

This is a critical element of our camp – disconnecting campers from technology! Research shows that just 5 days in nature recalibrates the nervous system and helps young bodies and minds recover from stress and trauma. 

Therefore, campers are not permitted to bring any devices: cell phones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems or any other technological items. If they are brought to camp, they will be held in the Camp Director’s office and returned to the parent/guardian during check-out. 

Before camp, we provide a Parent Guide which helps parents and campers prepare for a full week away at Camp Woodcraft, and eases transition and separation issues. 

In May, before the beginning of the camp season, we will host virtual orientations and meet-and-greets for newly enrolled and prospective families to learn more about Camp Woodcraft, our facilities, meet staff and ask questions. 

Upon boarding the bus to camp or arriving at camp for their session, campers are invited to play fun ice-breaker games, meet cabin mates, cabin counselors and administrative staff, and get situated with the camp facilities. The first day’s schedule includes a welcome lunch cook-out, and an opening campfire adds to the warm welcome. 

We also encourage campers to pack a family photo and/or a sentimental item that they can refer to when they feel homesick. All campers will receive a journal to write experiences they would like to remember and share with their families afterwards. Parents can also provide pre-stamped envelopes for their children to write letters home. These items will be optional and included in the packing list. 

We understand that homesickness is natural and often occurs with both new and returning campers. We prepare and train our staff to handle homesickness and have had remarkable success helping many campers navigate and overcome this feeling and enjoy a fantastic Camp Woodcraft experience. 

Yes, absolutely! We encourage all parents/guardians or family members to send your child a letter in the mail no later than the Monday of the week of camp to ensure that it arrives in time for our Thursday letter delivery service. The mailing address can be found in the confirmation email. Please note, mail sent after Tuesday may not arrive on time for your child to receive it during camp.

Ready to register your camper? Click here to register now!

On our registration page, you will be able to register as a new applicant, log-in to the parent portal if your child has attended Camp Woodcraft before, or you may continue an application that you previously started. 

Once you create a private account, you will sign in to select your week(s), submit essential forms, tell us more about your camper(s) and pay a deposit or full tuition. 

We accept all major credit cards.

When completing your registration, you will be prompted to choose if you would like to make payments in installments, and can select the payment schedule that works best for you. 

Final payments on any remaining tuition and fees is due by June 1st.

1-3 business days after submitting the enrollment application online, a member of the camp team will review your application and contact you if there are any questions related to your application. 

After your application has been reviewed and is accepted, you will receive an email notification with the subject ‘Enrollment Confirmation’ and receipt for registration fees. 

If you have any questions, you can contact us at campwoodcraft@woodcraftrangers.org or 213-814-6298. 

Camp Woodcraft has a parent dashboard that is hosted by CampSite. There is a log in button at the top right corner of the website, or you can log in from our registration page here. 

Registration Discounts – Returning and new campers may be eligible for applicable discounts. Visit our Dates & Rates to learn how you can get up to $200 off your early My Camper or My Camper + registration!

Sibling Discount – Families with more than one child attending any session (separately or together) receive $100 off registration fee for each additional child.

Groups – Have a group of 6-8 campers of similar age that you’d like to bring to camp? Inquire about reserving a cabin and group discounts.

Refer-A-Friend – When a first-time camper whom you referred enrolls and indicates your name in the referral section upon registering, you will receive $100 off your registration.

Discounts not applicable for scholarship families or program partners.

Parents can log in to the parent dashboard to view their Financial Summary. Also, 5 business days prior to the payment deadline or schedule, parents will receive an email with an invoice as a reminder of their upcoming payment due. 

Access the parent dashboard here. 

Yes! Scholarships are available for students who attend a Woodcraft Rangers afterschool program or partner school, or for families who qualify based on financial need.

Scholarship recipients will be eligible for a subsidized registration fee of $250 per camp week.

To learn more, please visit our Scholarship page.

In order to receive a refund less the 25% deposit, a cancellation and refund request must be submitted via email two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled departure date. Cancellations submitted after the two (2) week required notice may not be eligible for a refund. Homesickness or dismissal from camp are not grounds for refund.

All camp tuition is refundable if state or local guidelines or low enrollment prevents camp from operating during the week(s) for which your child is registered or if your child is unable to attend due to illness or a recent COVID exposure experienced by a member of your household. If the operational guidelines of camp should substantially change from what is presented within these FAQ’s, camp staff may offer a window for refunds immediately after those guidelines are announced.

Contact campwoodcraft@woodcraftrangers.org with the refund request.

Fees can be transferred to another week for the same camper, but fees cannot be transferred to a different camper.

If a parent/guardian would like to request a different session for their child, a transfer request must be submitted by June 1st by e-mail to campwoodcraft@woodcraftrangers.org. Transfer request approvals are subject to session availability and subject to a $100 transfer fee. Enrollment fees are transferrable to all available sessions.