A California kids summer camp with a 60+ year tradition
Skylake Yosemite Summer Camp is located in California's Sierra National Forest on beautiful Bass Lake, just 15 miles from Yosemite National Park. For over 60 years generations of kids have thought of Skylake as their summer home.
Skylake Yosemite Summer Camp was founded in 1945 and was a founding member of the Western Association of Independent Camps. It has also been a member of the American Camp Association for over 50 years. The camp is privately owned and has had only three directors in our 60+ year history. Continuity and tradition are two of the hallmarks of Skylake Yosemite Summer Camp.
An East Coast style summer camp in California
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Skylake is a kids camp in the East Coast tradition... in a pine forest… on a beautiful warm-water lake… with all the traditional waterfront and "land" sports activities, crafts and nightly campfires. Some of our camp songs have been a tradition for 60 years.
Our central camp facility consists of 37 screened-in sleeping cabins, 4 shower houses, a craft shop, and a 6500 square foot lodge including the dining hall, a recreation room, and a large deck overlooking Bass Lake through the pines.
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A fundamental philosophy of Skylake Yosemite Summer Camp is that kids today are in a very fast paced and highly competitive school and life environment. Skylake believes young people need a vacation just as adults do. While summer camp days at Skylake are busy and structured, they are designed to be noncompetitive, relaxed, and very flexible to the campers' individual needs.
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Skylake has always retained traditional camp values. For example, most of today's kids summer camps sadly do not permit parents to send traditional, homemade care packages to their children. Nothing brings more joy to a camper than receiving a box of homemade cookies from home. We are aware of how this wonderful tradition can be abused (like sending too much candy, etc.) but we would rather deal with the "abuses" than ban the tradition.
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Our 37 screened-in sleeping cabins each accommodate 8 people, including campers and Camp Counselors. These small cabins are fundamental to Skylake's philosophy where campers form a new family unit each summer. Meals, cabin group activities, being together at campfire, and other significant camp activities promote strong bonds that create lifelong friendships built on shared memories of summer camp.
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SUMMER CAMP SAFETY STANDARDS
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"Safety First" at Skylake Yosemite Summer Camp is the order of the day, everyday. Camp Counselors attend six days of staff training before the campers arrive and continue to participate in workshops throughout the summer camp season. This training is dedicated to making the staff understand and appreciate the awesome responsibility of caring for children. Many of the Skylake staff members are previous Skylake campers. All Camp Counselors are CPR and First Aid Certified and the majority are also Lifeguard Certified. Eligibility for staff requires that counselors are at least 18 years of age and are currently enrolled in or have graduated from a 4-year university. All drivers for out-of-camp trips are at least 21 years of age. This is what "Safety First" means at Skylake Yosemite Summer Camp.
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