Preparing For Camp & Packing List

For the safety of your camper, there are a few forms that are required to attend camp. Every camper, once enrolled, has an online account and all camper forms must be accessed through this online account.

To access your account, simply click here. After you enter your login information, click on ‘Forms and Documents’ under the Forms Dashboard and there you will see which forms are needed for your camper. You can find more information about forms here and watch a short video about completing your forms below.

You can find the packing list for a one-week session here. For two-week sessions, we recommend roughly doubling the amount of items on the list. Additionally, closed-toed shoes are worn at camp at all times, except while at the beach and the shower, so please be sure to bring comfortable shoes!

Suitcases, duffle bags, and trunks are all great to pack in! Campers will be “living” out of their suitcase and storing their items under their bunk, so it is important to pack in something that campers are familiar with!

Sometimes campers and families alike can feel a little nervous about heading to camp. You can find resources for first-time campers here and also attend a camper webinar to ask any questions you may have about camp.

Advice For Parents

The camp experience is an excellent time for children to grow, gain independence and confidence, and make new friends. Sometimes, the separation from family, friends, and familiar surroundings can be difficult, and some campers are apprehensive about coming to camp or experience mild homesickness when they arrive. Mountain Camp takes pride in training our counselors to work with campers to overcome these common challenges in ways that develop lifelong skills of independence and adaptability. This year is especially challenging for campers and families alike, here is a great resource for how to help with the transition to camp.

Please keep the camp office informed on any recent changes in your family. Divorce, death, serious illness, or a recent move may be unsettling for a child. Also, let us know if your camper has a lot of anxiety about going away to camp for the first time. Any information that will help make the camp experience the best it can be is welcomed and strictly confidential.

We suggest writing letters that are newsy and dwell on the things your camper is doing at camp. Lonesome letters about how much the dog misses your child or how the house just is not the same usually contribute to feeling homesick. Include in your letters wishes of fun, good times, and support. It is helpful if bad news can be withheld until your child returns from camp. If this is not possible, please call us and we will assist you.

When actually packing for camp, be excited and encouraging. We strongly suggest you include your camper in the packing process so that they are familiar with the items you are sending and can have a role in getting ready for camp. It is important that campers have chosen to come to camp, and that they don’t feel forced to go. Although it is common for kids to be somewhat apprehensive about their time away from home, please avoid making deals with your camper concerning shortened stays at camp. Campers who think they will be picked up early if they are unhappy at camp often have difficulty committing to the experience, which makes it more difficult for them to overcome homesickness.

If your camper is apprehensive about camp, tell them that it’s normal and common to feel that way. Provide empathy, encouragement, and talk to them about how the counselors at camp are dedicated to helping your camper make friends and have fun. We understand that parents also get homesick for their child. Just remember how valuable the experience is for them and how much they will have to share with you when camp is over.

Drop-off for All Sessions: Monday . . . . . . 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

If you are planning on driving to camp, camper drop off is between 11am-12:30pm. Driving time, on average, is 3.5 hours from the Bay Area. You can find driving directions to camp here. If you will be arriving later than 12:30pm, please give us a call so we can have someone ready to greet your camper! More information will be released in regards to drop off procedure.

Bus transportation is also available from the Bay Area with pick up sites in Palo Alto, Larkspur and Lafayette. To learn more about transportation you can click here. About half of campers choose to take the bus to camp.

Your camper will be greeted by Mountain Camp staff and have the chance to meet their counselors and the Mountain Camp healthcare team. Please make sure to pack medications in their original containers and in a ziplock bag to make checking-in go smoothly! Additionally, parents and caregivers can park their cars and help their camper move through the check-in process.

The camp store carries Mountain Camp merchandise (and no food or drinks) and is a fun opportunity for campers to bring a piece of camp home. You can add store money to your account with your credit card online by selecting “View Camp Store” in their Mountain Camp account. If you would like tuition credits to be available to be applied to your camper’s store account, please email [email protected]

You can see what is offered in our camp store here.

Recommended amount for a 1 week session:
Basics (toothbrush, batteries, flashlight, chapstick, etc.): $20-$40.
Apparel (sweatshirts, t-shirts, pants, stuffed animals, etc.): $60-$100.

• Any amount remaining in the camp store is donated to the Mountain
Camp Scholarship Fund. This fund was established to send deserving
children to camp that could otherwise not afford to go. If you would
like your store money returned, please email [email protected].

We have a “no cell phones” policy at our camp. We believe camp is a great opportunity for children to be independent from their parents, in a safe and supportive environment, for a short period of time. Camp, for most kids, is the one time when they handle issues directly with their peers and counselors without relying on their parents. The boost of confidence the campers gain from these experiences is one of the most valuable things they will take away from their time at camp.

Communication with your child and knowing how your child is doing are both very important. We encourage you to write letters and send. emails to your child at camp (learn how below!) We will also encourage your camper to. write you letters while they are here. We agree to call you if your child is experiencing a problem at camp and you are welcome to call our camp office with any questions or concerns you have about your camper.

Thank you for your support in keeping Mountain Camp cell phone free.

While letters and encouraging words from home are vital to a camper’s experience, we have found that care packages can often be distracting and create feelings of comparison between campers. For these reasons, Mountain Camp will not allow care packages and encourage you to instead write letters to your camper. Care packages (which are considered anything that is a material good outside of a letter or photos) will be held in the office and returned at check-out. 

If you 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

Camp Stamps: One-Way Email Communications

Using your account, you are able to stay in touch with your camper(s) by sending one-way e-mails that we print and deliver on a daily basis. Every camp family has been credited with 5 emails per camper, per week that you may use to send while your camper is at Mountain Camp.

1. Simply visit our website and click on the ‘Login‘ button on the home page: www.mountaincamp.com
2. Type in your email address and your password and click log in.
3. Follow the ‘E-mail’ link at the top of the page to send an e-mail to your camper

Emails are printed at 11am every day and passed out to campers with the daily mail call after lunch. Please keep in mind that campers can respond via written letters mailed home and cannot respond via email. 

To make it easier for your camper to write back to you, please send along postcards and envelopes that are pre-addressed. We also provide postcard and letter writing materials to campers as needed at the office!

Pick-Up for All Sessions: Saturday . . . . . . 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Bus transportation will also be available for campers to the Bay Area. Please call the camp if you will not be on time, a late pick-up can be upsetting to your camper.

Lost and Found

Lost and found items will be stored for at least one session throughout the summer. Please check with the Camp Directors if you believe an item of yours was left behind at camp. We are unable to store lost and found items for a significant amount of time and we will donate any unclaimed items mid-way through the summer and at the end of the summer.

Cell Phones and Electronics Policy

Campers may not bring electronic devices to camp. We believe camp is a great opportunity for children to be independent of their parents, in a safe and supportive environment, for a short period of time.This includes Music Players (iPods, MP3s, etc.), Hand Held Games (DS, PSP, etc.), Cell Phones, Electronic Readers (Kindles, iPads, etc.), Laptops and Radios. As electronic devices have grown increasingly more complex (with features like video, internet access, etc.), we believe they disrupt the camp environment and have the potential to negatively impact the camper’s experience. Phones and electronic devices are also not permitted on the bus to or from camp. Cameras are allowed and we recommend a disposable camera

We do not allow pets, weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other banned substances at camp.