The drive to get here reminds me of the road to Hana! It wasn't as bad though, it was just an hour…read moreand a half from the East Bay. It was nice and quiet, clean and signs were posted at communal areas (restrooms/sink) to remind everyone to social distance and wear a mask (however not everyone wore masks ) It was really beautiful being surrounded by the Redwood trees and fresh air! We went on a nice hike, not difficult but doable for beginners. They had a basketball court, tennis court, volleyball, soccer and baseball field to use. We brought our own basketball but I believe you can check one out at the office. It's great for all ages My only complaint and it's not against the camp at all, it's that there were so many mosquitos! So be prepared if you're like me, I ALWAYS get eaten alive !! Bring your bug spray , lotion etc.... Definitely a place to check out in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

We had campsite #2 (tent, not cabin). Great place. Had deers close to us. Restrooms were near…read moreenough as well. #2 site is not really ensconced by trees as much as we'd have liked. Miss T. Elkins, of the park staff was the best part of the trip. She helped us with our campfire and checked in on us across our multiple nights there. (This rating gets it's positive stars due to her hospitality!) This is a privately operated camping operation inside the big basin state park. So if you want to donate/do good for the state parks system, go for big basin redwoods state park. The firewood here is extremely expensive at $17 per 0.9 cubic feet. (compared to $5 at a safeway in the regular bay area). Even Big Basin Redwoods State Park Visitor Gift Shop had their firewood (same brand and size) for $13 so there's some clear gouging here. (-1 star) The road from Big Basin's road to Little Basin is horrible with lots of potholes for ~3 miles. (-1 star)

Excellent space, great (and plentiful) food, fantastic teaching, and if you're there in summer the…read morebeach is not far away! ... Nor is a narrow-gauge train-ride through a redwood forest.

I attended RCP's spring women's retreat from April 24-26, 2026…read more The theme was Amazing Grace and Sara Bentley was the main speaker. Upon arriving we were greeted by the amazing volunteers and received a bag with our key, t-shirt, program, chocolates, prayer card, and a card with a ladies name on it ( you are to find her during the weekend and ask about any prayer request). The property is beautiful and the landscape is breathtaking. There's a bookstore, snack shack, dinning hall, meeting rooms next to the lodges, swimming pool, hiking trails, and yard games throughout the property. I stayed in the brea lodge a small room that had a twin and queen bed, small sink, toilet and shower. The bed was comfortable, there's a coat rack with a place for luggage. Since COVID I usually wipe down surfaces with Lysol wipes and spray, as I wiped down some surfaces I picked up grime, as well as a crusty, dried up hand towel left in the shower, yikes! An indicator that the shower wasn't thoroughly cleaned and no attention to detail. The leadership team was welcoming, attentive, and filled with the Spirit of God. They offer family camp that occurs in June and July. The schedule allowed for plenty of worship, main session with the speaker, optional workshops, and free time activities. The food was delicious and yummy snacks were offered in their brookside lounge under the dinning hall. And camp is not complete unless there's a campfire. There was a crackling fire in the Martin lounge and a propane fire pit going outside near Nelson lounge. I had a relaxing, intentional, mindful, and God filled weekend.

We stopped by here for a Spartan picnic on the way to Santa Cruz for skating. Costco is great for…read morethis. A roast chicken ($5.00) , bag of Mediterranean Salad $4.50) Farmer bread or rolls for starch ($5-$6). And a nice Beaujolais for the adults. The park was clean and deserted. It was a bit late and cold for us to swim. The swimming hole looks quite low. We could not find the rope to swing off of, however we did find a tire swing. We definitely want to return mid week when it's earlier and spend a few hours here. The drive is really winding and narrow. There were three spots where we had to stop, let traffic come from the other side, then take our turn. One 3 milestretch was really slow as the road was not wide enough for 2-way traffic. A little fear/excitement for kids not knowing if an oncoming car was heading toward us. I admit I did a bit 'speed-racer' to heighten the rush.

Best little swimming hole for families with young children! Clean and always some "new" little…read morefriend to play with. Has a sandy beach and a few picnic tables for lunch. Is dog friendly just as long as they aren't left to roam and take a dump while you aren't there to take care of that to throw away like responsible pet caregivers do so nobody will step in the hot steamy load while barefooted cause ya'know... beach/water/park bbq's umm yeah Oh there's typically some beautiful ducks taking a swim in the afternoon.

We loved the lake and stories about Nesty as they call the dragon. Fun stuff. The people are sweet…read moreand it's easy getting around. The food is great. I want to go back.

Getting there and having to pay for limited parking is the worst, but if you can stomach that,…read moreyou'll be rewarded with a nice serene lake! It's still pretty much a secret and for pretty good reason.. The road to there is rough and windy. There's also not much at the park. The prices for boat and water stuff rental is pretty reasonable.

Berry Creek Falls is absolutely stunning! If you're coming to Big Basin Redwoods State Park and…read moreyou've never hiked to the falls, you MUST do it. Don't come all the way out here and miss out on this gorgeous waterfall. We did an 8 mile out and back hike to the falls via the Skyline to Sea Trail. The hike is moderate and begins on a downhill slope into the forest. Going down is always the easiest part for me, especially when a trail starts off descending. The real challenge is going back up once you reach the falls. It's nothing too strenuous but I'd definitely bring plenty of water and bug spray because there are lots of bugs on the trail. The trail itself is mostly shaded and features an abundance of beautiful redwoods, vibrantly green foliage, and scenic viewpoints. The waterfall is definitely the highlight of the hike! The falls were still flourishing in mid-July which worked out for us because we were able to take full advantage of the scene. When you make it up to the falls, there's a small deck area with two benches where you can sit and enjoy the picturesque views of the falls. Surprisingly, it wasn't too crowded on a Saturday afternoon in mid July. You may have to wait your turn to take a picture next to the falls. People were really courteous and didn't spend too much time which allowed for others to capture the moment. Bring your lunch and take a break here before continuing on your hike back. The scenery is so amazing here. Definitely recommend a hike to Berry Creek Falls is you're visiting Big Basin Redwood State Park.

AMAZING PLACE…read more Beautiful views and scenery. We did the Redwood Trail to the Skyline to the Sea to the Berry Creek Falls to the Sunset back to the parking lot. There are so many beautiful waterfalls along the trail. Some parts of the trail near the falls are muddy so wear good hiking shoes Note: This is a long trail (11 miles). Pack water and lunch and stay on the trail. You pay for parking with the rangers (10$ cash or card). Bathrooms at the park entrance are nice!

it was so much fun! the quality is amazing!!!!! food is so good. all though it was expensive it was…read morevery fun. service was also amazing. 10/10! Service was so good

We booked YMCA Family Camp in 2024 and had a very negative experience before even arriving. On the…read morerequired paperwork, we noted in writing that we had an 11-month-old baby and that sharing a cabin would be very difficult. No one responded, and we only later discovered that all cabins are shared. If YMCA had simply addressed our note, we never would have booked. When we requested a partial refund -- especially since there's a waitlist and our spot could easily be filled -- we were flatly denied. The only explanation given was "policy," with no empathy, no flexibility, and no acknowledgment that our documented concern had been ignored. We are now out $629 and will not be attending. This was handled very poorly for an organization that promotes itself on community values. Families with specific needs, especially with young children, should be cautious when booking -- your concerns may not be reviewed, and you will have no recourse if problems come up.

It's been a while since the summers I worked here. It's been even longer since I was a camper…read more I remember the drive: a friend in the backseat with me, little sister up front, and my mom navigating Big Basin Highway. I'll never forget the weeks I spent at camp. Even though it wasn't cheap, my parents worked hard so that they could afford to send my sister and I each for two weeks instead of just one (I believe there were three weeks of each age group). Worth every penny. I'll never forget my summer experiences. I honestly think that this was also the time I first decided I liked to write. I had the opportunity to write letters home and every night I sent one. Years later as a staff person, lots of campers wanted to write to me. I wrote back endless letters for years. I remember the death of a camper (not at camp) who I had been very close to. She called herself Little Frosty. (My camp name was Frosty - see my review of Wendy's and it'll explain my camp name :)). It was very difficult to lose a friend I felt like I'd had so much influence on. I can't review the camp in much detail because I'm sure it's changed tremendously, but there were hiking trails, a "flying squirrel" zip line, a pond to fish, a pool to swim, a meadow to play.... cabins, nearby bathrooms, a room for worship and a huge cafeteria hall. We played games and competed. Learned about each other, taught one another. I've always wanted to return. It'd be impossible with work I think - but not one summer of my life has gone by that I have'nt thought about quitting my jobs and trying to work there for 8 weeks. I think the pay was $250/wk when I was there last... perhaps less. But the rewards were everlasting. My eyes water every time I think about camp. The most amazing people I can remember: Thumper, and Sprocket are the two counselors I remember most from my time as a camper. Thumper was my counselor more than once. Sprocket worked with the kids who rode mountain bikes. I remember the Bruner family all lived there and helped with cooking and maintenance. I believe they're in Oregon now. Soleil was a coworker when I was staff. She was from the same City as me and we had a mutual friend at home. We still keep in touch. I remember Albacore during pool competitions. For some reason I remember his wet hair the most! xoxxox

As a music leader for my church, I have had the opportunity to provide music at many youth…read moreministries and churches in the Santa Clara Valley. From my particular locale, that usually means the retreat centers are in the Santa Cruz Mountains - and there are LOTS! This past weekend, I provided praise and worship and Mass music (it was a Catholic youth retreat) at Camp Hammer. In all the years I've been doing music for retreats, I had never done a retreat at Camp Hammer. Admittedly, on the way up the hill, I was a little doubtful of the place as I had heard mixed reviews from folks at my church. But as soon as we got to the facility, all my doubts were erased. The grounds are GORGEOUS! The facility is tucked within the redwoods along the Big Basin Highway. It's lush with vegetation which really promotes an incredible peacefulness - just what I needed! I knew then that this was a very special place. My first stop was the central hall to unload my gear. When I walked in, I was absolutely amazed to see sub-woofers on each side of the stage! No other facility where I've provided music has had that. I turned to the guy who was running sound for the weekend and said, "SUBS?!!! Oh wow! This is gonna be great!" The reason this was so good is that subs provide that low bottom end that gives a band's sound a much deeper texture. Not only that, the room had two HUGE ceiling-mounted mains and the stage was equipped with big monitors, so hearing ourselves while we were performing was going to be great! As a musician, the sound quality of a venue is very important to me, and Camp Hammer really hits the marks on that note. People have complained that the facility doesn't have that much equipment like mics and mic stands. But to be honest, any performing musician worth their salt should have those items. I brought up three mics of my own - my vocal mic is A LOT better than the standard Shure or Sennheisers most venues use. So if you read this and you're a musician, you'll be in for a real treat! As far as amenities are concerned, my room, which I shared with my wife (we both are very involved with the youth ministry at our church), was the best room I've ever stayed in at a retreat center. I thought Mount Hermon's was pretty good, but this room was ten times better! The food was also VERY good. It's not extravagant. But it's healthy, and more importantly, the cooks make it delicious. What was really impressive was the Sunday lunch, which is the last meal of the weekend. They provided homemade pizza! Lots of different varieties as well. Other facilities usually do a build-your-own sandwich bar with kind of cheap cold cuts and cheese. Not Camp Hammer. They go all out. All the staff at Camp Hammer are incredibly engaging and friendly. They go out of their way to ask if everything's going well or if there are any issues that need to be addressed. They want to get feedback! Admittedly, the staff at Mount Hermon do that as well, but I did feel that Camp Hammer's staff goes just a bit further with their support. In a word, the staff is AWESOME! All things considered, I will make sure other people know about this wonderful retreat facility. Oh! Before I forget, here's a really awesome thing that actually has nothing to do with the facility, but it's a big factor: Cell phones don't work there - no network will connect, unless you have a satellite phone. When you're up there, you're disconnected. And that's great. They do have WiFi available, and even as a leader, I probably should've connected just in case, but I didn't bother because I figured that since I didn't have a direct operational role, the likelihood that I'd need to utilize an internet connection would be minimal. So I disconnected from the outside world the entire weekend! That was SO refreshing.

Our church has used Camp Maymac as a retreat facility for many years. The accommodations are simple…read more(you get what you pay for), but there is never an issue getting hot water or using the heater in the cabins. The staff is incredibly friendly and the meals are delicious. There are also many great hiking trails nearby. There is also a lot of space for recreational sports like volleyball, basketball, pickle ball and soccer. Great place to host a retreat!

This camp was exceptional! Far beyond my expectations. The staff were so diligent, polite, and…read moreshowed excellent team work. Facilities were clean and beautiful. Cabins have heater with bathroom/showers inside. Food was plentiful and absolutely delicious! While we were there 2 other churches were there too. Price very reasonable. Volleyball, basketball, pickleball, pool, and large grassy field on site.

The Kopan West Retreat in March was amazing! Staff were super nice and accommodating. Highly…read morerecommend

What a beautiful retreat with Venerable Rene. The setting was very peaceful, deep in the redwood…read moreforest. The food was very good and health. It is a world away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.