“So what do you do the rest of the
year?” – It’s a common question summer camp staff are asked by parents. And while many of our counselors will return
to college in the fall, camp keeps running all year round and we keep a smaller
crew of staff to work year-round.

During the school year Camp Marston
and Raintree Ranch both are rented out by groups on the weekend. These groups
include YMCA Adventure Guides, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Church Groups, Adult
groups, Volunteers, Martial Arts Schools, Military Family Groups, High School
and Middle School Leadership Conferences, YMCA Staff conferences, and Family
Camps.

A weekend getaway to Julian can be
a great bonding time for groups and families, and they enjoy many of the same
activities offered during the summer: Climbing Tower, Archery, Marksmanship,
Canoeing, Night Hike and a Campfire.

We also keep busy during the week
with 6th graders who come with their school and teachers for a 1
week Outdoor Education experience. These
schools have a science curriculum that covers plants, animals, habitats,
geology, teambuilding, outdoor living skills, and of course some outdoor
recreational activities like Climbing Tower, Archery and Canoeing.

Individual families can register
for our Family Camp Weekends that happen on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Mothers’
Day and Memorial Day.

From September to June about 95
schools visit both Camp Marston and Raintree Ranch for an Outdoor Education
Trip. The Weekends bring about 71
different groups. That’s almost 13,000
people visiting camp during the school year.

Many people are surprised and
excited to hear that it gets pretty cold during the winter times, especially at
night, so those heaters in the cabins come in handy. We get a good snow storm about 4-5 times per
year. Our 6th grades and
weekend guests are usually pretty excited to make some snowmen, and the staff
find their snow shovels and get to work.