FAQs
Here are commonly asked questions by parents. Please click a question for the answer.
We highly recommend purchasing Camp Tuition Insurance (Cancel For Any Reason Policy) to cover your expense in the event you should need to cancel. Camp Tuition Insurance is offered byTravmark (aka MHRoss, Tripmate), a 3rd party travel insurance company. Mountain Camp is not affiliated with Program Protector other than providing this insurance option. If you have questions about Travmark Trip Insurance please call Customer Service for Program Protector (833-297-2258). Please remember that Camp Tuition Insurance is the ONLY way to be reimbursed for camp expenses should anything unexpected come up for your family (sporting events, travel changes, positive COVID test, illness, changes in academic schedules, injury, or anything unexpected).
All cancellations or changes must be emailed to [email protected]
- You are welcome to change sessions as needed at no cost, provided there is space available in your desired session, and the session length is greater than or equal to the currently enrolled session. If you switch to a session that is shorter in length, the below policy applies.
- Cancellations made before January 1st: Any paid tuition returned
- Cancellations made between January 1st and April 1st: Any paid tuition returned, less the deposit per session.
- Any cancellations made after April 1st: No Refund.
- This includes cancellations due to illness, family emergencies or anything unexpected.
- Campers sent home for disciplinary reason or because of homesickness: No refund.
- Camper sent home due to illness or injury: No refund.
- Camper registrations cannot be traded or exchanged. Available slots in a full session are filled from the waitlist based on date of application.
- Any credits used for camp tuition are subject to the cancellation policies above.
- If camp is forced to close or cannot operate for any reason, parents will be able to select their preferred cancellation option from our Camp Closure Policy.
If you discover that your camper left something at camp, please call our office within 2 weeks to claim your item. If found, we are happy to mail the missing item home to you. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity after 2 weeks. While we hope to reunite you with lost items, please understand that Mountain Camp is not responsible for lost items. Labeling your camper’s clothes is a great help when claiming missing items. Thank you!
Campers all arrive on Monday and drop off is between 11am and 12:30pm. Campers depart on a Saturday and pick up is between 1:30pm and 3:30pm.
At Mountain Camp, we prioritize the safety and health of our campers and staff above everything else. Because of our location in the Sierra, our emergency preparedness focuses on lightning storms and wildfires. While this risk cannot be eliminated, Mountain Camp works to mitigate and actively prepare for these situations. We are not at risk for catastrophic flooding.
Mountain Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association which requires us to annually notify the Eldorado National Forest, El Dorado County Fire District and Eldorado County Sheriff’s Office of our dates of operation and number of occupants. We are fortunate to have an excellent relationship with these government entities and are in contact with them if an incident happens.
Over the past several years, Mountain Camp has invested a considerable amount of time and resources into creating defensible space around our cabins and site. This has included the removal of dead trees and excess slash (debris) from the ground and trimming up of trees to reduce the amount of fire fuels at camp.
Camp Directors carry cell phones with service through AT&T or T-Mobile and the camp has two Starlink satellite systems that provide internet access and WIFI calling. Directors also have Watch Duty and Lightning Tracker apps to receive notifications in the event of any activity in the area and are signed up with El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services alert and warning system. Our site is located six miles from Big Hill Fire Lookout and Helipad and we often use their camera as a resource.
Staff are trained in our full Emergency Procedures before camp starts each summer and campers are notified of basic emergency protocols.
If there is a lightning storm in the area and thunder is easily audible, campers at the lake are immediately instructed to return to shore and all campers are directed to return to their cabins until the storm passes.
In the event of an evacuation, there are 3 different routes off the mountain that can be taken contingent upon the situation: Ice House Road to HWY 50 West to Placerville, Ice House Road North to Georgetown, Wrights Lake Road to HWY 50 East to South Lake Tahoe.
If an evacuation occurs and depending on the location and our proximity to the fire, we have several contacts of bus companies to come and pick up those on site. Campers and staff would then be brought to a local shelter or back to the Bay Area. If a fire is imminent and does not allow for evacuation off the mountain, campers and staff would shelter in place at our waterfront or on the lake if necessary.
In the event of any incident, Mountain Camp will initially email and text all families as soon as safely possible. If we are evacuated formally, we will communicate directly with every parent or guardian.
We are sometimes impacted by smoke from fires that are far away. We have a Purple Air Quality sensor at camp (that you can check here) so that we are continuously monitoring the air quality and are in regular communication with Deputy Health Officer for El Dorado County while making all our decisions. We also have three nurses monitoring the health of our campers daily and have campers with asthma check-in with the nurses when our air quality does start to deteriorate to make sure all is well and to help ensure campers are feeling okay.
Should the air quality at camp deteriorate, we would begin modifying our activities when the air became Unhealthy (Red) on the AQI (Air Quality Index), we would begin canceling activities as we unfortunately do not have the ability to move our activities indoors and our cabins are open-aired. We would likely have to close camp if we were to experience Hazardous (Maroon) air for 24 hours. We also have N95 masks available for every camper on site.
Over 60% of our campers return to camp each year and approximately 50% of our staff return each year.
The weather during the day ranges from the low 70s to the high 80s. At night it can cool down to the mid-50s, but is typically in the mid-60s. The water temperature is typically in the mid 60s. It’s a little cooler in the beginning of summer and a bit warmer in the end of the summer.
Our staff to camper ratio is 1:4.
The campers sleep in cabins of similar age and gender identity. Cabins sleep 8-14 campers per cabin with 2-3 counselors. The cabins have wooden style bunks with a twin mattress that has a plastic cover on it. Campers will need a sleeping bag and pillow.
When filling out the application, you will be asked to enter up to 3 bunk or cabin mate requests. In order to ensure cabin mate requests, BOTH campers must request one another and be no more than one school grade apart. Cabin mate requests can can also be sent via email after you’ve completed your camper application.
There are three shower houses at camp. A male identifying shower house on the hill side of camp which has 8 showers, toilets and sinks. A female identifying shower house on the lake side of camp with 8 showers, toilets and sinks. Our lodge shower house located in our Main Lodge which has 4 showers, toilets and sinks for each gender. We also have 2 individual bathroom/showers located outside of our healthcare center for use by any camper or staff. The showers in all of the houses are individual curtained shower stalls.
We offer a vegetarian and gluten free option at every meal. Campers will sign up to be on the vegetarian list or gluten free list at the beginning of camp. We also have a salad bar at every lunch and dinner. Any other dietary needs should be discussed with the office before your camper comes to camp.
Mountain Camp follows ACA accreditation standards. A registered nurse or doctor is a regular member of the staff and most of our staff are certified in Red Cross First Aid. Hospital service is available in Placerville, 33 miles away, if required. All medications are kept in the Healthcare Center located in the center of camp. The camper will visit the Healthcare Center and take the medication as directed on the completed medical form. Counselors are made aware of any camper medication and the healthcare team keeps a log of all medications taken.
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Unfortunately, Mountain Camp is not available for site rentals.
During the activity periods at camp, campers move within the 3 activity areas with their specific age group (Trailblazers, Trackers and Alpiners). Because age ranges vary by session, we divide the age groups into thirds based on incoming grade level.
While letters and encouraging words from home are vital to a camper’s experience, we have found that care packages can often be distracting. For these reasons, Mountain Camp will not allow care packages and encourage you to instead write letters to your camper. Care packages will be confiscated and not returned.
If your camper has forgotten something essential, please email [email protected] to make arrangements.
Mail is distributed a minimum of three times a week, please keep in mind that it can take 3-5 days for mail to arrive.
Mailing Address:
Camper’s name and cabin (if known)
Mountain Camp
P.O. Box 1348
Pollock Pines, CA 95726
Families can deposit money in the camp store online anytime under ‘View Accounts’.
Unless you request a refund (only for amounts over $10.00), any remaining store money is donated to the Mountain Camp Education Institute or the Mountain Camp Scholarship Fund.
Campers have the opportunity to visit the store at least once during a session. The store carries many items including toiletries, batteries, postcards, stamps, sweatshirts, sweatpants, t shirts, hats, beanies & many more items. There is no food available in the camp store.
Yes! The directors have four dogs who hang out at camp. The dogs live with the directors, but can often be seen around camp and are always up to play!
Mountain Camp requires that all campers be immunized per the 2024 CDC Recommended Immunization Schedule for schools as prevention for all communicable diseases such as Measles, Whooping Cough, Chicken Pox, etc. If your child develops symptoms of any communicable diseases, they will be masked, quarantined and sent home immediately. Mountain Camp reserves the right to send unvaccinated campers home in the event of a communicable disease outbreak.
