“Skylake, it’s the place to be!
Skylake, it’s for you and me!”
The old time song from yesteryear still rings true today!
At Skylake, campers pick their own activities and set their
own schedules each week which gives children the flexibility to
do as they choose while also providing them with great diversity
to learn new skills.
The pace of a day is as active or slow
paced as a camper desirers which makes Skylake a unique setting
in which all campers can thrive.
First Activity period starts at 9am, followed by 2nd and 3rd
Activities at 10 and 11am. Following Lunch and Siesta, depending
on the day, campers either enjoy a chosen activity with their
cabin mates or open swim time at the docks.
For more detail on
the structure of a day, visit Schedule.
“The Docks”… Skylake’s Waterfront
on Bass Lake
Skylake's large private dock is located on a quiet cove on Bass
Lake. It's a short walk down our "swim trail" from the main part
of camp. Here, campers swim in a warm-water lake with an
enclosed dock area which is great for our younger swimmers.
Waterfront activities are among the favorites at camp! Camp ski
boats take campers out on the lake for waterskiing,
wakeboarding, tubing and our ever popular "Banana Boat" ride.
Camper can also choose a slightly more relaxed water sport and
have great fun teaming up in our canoes, kayaks, and
paddleboards or taking swim lessons. Free swim and dock
relaxation are available every day for all campers.
Land Activities … Up at Camp
Skylake’s land includes a multi-purpose field for soccer and
baseball, a horse arena with miles of forest service land trails
to explore, crafts building with every art project imaginable, a
ceramics room with wheels and kiln, archery range, challenge
ropes course, multi-sided climbing tower, basketball, sand
volleyball, tennis courts, and endless other activities…like
guitar classes and drama. And, there are plenty of mountain
bikes for out-of-camp rides on neighboring single track and fire
roads. After dinner each evening, campers are able to take part
in twilight sports activities before gathering at our
amphitheater like Campfire Circle for nightly campfire…a storied
Skylake tradition…with skits, camp songs and games. Throughout
the day there are always scheduled flex times as well so campers
can relax and enjoy the slow pace of summer camp life and a bit
of free play.
Day Trips and Backpack Outings
With Yosemite National Park in Skylake's "backyard" and the
beautiful Ansel Adams Wilderness high-country close by, day
trips and backpack trips are scheduled almost daily for those
campers desirous of getting out of camp and experiencing the
great outdoors. Day trips into Yosemite Valley and hikes up the
mist trail to the top of Vernal Falls is a treasured outing that
results in great stories and beautiful photos. Our two night
backpack trips to such treats as Jackass Lakes and Madera Peak
are a wonderful way for campers to really experience outdoor
living and cooking. Friendship bonds really strengthen on such
excursions and campers seem to come back to camp with a
heightened sense and a deeper appreciation for the wilderness.
Overnight camp outs to local treasures such as Whiskey Falls are
also a treat for younger campers not quite ready for an extended
back packing trip. Overnights are also available to older
campers as well!
Special Days and So Much More…
Throughout any given week at Skylake, camp breaks into an all
inclusive activity whether it be a Special Day such as Wild West
Day, a camp dance out under the stars, and of course our nightly
campfire. Everyone in camp is somehow involved in the same
agenda and it’s amazing to see such cohesion!
So much goes into the meaning of the word “magic” when campers
and alumni use the word to describe Skylake. Unique events such
as early morning wake ups for the optional “width of the lake
swim” or Sunday’s “Cabin Walk Suppers”, to the ever treasured
Sunday morning Skytime when camp gathers and shares stories
about the week. The list goes on and on…and so does the magic!
Skylake Yosemite Camp is a traditional California children’s camp located almost equal distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The camp is located in the Sierra National Forest on Bass Lake.
