Planning Your Camp Sacramento Trip - Department of Parks and Recreation

Activities
Camp Sacramento provides many fun-filled activities for all ages. You can participate in only those that interest you, or you can participate in all of them if you'd like. It's up to you, this is YOUR vacation.

Scheduled activities include:

There are also many things to do that aren't scheduled:

There's a public address system that announces the scheduled activities as well as a bulletin board listing the schedule so you always know what's going on. Be sure to visit the Camp Activities for many ideas on what to do during your visit.

Facilities - Cabins
Camp Sacramento is situated in the Sayles Flat area of the Eldorado National Forest. It sits on a 19-acre property owned by the U.S. Forest Service and leased by the City of Sacramento. There are 61 cabins of various sizes scattered throughout the property. These cabins have electricity, but most don't have any outlets other than the light bulb on the ceiling and the porch light. They are rustic yet charming - most of them were built in the 1930s. Some of the cabins are wheelchair-accessible. The cabins don't have running water, but there are centrally located restrooms available complete with electrical outlets and private shower stalls. Camp facilites also include a dining hall, a lodge, a camp store, a camp nurse's office, a softball diamond, a half basketball court, a volleyball court, a campfire pit, arts & crafts areas, ping pong tables, horeshoe pits, and the scenic American River. Check the Camp Sacramento site map(pdf) for Camp layout.

Weather
Being in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the summer weather at Camp Sac is known for changing rapidly. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows, but most of the time it's beautiful -- with the deepest blue sky you've ever seen. During the day, the temperature averages 85 degrees or so; and at night it dips into the low 50s. Because the weather can change suddenly, though, please come to camp prepared for all weather situations. The humidity level is usually very dry, so bring lots of Chapstick and moisturizer.

Check-In/Check-Out
Checking in and out is taken care of in the lobby inside the Lodge. Check-in time is 12:00 noon on the arrival day, and check-out time is 10:00 am on the departure day. It's a good idea to bring your receipt and any other information or correspondence you receive from us up to camp with you. When you arrive, we will ask for a key deposit of $10 per key which we will return to you when you check out.

Camp Bell
The camp bell has long been a fixture at Camp Sacramento. It rings four times a day as follows:

The meal times are different for check-in day: extended hours for Lunch are 12:30 p.m. through 2:30 p.m., and dinner is at 6:00.

The camp bell also serves as a fire alarm. If there is a fire in camp, we will ring the bell continuously and give instructions over the P.A. system. We would instruct you to gather your family and meet at the campfire circle. We ask that you DO NOT DRIVE!! Our staff is trained in fire fighting and we have the equipment to put out a fire. There are fire hoses and extinguishers placed all throughout camp, and we ask that you keep your children away from them.

Dining Hall
Meals are served cafeteria-style in the Camp Sacramento Dining Hall. We serve three full meals each day. If you have special dietary needs (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic, etc.) please let us know when you make your reservation. It is a good idea to remind us when you check in upon your arrival. The dining hall opens at 7am each morning for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and cereal. In the evenings, the dining hall closes after dinner, but re-opens at 8:15 pm for you to come in and play cards, games, read, or whatever. Board games are available to check out in the lodge. We serve hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and sometimes a snack in the evenings. The dining hall stays open until midnight.

Camp Store
The Camp Sacramento Store is the perfect place to find that early morning latte or mocha, we also have milkshakes, ice cream, candy bars, popcorn, nachos, soda, beer, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and much much more. You'll find a helpful and courteous staff eager to help you satisfy your choco-holic cravings. The local Sacramento newspaper (The Sacramento Bee) is available for purchase on the store patio in a vending machine. We have The Bee and comfy lounge chairs. Cell phone reception is improving every year. If you need a land line, check with the lobby staff.

Mail
There's a mailbox in the camp store where you can drop that postcard to Aunt Emma. Mail goes out at approximately 10:00 each morning (except Sundays and holidays). If your Aunt Emma wants to send YOU a letter while you're there, the address is:

(Your Name)
Camp Sacramento
P.O. Box 81
Twin Bridges, CA 95735

This address is only good May through October.

Restrooms/Showers & Laundry
There are restrooms conveniently located throughout Camp. These restrooms have private shower stalls with hot running water. There are electrical outlets available in the restrooms to plug in your blow dryers, shavers, etc. There are also handicapped restroom and shower facilities available. The laundry facilities consist of washers and dryers, a large sink, a clothesline, and a vending machine dispensing laundry soap.

Lodge
You'll find all kinds of fun things to see and do in the Camp Sacramento Lodge. It opens at 8am for morning exercises only, then opens for everyone at 9am and stays open until midnight. There you can browse among the books in our small library, play cards, games, foosball, or pool. The Lobby is located inside the lodge. It is here that you can check out board games, a ball for the foosball table, pool cues and balls, ping pong equipment, and fishing poles. We ask for a key deposit for most items available for check-out, which we will return when you return the equipment. There is a rental fee for checking out a fishing pole for the day, $3.00 a day/$5.00 for two days. The lobby is also the place where you check-in when you first arrive to camp and check-out when you leave. There are scheduled recreation activities which take place in the Lodge including movies, rock climbing on our mini climbing wall, a dance, and a variety show (the variety show is scheduled during full week sessions only).

Fishing
The South Fork of the American River runs through camp and usually provides excellent fishing. Fishing poles are available to check out in the Lodge Lobby for a rental fee. The Camp Store carries a limited selection of bait (usually Power Bait and Salmon Eggs) and tackle. There's a fish cleaning sink available to clean out your fish. Once you've done so, you can take your fish to the kitchen and have them wrap it for you; we will store it for you in our freezer during your stay at Camp. If you'd like us to cook them for you for breakfast, let us know while you are standing in the breakfast line and we'll cook 'em right up. Remember, if you are 16 years of age or older, you need a California fishing license. If you forget to get one prior to your arrival, there are places nearby which sell them.

Swimming
Swimming in the South Fork of the American River is NOT supervised. The water can get up to 4 feet deep, it's swift, and it's very cold. Please watch your children. There are also swimming holes and lakes nearby. Indian Springs is a swimming hole and picnic area off Hwy 50 near Strawberry; Echo Lake, Fallen Leaf Lake, and Lake Tahoe are all a short distance from Camp Sacramento. In fact, during the full week sessions, there's a trip to Pope Beach at Lake Tahoe planned (see the Activities Sampler for more details).

Children
Parents or guardians are responsible for their children at all times. While a child is on a camp supervised activity, we will be responsible for them; but when the activity is completed or the child leaves the activity, parents again assume responsibility for their care, welfare, and behavior. We recommend that parents make their children wear shoes at all times (even in the water) to prevent injuries.

Miscellaneous
In order to make your stay more enjoyable, we ask that guests observe quiet hours from 10 pm through 8 am. The outside facilities close at 10 pm each night. These include the horeshoe pits, childrens playground, volleyball court, and basketball court. The Lodge, however, remains open until midnight and the Dining Hall stays open until midnight. Some scheduled recreation activities last past 10 pm, but we will try our best to keep the noise level down.

Planning Your Trip - What to Expect