Family Vacation Camp Weekends 2025
What Is...Family Vacation Camp
Family Vacation Camp Weekends are an exciting opportunity for your family to experience the scenic outdoors and fun adventures at the premier Boy Scout camp properties of the Golden Gate Area Council. Family Vacation Camp is a long weekend to hike, swim, enjoy nature, read a book, relax in the shade, or participate in many other exciting activities at a fraction of the cost of a hotel or resort vacation.
Who Can Attend?
The families of anyone registered in the Boy Scouts of America (Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venture Scouts, Sea Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and Adult Leaders) may participate. You can bring along friends and relatives to camp with you as well. Family Vacation Camp is intended to provide a quality family atmosphere!
Activities to do...
There are many activities to do at camp. Hiking, swimming, crafts, archery, BB guns, rifle, shotgun, tomahawk-throwing, and horseback riding (Wente), evening ice cream socials, campfires and more! Wente Scout Reservation also offers fishing and boating.
Sleeping Accommodations
You choose your site when you arrive at camp; first-come, first-served. We do not take reservations for specific sites unless your group has 40 or more registered campers.
Other than for RV/Trailer sites, there is NO camping in your vehicle in the parking lot or anywhere else in camp.
Camp Royaneh: open-air cabins (limited), canvas platform tents, or bring your own tent.
Camp Wolfeboro: bring your own tent.
Wente Scout Reservation: canvas platform tents, bring your own tent, or RV/Trailer sites.
Note: RV/Trailer Sites are an additional $40 per RV/trailer for the whole weekend includes power & water hookups. (7 available)
Wente Scout Reservation
In exchange for a partial camp fee reimbursement, some families volunteer as Camp Hosts to help the Camp Staff throughout the weekend. Anyone interested in the Camp Host opportunity can see the link below or email our Staff Advisor: Kara Posey
Our Office and Retail hours change occasionally. Follow this link to view our Current Business Hours.
1714 Everett Street
Alameda, CA 94501 | (510) 965-5631
1955 West Texas St. Suite 1
Fairfield, CA 94533 | (925) 674-6166
508 Contra Costa Blvd, Suite K2
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 | (925) 674-8500
6601 Owens Drive, Suite 100
Pleasanton, CA 94588 | (925) 674-6100
The Golden Gate Area Council has instituted a refund policy to ensure our Scouts receive high quality programs & activities. A great deal of advanced planning and purchasing takes place for programs and events of the Golden Gate Area Council during the months and weeks prior to an event.
The Council will refund up to 100% of the costs for any event it cancels. In order to maintain the most cost effective and positive program impact activity, camping, and event refunds of 100% cannot be given. Refunds are not given for No-Shows, schedule conflicts, weather conditions, or behavior issues occurring before or during the event. Refunds are considered based upon the following criteria and timeline and are returned to the person or entity and in the manner in which they were received.
Time Until Start of Event | Percentage Refund |
Up to 14 days prior | 80% refund |
Up to 7 days prior | 60% refund |
7 days or less | No refund* |
*Participants who cancel from an event within 7 days will be considered for up to a 60% refund if the refund request is accompanied by a Doctor’s note. Requests under these circumstances will not be considered if not received at the Council Service Center less than 14 days after the start of the event.
The Golden Gate Area Council believes each Scout should be given every opportunity to attend Camp. At times it can be hard for a family to raise the money, and Camperships can help cover part of the cost of a week of Camp for Golden Gate Area Council members attending one of the Golden Gate Area Council Camps. Campership applications are due by March 27th for continuing Scouts and May 29th for newly bridged Arrow of Light Scouts.
ALL of our Camps are CLOSED and the Staff is off duty from 11:00 AM on Saturday to 11:00AM on Sunday each weekend.
No Troop……..No Problem! You don’t have to miss out on all the fun just because your troop isn’t going to summer camp or because other summer plans mean you won’t be able to go to camp with your Troop. You may even want to do an additional week of camp just because you had such a great time.
New Friends…….New Experiences! Provisional Camping is just like camping with your home troop, except you’ll have the opportunity to camp with new friends as you join Scouts from all over the council and beyond. You’ll meet new people and have the opportunity to develop friendships that can last a lifetime. Provisional Scouts will partner with a selected Golden Gate Area Council Troop with an experienced leader. You’ll have a full time Scoutmaster for the week that, just like your Scoutmaster back home, will make sure you have a safe and fun camp experience. Provisional scouts can participate in all of the camp’s exciting programs including advancement, competitions, and patrol events. It’s a great way to finish additional Merit Badges, or to try a new part of the program that you weren’t able to try before.
NOTE:
SO, sign up now if you’d like to attend camp as part of the provisional camping program!
Provisional Camping is the creation of a temporary Troop or an opportunity to work with another unit. Provisional camping allows youth to attend camp without their home unit. Provisional camping is not new; it is used during many different Scouting events including National Jamborees and High Adventure trips.
The Scout’s family is responsible for transportation to and from Camp. Please contact the Golden Gate Area Council Camping and Outdoor Programs Department ([email protected]) for questions or more information.
First, try to connect the Scout and counselor in Scoutbook. If that is successful, the counselor is registered and qualified. If unsuccessful, go to the counselor’s home council and search for their Advancement Administrators. Most will have an email address for either the Council Advancement Committee or Professional Advisor. Send an email asking if the counselor has been registered and qualified for the merit badge(s) in question and the status of their Youth Protection Training. Ask California councils if the counselor has completed AB506 training and LiveScan. The unit leader’s “blue card” signature verifies their counselor credentials verification.
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Order of the Arrow
