50 California summer camps — day camps in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and San Diego, classic overnight camps in the Sierra, Tahoe and Santa Cruz redwoods, plus surf, sailing, zoo, aquarium and STEM camps.
This is brand-new — we are adding listings across California week by week. Know a great one (or run one yourself)? Tell us and we will add it.
Suggest a listing →Most California school districts finish in early-to-mid June and return in mid-August, so day camps run roughly June 8 through August 14, in weekly sessions. Overnight camps in the Sierra and Santa Cruz mountains run one- to four-week sessions from late June.
Long-running Sierra and coastal camps include Kennolyn (Santa Cruz redwoods), Gold Arrow (Huntington Lake), Camp Augusta (Nevada City), Mountain Camp (near Tahoe), Walton's Grizzly Lodge, Skylake Yosemite and Catalina Island Camps. Most take ages 7–15 and fill by February.
Day camps typically run $400–$700 per week in Los Angeles and the Bay Area; specialty STEM and surf camps $600–$1,000; overnight camps $1,800–$3,000 per two-week session. City recreation camps and YMCA camps are usually the most affordable, and many offer scholarships.