It's a scenic drive to Lake Hughes coming from either direction. It's a mostly 2 lane road used by…read morea lot bikers, especially on the weekends. Unfortunately due to California drought conditions, there isn't much of a lake anymore. The water is nearly all dried up and there is a distinct rotting smell. Still, it's peaceful and a picturesque spot free from a lot of people. It's a very short walk to the lake bed from the parking lot. You will pass a few park benches and trees that provide a nice amount of shade from the hot summer sun. The lake itself isn't very large, but there is a bit of exploring that can be had or simply an interesting respite from the hectic city that I bet makes you consider doing a better job at conserving water.

Nice place to camp and relax. Friendly, laid back, and shady thanks to plenty of trees. Always nice…read moreto visit.

This camp gets high marks from me based on many factors, but highest among them is that it's the…read morevenue for an annual getaway for burn survivors and their families. To have a fun place to come, away from the city with so many different activities, is a blessing for the participants. The setting is nestled in a scenic piece of valley along Lake Hughes Road. We went up to the camp for the day last Saturday to be part of a tribute for a nurse who's retiring. We had previously participated ten years ago, staying for the whole weekend. A myriad of activity venues include an impressive and extensive ropes facility, large swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball court, go-cart area, hiking trails, arts & crafts building, baseball diamond, soccer field, and more. During camp they offer scuba lessons, massages, campfire entertainment, and other options for all ages. A large dining hall makes for mealtime togetherness. Pingpong tables and other indoor games are under the same roof, but in a separate room. The sleeping accommodations are mostly home-style bunk bed rooms holding about 8 people. Shared bathroom with shower for each room. As I recall, they had a few family units, but otherwise the rooms are segregated by gender to make the most of the space. At under 90 minutes to get from Simi Valley to this great venue for outdoor fun and adventure, it's a hit. It has a homey, homemade kind of vibe. Glad we went up for the day to enjoy the whole atmosphere. That's what fresh air smells like. ;-) There are some attractive yurts on the property now. Am not sure if they're for staff. Didn't get a chance to ask.

It was extremely hot the air conditioners didn't slways work the food wasn't that goodread more

This is a beautiful hiking trail. This year there weren't as much as poppies as the previous years,…read morebut still was worth it. It can be really windy. Therefore, having a jacket is recommended. It can be cold in the mornings. There is 10 dollar fee for the park. I would recommend going early in the morning since around noon it gets busy. It makes it harder to stop and taking pictures.

We went last Sunday to see the poppy fields. However there were really none. I appreciate the…read moreranger letting us know ahead that there was not much left before charging the entrance fee. We still went in since we never been. March is the month to go. We did a short hike up and could see all of Lancaster and probably Palmdale. We encountered several butterflies. I am so glad I took bug spray because there was a bit of mosquitoes. It was hot and there is no shade. Def need a hat. They have portable potties. Make sure to bring a sun hat, sunscreen, and bug spray to enjoy the hike. It is a very large area to walk/hike. It was a little windy as we got higher.

My family came to The Painted Turtle this past weekend to attend their holiday party. It was our…read morefirst time attending, as every time we try to go, something else is always scheduled the same weekend we want my son to attend camp, or the family weekend camp. This is such a lovely camp, really well maintained and wheelchair accessible. The entire staff we came across were super friendly and happy that you can't help but be happy too. There were so many activities for us to do, that we didn't even get to finish everything we wanted to do like archery, building a cookie house, arts and crafts, etc. I wish we were able to come sooner so we could have more time to do more fun things! (I think I had more fun than my son did to be honest). As a scouting family, I've been to numerous scout camps and I honestly think this is actually better than some of the BSA camps I've been to in terms of activities and facilities - and the food was great too. They accommodate for special diets which was awesome for my son's gluten free diet. This is such a special place, and we are lucky that The Painted Turtle exists to give special needs kids the opportunity to enjoy the camping experience. I hope that my son and our family can return for a family weekend camp in the future!

FIVE YEARS later and we are still attending Painted Turtle. As a Family and our daughter for the…read moreSummer Session. The Painted Turtle has been nothing but great!!! Tim and Katie are so awesome!!! They truly love their job and you can totally feel it!! All the new and old Volunteers are awesome!! We love Painted Turtle!! We just went for Fall Family Session and want to go back!! Thank you to everyone who makes it possible for my daughter to experience these moments!

I wouldn't recommend them if you're doing a same-day trip to Kernville, since they don't have…read moreshowers to rinse off before your drive home. The changing station just has a dirt floor, which really surprised me (we prefer to get clean!). The general service was mediocre, but the guides were absolutely amazing. The Lower Kern was a great starter rafting trip for my brother and his kids. Jeff/Seth did a great job.

Another 5 star adventure!…read more My family has made a (near) annual visit to Kernville for the past 10 years and we try to book a rafting experience. Today my family of four enjoyed another trip down the lower Kern and several class 3 & 4 rapids. We were treated well, the guides were professional, and we all felt safe. Looking forward already to our trip next year!

The service provided by ARC adventure is phenomenal. Jackelin E. and Bob L. Do a great job managing…read moreeverything. From kayaking to rock climbing and camping, the adventure program is a great opportunity for arc students to experience the outdoors.

Great company to rent a rock wall from. I would definitely rent from them again. They were on time,…read morequick with set up and their staff was very nice and great with all the kids who came by.

SO much fun!! I did this as part of my "50 Before 50" series, and white water rafting was…read moredefinitely one of the adventures I was most nervous about. From the second we arrived, the crew made the whole experience feel safe, organized, and FUN. Our guide was fantastic--knowledgeable, encouraging, funny, and somehow managed to make me feel completely comfortable while I was voluntarily launching myself down a river. The scenery was beautiful, the rapids were such a rush, and this ended up being one of those experiences where you finish and immediately think, "I can't believe I actually did that!" If you're nervous or trying white water rafting for the first time, DO IT. Such a great experience and such a fun crew. I would absolutely recommend them--and apparently I'm a river person now. 10/10 adventure. Would panic and paddle again.

Good rafting company, nice store, easy to find and lots of fun. They also have photosread more

BEST WEDDING VENUE EVER!…read more My husband and I dreamed of a wedding where everyone could stay together onsite, immersed in nature, with no worries about driving after a night of fun, and Camp Osito Rancho made that dream a reality. Our families stayed in the health center, lodge, and electrified cabins, while our friends embraced the adventure of summer cabins and tents. The venue offers so many stunning spaces, from the spacious dining hall for meals to the stage/amphitheater with fire pits--perfect for s'mores and late-night stories. We exchanged vows at the top of a hill near the outdoor pavilion, with a gorgeous backdrop of pine trees and a view of Big Bear Lake in the distance. We were able to offer our guests camp activities like archery and a pool day, as well as had room to setup other activities like craft tables and lawn games. The biggest perk was the complete freedom to choose our own vendors, allowing us to create a truly personalized experience (huge shoutout to Scratch Kitchen for catering--our guests still rave about the food). We spent a year making signs, collecting décor, buying solar lights, and crafting to transform this Girl Scout camp into a full-blown wedding festival. If you're up for planning the details, this venue is the ultimate blank canvas. Last but not least, the Camp Osito Rancho team is absolutely amazing. A huge thanks to Angel for her help throughout the year, Ryan for his help throughout the weekend, and to Gerardo for the tour that sold us from the start. For a wedding that feels like an unforgettable getaway, this place is pure magic

Amazing camp!! Came with sweet elite Girl Scouts 2020. My daughter canoed, rode horses, zip lined,…read morelearned archery. So many activities. Well worth the work. Beautiful campsite.

My boys just got home from Camp Nawakwa and had the time of their lives!…read more My older son was homesick and his cabin counselor, Squirrel, did amazing calming him and getting him involved. There was lots of activities and they had options so they could choose the things that interested them. Swimming, crafts, archery, drama, rock climbing. They had a dance and camp fires, they performed skits. When I went to pick them up my little one had lost his voice from singing and cheering so much. My homesick boy didn't want to leave... He even asked to go back for the next weeks session. Days later they are still singing their cabin songs and telling stories about what they did while they were there. I know my kids can't wait to go back and I'm so thankful they had this experience. And I'm going to make sure they return to Camp Nawakwa because they have made memories they will cherish for a lifetime...and they'll make even more in the summers to come

Camp Nawakwa-Angelus Forest Site I went on a camping trip…read morewith our church Agape Christian Center on June 5-7, 2015. I wanted to take a moment to compliment you on the cleanliness of your camp! I was pleasantly surprised. Your staff were all very friendly,courteous, and helpful. I specially wanted to thank your head chef, (I hope I have the name right, Shawn?)I have a gluten free kid and he was so nice, and helpful. He completely went out of his way, his food was delish!He made my job of having to pack gluten free food obsolete! I am so thankful! All in all had a great time, we Will definitely be back!!! See you soon! Delia Ybarra

This is a review for Code Rev on Federal Ave. LA 90025. Saved up money to send my child to an…read moreexpensive summer camp in Minecraft Modding. They were very disappointed. Using the MCreator app was fine. Okay, I get it, it's visual and teaches simple concepts. But the instructor (maybe a college or high school student) was not an expert on it, was managing 10 kids in two different classes, seemed distracted, overworked, and sometimes on their phone. The quality of instruction was equivalent to a much cheaper program at the LA Parks, etc. My child specifically and kindly said to the instructor, "I love coding. May I learn more?" But this was not really heard. Most of the kids played Minecraft all day (9AM - 3:30PM), except during the breaks outside. But there was not much programming going on, just playing the game. My child stayed on task, tried to fix issues during the "tests" (a Minecraft Modding term), but found it hard to get assistance, except once or twice the entire day, each day. They did a little bit of Scratch coding one day. For the price this program costs, go to Asteme nearby and take their coding class, where there are professional, full-time teachers and the instruction is worth every penny. My child was so disappointed, because they had begged me to take this class. Code Rev management shouldn't punish this instructor. They should revamp the way they train instructors, pay them more so they can hire better ones, develop a half-page syllabus with an organized curriculum, let parents see it during registration, and not call this a coding class, unless there is coding. How about a little more Scratch even? If we wanted to play video games all day for 5 days, it would've been cheaper to go to Dave & Busters with friends. I should've listened to the negative reviews when I signed up. There is no care or respect for the real intellectual curiosity of the students. They think kids just want to play video games all day, and I don't think this is true for most (at least some) of the kids. But when this is what you're handed, your curious, enthusiastic child feels crushed. Do better Code Rev or reduce your prices in half and bill this more as daycare. (I rarely, if ever, write reviews, because who has the time? Also, I want to support small businesses or the franchisee. But this was just too disappointing. To prevent other parents and kids from making the same mistake, I had to say something. )

Signed up for one day of camp at the very last minute. My daughter was excited by the sample…read moreitinerary on the website, which included things like "outdoor games" and "pair and share." When I went to pick her up, the group (including the instructor) looked like zombies staring at their computers... no acknowledgement I was even there as I'm looking for my child in a sea of office chairs. I'm willing to take my daughter's claim that she didn't learn anything new and was told she could just "play in her Minecraft world" all day with a grain of salt, because there's probably more to it than that. But she did confirm that there was no outdoor play and that she sat in the same seat for five hours. Overall, she called it "boring." I give it a few stars because they kept my kid safe, but we won't be going back.