Camp Unalayee Association

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Camp Unalayee is an empowering, supportive, challenging, life-changing/enriching experience for everyone involved. And you leave with friends for life. I highly recommend this camp over any other! A place where you can truly be yourself and have the support and encouragement to face life’s challenges as well as the inspiration to do better. And it is located in an amazing wilderness area, that feeds your soul. This camp is a gem!!

As a camper I loved beading and making silk-screen prints for t-shirts, but it was the backpacking that really made the biggest impact on my life. It showed me in a real and tangible way how strong and capable I could be, and I carried that with me away from camp. I was a counselor, then a volunteer when my work schedule became more demanding, and now serve on the board of directors. I still come up to Camp U to volunteer on work projects when I can, it is a gorgeous and special place.

Camp Unalayee is a life changing experience. Such a wonderful place for kids to experience the beautiful wilderness of Northern California with all its ecological diversity. Camp is a wonderful social space as well, encouraging lifelong friendships. And they are generous to low SES campers and their families as well. (Full disclosure: camper for 4 years, staff for 11!)

In the late 1970's, I was a backcountry ranger in what was to become the Trinity Alps Wilderness of northern California. I would spend five days a week on the trail, I would run into groups of campers and counselors from a nearby camp -- Camp Unalayee, wilderness summer camp run by the Camp Unalayee Association. One of my key duties was to provide information to groups on what was then called "low impact camping" and wilderness ethics. The groups from Camp Unalayee were always exemplary in their behavior. They would always leave a wilderness campsite cleaner than when they arrived. Above and beyond that, Camp Unalayee brought young people from a wide range of ethnic and economic backgrounds into the wilderness, which then and now can be a transformative experience. They called the camp a "Place of Friends." I believe Camp Unalayee is vitally important in today's world. Many years later, like 38, I joined the Board of Directors of the Camp Unalayee Association. It is today, a very well run and stable non-profit organization.

My son went for a journey into the mountains and learned how to make a fire, how to navigate, how to be alone and at peace in nature. Camp Unalayee helped him grow into a kind, gentle and capable person.

Our son loved his experience at Camp Unalayee. It introduced him to backpacking and was his first sleep away experience. He was beaming when we picked him up and definitely wants to return next year - and sign up for more hiking time next year. I particularly liked that they organize the camp such that the kids are building skills to become more independent (cooking their own meals).

A life changing summercamp. I'm from The Netherlands, and I spend 3 summers at Unalayee. As a counelor in 1990, went back the next year, and a few years ago with mine daughter of 11 years old. And now she's in love on Unalayee too!!

Camp Unalayee has changed my life for the better in more ways than one. The outdoor experience that camp offers is unparalleled and the relationships that are created last a lifetime. I have met kids from all walks of life, an experience few are lucky enough to have.

Going to Camp Unalayee is something my daughter talks about and looks forward to ALL year. I highly recommend Unalayee to anyone with kids. It’s a very special place.

Not only have I been able to experience the beauty of the Trinity Alps Wilderness and develope talents needed to backpack over the past 8 summers, but I’ve also made long term friends with very diverse backgrounds—people who I never would have met if I hadn’t gone to Camp Unalayee, where we bonded through sharing the same highs and lows while backpacking in the wilderness.

Camp Unalayee taught me skills I’ll use the rest of my life, and gave me friends I’ll never forget. It’s one of the most valuable organizations i have ever had the privilege to be a part of and I support it wholeheartedly

I cannot say enough about Unalayee. Certainly it has had a massive impact on my child’s life and has allowed her to grow succeed and be at peace with herself. But also Unalayee has exposed her to the larger world of kids and families who are different than hers. Here is truly an organization that walks its talk. Unalayee has a mission to support include and bring the beauty power and grace of the wilderness to everyone and in everything they do they work towards that mission. We are glad they are a part of our family.

My son doesn’t always get to participate in everything that his friends do, because we have limited resources and are a single parent family. Thanks to this camp, he is able to take these amazing adventures with a group of friends that he has grown up with. It is something he will never forget and will help shape who he becomes. Thank you!

I sent both of my kids to this camp, and they both had wonderful experiences. Since then I've attended several family days camps myself with friends, and have gotten another generation of kids turned on by the camp. It's an amazing environment, creative, loving, community building. It transforms kids into their best selves in the wild and beautiful and challenging camp experience.

Camp Unalayee is a life-changing place. Where children learn to be more communal, self-reliant and connect with nature in a way that is a rare this day and age. They also gain self respect through overcoming challenges. The staff is uniquely dedicated and caring. Doing their best to ensure that children have a special time.

I went to camp there 3 years in a row as a kid! I’m not studying Environmental Science in college and hike as often as I can! Thanks:)

Changed my life and worldview, and now changing my daughter’s!

When our son was 13, he decided he wanted to go to a sleep-away-from-home camp. We looked into several and decided that Camp Unalayee would be a good place. I called the camp office and got several references. I called one of the numbers and the following conversation ensued. "Hi, is this xxx?" 'No, I am sorry you have the wrong number." "Oh, please excuse me, I apologize for disturbing you" (I am ready to hang up phone.) Woman on the other end says "Why are you calling me? I feel like I really should be talking to you." I say, "Nothing, never mind, I am sorry to bother you." She is very insistent, "Please, why are you calling." I say, "Well, I got your number for a camp reference.". She says, "Oh. Unalayee. I should have known." Conversation about camp follows, the essence of which is "Camp Unalayee made my kids the people they are today." Fast forward several years. Our son, who is now 27? I would say with confidence-- "Camp Unalayee made him the person he is today." And we are proud of that person. Thank you Unalayee. And the mysterious reference from years ago.

I am a Happy Camper mother. My son attended Camp Unalayee some 30 years ago and nearly every following Summer since that first adventure. As he grew older, he became a counselor in training, then a counselor, later he helped manage program, and after training as a paramedic and finally a fireman, he acts as a medic backup. His wife and daughters attend family camp each year and his oldest, now 12, dreams of becoming a counselor.
What more can I say, Camp Unalayee is our family. Thank you "Place of Friends".

My boy Rio loves camp Unalayee like a home away from home. He would stay all summer if he could! He talks about it all year long and plans to become a CIT and then a counselor when he's old enough. He has gone for three summers straight since he turned 10, and each time he returns from camp, he seems different.....more grounded, mature and centered. We feel so blessed to have Camp Unalayee to help us raise a compassionate and generous-hearted boy!

Both my daughter and son have attended Unalayee and loved it. It's an inclusive, creative, calming atmosphere and the staff and campers let each kid be themselves. Art and the outdoors are celebrated. Highly recommend!

Camp unalayee has been a highlight for our teenage son the last 2 summers. The first summer as a 12yo he participated as a camper as basecamp. He came home with tremendous stories about great activities, fun cooperative games, and amazing backpacking trips. Last year, as a 13 yo, he did a 12 day backpacking trip through the Trinity Alps. His wonderful stories of wilderness, camaraderie, and working together to get his 'tribe' through the trip made me feel like he got a lot more out of camp than just fun. Cam Unalayee has given our child a unique experience outside of what the other 340 days a year are like for him and helped him become more independent, able to work together wirh others better, and love the outdoor.

My son who is now a senior in high school has attended Camp Unalayee ever summer from the time he was 12. It has become his special place to go every summer and he looks forward to it for months. Over the years my son has grown from a very timid shy kid to a very confident and driven young man. I credit a lot of that confidence to the time he spent at Camp. Time where he can hang out in the wilderness, with his people, and not worry about the stresses of everyday life. I can't say enough good things about this program.

Camp Unalayee changed my life. A city kid all my life, this camp brought me lifelong friends and wonderful experiences. Honored to be part of the family at this magical place.

There is no place my kids would rather be! the counselors! the food!! the hikes! the camaraderie! the location! the lakes! the education! the animals! the bus ride! TOTAL kids package!

This is the place of dreams. Once you go it's always on your mind I can't wait for next year when this year just ended, great kids and family camp, would highly recommend

Camp Unalayee gave my daughter the time and space to challenge herself and free herself. Her experience was beyond beautiful and energizing. She has muscles inside and out upon her return. She sled down a snowy mountain in July and had counselors who nurtured her freedom and skills. What a wonderful camp. So very grateful. A must do !

My child had SO much fun! She learned a lot about herself and the way she interacts with others. I felt that she grew much more here than in any other place.

Unalayee has been an amazing experience for my daughter. She has gained a confidence not only about hiking and camping but about her place in the world. She has made great friends and talks about camp year round!

Camp Unilayee was an awesome experience for my shy reserved girl. She blossomed in good company and was positively radiant upon her return from camp. A real game changer for her self esteem! Thank you Camp Unalayee!!

Camp Unalayee is an incredible community and environment that provides campers and staff the opprotunity for immense positive growth physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. I've witnessed so many campers bloom into self-confident, capable, caring, team-players with a newfound reverence for nature and the medicine it provides. The staff are experienced, highly skilled, aware, well-trained, incredibly enthusiastic and awesome role models for the campers. This camp fosters the expression of each unique person in a caring accepting community. Truly a place of friends that enriches the lives of all who experience it!!

A great way to nurture community! My daughter went to Unalayee and loved it! She will never forget carrying the shovel on the trail! I will never foget how thrilled she was to explore the wilderness among friends, the wide open sky, forever in her heart.

Camp Unalayee stands alone as one of the greastest opportunities to change a child's life for the better. What Yellowstone or Yosemite is to National Parks, Unalayee is to summer camps. A session spent in the breathtaking high country of the Trinity Alps Wilderness setting that is Camp Unalayee is an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. It is a revelation and a gift, and has been making people better for over 50 years. God bless Camp Unalayee.

This camp helped raise me and shape who i am today. Stong, committed, and willing to try new and difficult things. This is such a valuable place for kids to experience.

My camping experience at Camp Unalayee was one of the formative experiences of my teen years. A life-changing, wonderful experience! Highly recommended!

Operation Yelliw Ribbon of South Jersey sends care packages to our men and women deployed, we shipped 40,000 pounds this 2014. We give returning Hero's rockstar welcome homes to thank them and their family for the service and sacrifice.

Best thing we've ever done for our kids. Our two boys have spent 2-6 weeks at Camp U each summer for the last 7 years. Unalayee is a welcoming, adventurous, creative community that is both peaceful and energetic. My kids have learned to appreciate nature, physical challenge, deep friendship and much more. The staff have high expectations for both learning responsibility and having fun. The location in the Trinity Alps is magnificent and offers a huge range of backpacking terrain.

My son attended Camp U two years in a row. The worst thing about sending him there is that no other experiences have ever met the interest and fun factor of the camp. He LOVED IT! He was given responsibilities for helping with the cooking and the clean up. He helped other campers set up their camp sites. The counselors treated my 14 year old with great respect and positive regard . My child learned that he is a competent person and camper. He also learned that he has a very valuable skill--telling captivating stories around a campfire. The other campers were friendly, accepting and kind. Camp U should be given all the credit for building a positive community where all the campers are valued contibutors to the camp experience. I can't say enough nice things about this camp. It really did change my child's life.

Five years ago one of my children's best friends convinced my 3 boys to go to Camp U. Their lives have been forever changed and a summer has not gone by without them attending. They have enjoyed a combination of base camp and trail tribe. For them, the surrounding mountains are their most beloved landscape. As teenagers they describe that there is no other time in the year that they feel so at home with who they are and what is important in life. Strong friendships and beautiful views are the backdrop for them to discover who they are and how they relate to the world. Could there be a better gift we could give our kids? With three sons, Camp U is a financial burden for my family but their generous scholarship fund has helped us to make it happen every year. My family will forever be grateful for everything that Camp U does for our kids and all the children who have the chance to feel the magic of the basin. We are committed to contributing to Camp U long after our kids have grown.

My daughter has this to say about Camp Unalayee, "The camp counselors were really kind and humorous, the adventures were nature-filled and challenging, the arts and crafts were creative and fun. My favorite part was living with nature for two weeks. I sure hope my parents will let me return to Camp Unalayee!"

What an amazing camp! My kids all went there and grew so much, both in self confidence and socially. They learned to love the wilderness, and they learned how to backpack and they were away from screens for two weeks at a time, which is really important. The camp is well run and the counselors are very well trained so that kids both have a good time and learn how to work collaboratively. I have nothing but good things to say about Camp Unalayee!

I've been a part of Camp Unalayee most of my life. First as a camper, then as staff as a young adult and then back again in middle age when my own kids were camper age, and now into my senior years. It changed my life, formed it really. It is truly The Place of Friends. Everyone in my family loves camp and it will always be the place we can come home to.

My ten year old daughter enjoyed 15 days at Camp Unalayee last summer - what a terrific experience! She did not go with a friend, but was welcomed by a warm group of kids and counselors. It was her first backpacking experience and despite some difficult hikes, she came home feeling strong and empowered. The experience has stayed with her and she often refers to the summer, continuing to reflect and revisit the camp weeks. I would recommend this to any parent of an adventurous kid!

The most thoughtful and considerate group of people you and your child will ever meet. As a single mother of a son, I couldn't be more pleased with Camp Unalayee. Imagine a child spending summers in the natural world- priceless!

Our boys began attending Unalayee over 10 years ago. Our daughter just finished her third year in the basin. I can't begin to tell you all what this camp environment does for young people. For over 10 years I have dropped my kids off at Scott Summit, truly amazing kids. However the transformation that takes place in those 14 days, is truly breathtaking. Our conversations during the four hour car ride home, are some of the best times I've had with my kids. Please continue to do what you do. Because The self-esteem, self awareness, and a general sense of gratitude are all great qualities that you seamlessly insert into these campers. And on top of all that, you make it seem effortless and have endless fun while you're doing it.

All I have to say is : Search YouTube Thomas Svensson Camp Unalayee !!! Theres TONS of PROOF of a R E A L CAMP !!!

A group of families from our Navigators USA chapter attended a family camp at Camp Unalayee this summer. The wilderness setting is magnificent as are the camp's facilities and activities such as archery, boating, fishing, hiking, crafting and more. However what really made it an unforgettable experience for our group was the warmth and camaraderie of the counselors and staff, and the connection they made with our group. At the end of our visit, the kids were asking how soon we can come back!

I was a camper at Camp Unalayee, for 8 years. To say going to camp made for the best summers of my life would be an understatement, going to camp honestly changed my life. I am 24 years old now, and am still friends with people that I met my first year at camp when I was 11. I have found shelter with camp people all over the country, all of whom share my complete passion and love for Camp Unalayee. Camp Unalayee not only helped me appreciate a life outside of the internet and cell phones, but helped me grow more confident in my abilities to over come challenges, and really work and live as a community. I can't say enough about how much Camp Unalayee means to me.

Camp Unalayee is, perhaps, the world's last rural outdoor camp. It provides an amazing, mulit-cultural, mixed socio-economic environmental experience for kids. It's a true, grass-roots organization, and runs entirely on volunteers and lightly paid staff. It's been around for 50+ years. It's hidden away in the Trinity Alps. It's a very special place - everyone should send their kids there.

This place has changed my life for the better. Being exposed to so many foreign things has been a truly valuable life learning experience. All the kind and nurturing support that I received from the friendly staff was amazing. I have been a camper since I was ten years old, I am now fourteen and plan on continuing my pursuit of broad education in this incredibly place. the wilderness has always spoken to me and being submerged in it is obviously the best way to experience and appreciate it. I love camp Unalayee!

I am a parent who sent her kids to Camp Unalayee. My son then sent his kids. It is a wonderful camp and wilderness experience. I was lucky enough to be able to camp nearby when my kids were there, so I walked into camp to see them. They had the best time. All the counselors were excellent, professional, and extremely caring. The kids come home dirty, and very very happy. I am now a donor every year because this is such an important experience for all our city kids, particularly the disadvantaged ones.

I went to Camp Unalayee as a camper several years in a row, a few years back. I still remember all of the memories I made there with great fondness. Unalayee helped me not only explore myself but also discover a deep passion of mine that burns within me to this day. I love the wilderness and the wild life, and at Unalayee everyone is allowed to experience that in their own way. It's absolutely beautiful.

Our 11 year old daughter was awarded a campership to attend Camp Unalayee for the first time this year. The organization was amazingly easy and pleasant to work with. This was a such a gift to our daughter because without the gracious campership we would never have been able to send her to a camp as amazing as this one is. Our daughters favorite activity is hiking and the only "sport" she wants to do. She now has dreams of attending Camp Unalayee every year for all sessions then become a counselor when she is old enough. This is how much she liked it. When I asked her which part she liked most, all she would say was "everything." This is a perfect camp for our independent little hiker and defender of the wilderness. The organization made us both feel safe and well taken care of.

Camp Unalayee was a place where I was allowed, as a camper, to be whoever I chose to be. As a teenager, that was a truly important thing. When I came back to camp as a counselor, it gave me a profound experience that shapes my work as a major gift fundraising. Camp Unalayee taught me that you can't keep a great experience to yourself. It is the reason that I crafted a course to help others raise money for charitable ideas they think are worth their time. Occasionally, even in Europe, I have worn my Unalayee shirt out and had the surprise of meeting fellow alumni with the most wonderful stories that often leave me wishing I were back at Mosquito Lake. The most important thing a charity can do is inspire loyalty and Unalayee does it better than almost every organisation I have consulted or worked for.

It was a wonderful and memorable experience to be one of the international counselor at Camp Unalayee in 1992. At then in 1992, It was my 1st time visiting USA, my 1st trip leaving Singapore all by myself, 1st long haul flight journey from Singapore to US, 1st time taking an aircraft, 1st time attending the summer camp, this was an awesome and exciting journey for me.
The camp has fantastic orientation program for all counselor before the summer camp season starts. Not forgetting the caring and fatherly camp director - Lowell Fitch who has followed through with me to ensure that I could adapt to the complete wilderness at Camp Unalayee which I have no experience at all while I was staying in a big city in Singapore. My sincere heartfelt appreciation to Lowell Fitch and his mother, this experience has significant impact in my personal development and my great interests towards wilderness.
In addition, I were privileged to have a few great mentor/buddy who have guided me - Craig , Bob , Katherine , Rueben. All these names were deeply imprinted in my mind despite it has been more than 21 years ago.
It was an enjoyable time spending three sessions with kids coming from different background and upbringing. There were so much fun in participating and organizing tie dye workshop at craft shack, teaching the kids to speak Mandarin, cooking over the fire using pint cone as a fire starter, leading the kids for hiking trip, baking delicious cake in the kitchen, experiencing solo nights during the hiking trip, sleeping in the tent with deer roaming around me, kayaking in the freezing lake water, camp fire on special day and so many more . These experiences were 21 years ago yet every details of the experience were still so cleared.

For the second year in a row my two grandsons enjoyed a two-week Camp Unalayee adventure! Upon returning home, each said, "Oh, I can't wait to go NEXT year...AND I can't wait 'til I can become a junior counselor!". Both my son and daughter in law continue active participation in the camp.

Camp Unalayee is the finest wilderness backpacking summer camp in the country. Sounds too strong. No it is not. What other summer camp is inside a USFS wilderness area, is located on a spring fed Alpine lake, has the PCT pass though its property, has a dozen or more Alpine lakes within a days hike distance and requires all its campers to don a backpack and hike over the ridge for 2 and 3 nite overnights.

If you want your child to learn to go into the mountains and the woods safely and confidently send them to Camp Unalayee. Your child will not be left inside.

I was a camper at Camp Unalayee about 23 years ago, when I was 14 years old. I only went to Camp U once, but the wonderful memories from my wilderness experience with them come back to me often.

What comes back to me most persistently is the kinship I felt with nature beauty of the wilderness, which kindled a life-long awareness of my interdependence with the more-than-human world. The trails of the trinity-alps, the views of Mt. Shasta, the cool and sweet waters of the mountain streams...these were some amazing days immersed in a rugged and incredible landscape. Simultaneously the staff helped to kindle friendships that were emotionally strong and compassionate. We were expected to encourage and support each other, and I remember the kindness of the campers who were with, although I had never met them before.

I would recommend Camp Unalayee to young people who are interested in the out-of-doors and backpacking, and to parents who are interested in having their children develop a loving relationship with the more-than-human world. This is an excellent program.

-Michael Caulkins, BA, MSc, PhD

THe knowledge and confidence I gained as a camper at Camp Unalayee was unique and something I couldn't get anywhere else. It really harnesses the power of the wilderness and communities to build you up.

The first time I came to camp was after finishing 8th grade. I live in Israel and came to camp as a means to improve my English. As it turned out, this experience had pretty much changed my life. When I was there I felt at home. In the end of this session and before even talking to my parents i said to people: "see you next summer" because not coming back didn't seem possible. I did come back last year for to sessions and in one of them I participated the CIT training which was amazing. I will be back this summer as well for another two sessions.
The Unalayee community is unique and amazing. Everybody feel at home there, even people from the other side of the globe. It's a great fun spending the summer in such a loving and caring community. i felt stronger when i left Unalayee, it helped also a lot after leaving, back in Israel. After spending there only two summers i can already refer to it as a second home of mine.

This is such an amazing community! Last summer I participated in the CIT program, and I loved it so much I decided to come back as a counselor this year. When I first got to camp, it was apparent that most of the campers had been coming for many years, this being my first year, I had no clue what to expect. By the end of the first week I didn't feel out of place at all, and I had such a great time I ended coming back for the next session! Such a strong community of unique and creative people (the campers and counselors)

Camp Unalayee is a wonderful camp that introduces kids to the Wilderness. They bring kids to the mountains who have never walked anywhere there was not a sidewalk before. The provide generous financial assistance, so any child that wants to go can.

Going to Camp Unalayee was one of the best choices i've ever made. In the relatively little time i've spent there, i have felt it's impact on me and have witnessed the wonderful impact it has on it's regular attending members. Through the camps staff and it's participants, a truly unique experience is created where social boundaries are broken and lifetime friendships are formed.

You don't just go to camp you join a family. I went to camp, 8 years, my kids go to camp, my wife wishes she was a camper. Some of their counselors are children of my counselors and fellow campers are children of my fellow campers. I can't think of a better or more beautiful place for them to go and learn about and to believe in themselves. There are few places that children can go today that can have so profound and positive impact on their lives. I am and know my kids will be better for having gone to Unalayee.

I have volunteered at Camp Unalayee for 18 years, and have watched the camp experience change the lives of the kids that attend, as well as the volunteers. I plan to be there every summer, as long as I am we'll enough to totter up the hill.

This summer was my 20th year at Camp Unalayee. I met all of my best lifelong friends and mentors there. I have enjoyed amazing wilderness adventures with amazing and wonderful people from all over the world there. I cannot say enough about how great Camp Unalayee is and how important it has been in shaping me into the strong independent wilderness woman that I am today. I carry with me always the most important rule of camp, respect. Respect myself, others and the world around me. Thank you Camp Unalayee! I look forward to spending my next 20 summers in the Trinity Alps Wilderness with all of my friends new and old.

Camp Unalayee is the place our daughter found her soul. Like many campers before her, she found herself by spending time in the wilderness with a special group of friends. The unconditional acceptance and love given by the counselors year after year to hundreds of children and teens is what makes this worthy nonprofit a truly great nonprofit. At camp, our daughter learned to trust in herself and her abilities. Cooking over an open fire, backpacking to beautiful peaks in the Trinity Alps, and jumping in refreshing mountain lakes--these are what makes memories at Camp Unalayee. Through their campership program, they offer these amazing experiences to children from families from all income levels from city kids from San Francisco to poor rural kids.

I went to Camp Unalayee as a kid and had so much fun and learned so much from the great counselors and staff. I became a staff member to help pass on and continue the wonderful experiences that I had. I have since been back with my family as a client for the Family Days program and again we felt very welcome and supported by the staff and the fun and learning continues!!!

Camp Unalayee is a multi generation family tradition in our household. It was one of the most positive formative experiences for my son, my husband, my nephews, my brother in law, and hopefully in the near future.... our grandson. I have only positive things to say.

I went to Camp Unalayee as a boy. My brother, two nephews, and my son went to camp there, between them and me for 25 summers cumulatively. I have also been a donor and for several years I was a member of the Board, 2 years of which I was proud to serve as president of the Board. My father served as treasurer many years ago. I guess it should be apparent by now that I have nothing good things to say about Camp Unalayee. Camp provides a tremendous experience for children and can provide a life changing experience, as it did for me. Never hesitate to get involved, make donations, send your children there and attend yourself during family days.

I went to Unalayee for 4 years and can't imagine my life without it. Ten years later, across the country, the people I met there and the things I learned are still some of the most important in my life. Every year I promise myself that next time I'll go back and volunteer. It is one of the most unique and amazing organizations - and places - I've ever encountered.

My daughter has been attending Camp Unalayee for a couple of years now, and it has been wonderful. She and all of her friends that go talk about returning the following year when they are being picked up from the bus at the end of camp. It's a great place.

Being a counselor at Camp Unalayee was my first job when I moved to northern California. A fellow graduate student at the University of Michigan had referred me to the director, and I was hooked. I was lucky enough to work there for a summer, which led to other environmental education jobs and teaching experiences. Since then, I have recommended Camp to several students over the years, and each has been positively influenced in some way. My son has gone to Family Days since he was one; this will be his 11th year. It is a truly special place for the whole family. I find such a place even more important, now that electronic screens are so ubiquitous: at Camp Unalayee, kids are unplugged, and they love it!

I have known this camp since 1970. It truly focuses on helping young people see that they can extend themselves beyond their perceived limitations. Whether it is physical, emotional, interpersonal, or spiritual Unalayee challenges youth and staff to go one step beyond. Started as an interracial project by the Quakers they have used the wilderness experience as a vehicle to build strong individuals who can contribute toward a balanced society. Bob Strickler, LCSW and former director.

Camp Unalayee was one of the great experiences of my childhood, teens and adulthood. The impact it had on my life and the foundation it provided is profound and hard to put into words.

Plus it was a lot of fun. I went the first time when I was 10 and cried for a week - tried to go home. After that I didn't want to leave and went back every summer for 10 years for all 3 sessions, became a CIT at 17 and a counselor at 18. I went back last summer after 30 years of being away, and in a virtual world of texting and computer relationships realized these kinds of wilderness experiences are more important than ever.

Our youth is so far removed from the "real" world with their iPhones and IMing and instantaneous virtual/visual stimulation and computer graphics that to travel to the Trinity Alps is truly like a journey into another era.

And from what I saw last summer, it is having the same positive impact on teens in the 21st century as it did on us oldsters from the 1970s - it opens your eyes to a world that is fast disappearing, and the skills it gives you translate into everyday life, giving new confidence, awareness, appreciation and compassion.

The wilderness experience forces kids to draw on reserves of strength they never realized they possessed - which will carry on into other areas of life when faced with situations that call for that same strength. Except after Camp they will know that strength is there, and bring it forth.

I cannot emphasize enough my deep appreciation for Camp Unalayee and how it has helped me through life to this day.

For anyone who has ever spent time at Camp Unalayee, memories represent their personal happy place that they send their mind to in stressful times. Children are actually taught to value others, respect the natural world, and to generally be flat-out awesome people. They do not preach morals or ethical values beyond common sense coexistence and conservation. They take children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, throw them out into the wilderness for 2 weeks and return them as caring, self-aware, self-assured individuals (albeit slightly dirty from all the hiking) that begin eyeballing their calendars in anticipation of their earliest opportunity to go back. With a program that includes backpacking in pristine wilderness, rock climbing, swimming, canoeing, fishing, cooking, a plethora of arts and craft activities, and an impressive counselor-in-training program; Camp Unalayee represents a comprehensive outdoor summer camp experience. As a camper, counselor, and now-volunteer I have been able to watch this organization empower children to be the kind-hearted, introspective, outgoing, leaders of tomorrow that we all can attest we as a people need.

What a fabulous place! We've attended family camp for the past two years, and our eight-year-old son can't wait to go on his first solo session in a couple of years. The staff is top notch, and the camp itself is in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I can't recommend it highly enough--for both kids and their families.

Send your kids there this summer! It will change their lives forever (for the better, of course!). I have been going there since I was two and I recommend it for everyone. The beautiful wilderness, the amazing people and friendships made. It is the most unique place in the world!

I attended Camp Unalayee for 8 summers as a camper and it changed my life. The caring and qualified counselors provided a safe and nurturing environment so that we could explore and enjoy the wilderness. I gained self confidence, grew physically strong and developed life long friendships. Camp Unalayee has a mission to leave "no child indoors". Unalayee is a lot more than a summer camp. It is a true community based in one of the most beautiful mountain valleys you can imagine.

I brought my daughter to the Family Camp when she was five. Now she's 12 and goes back as a camper. She LOVES Unalayee. She loves the backpacking, the people, and being outside 24/7. I volunteer at camp and cannot say enough about the great staff and program. Really a terrific place.

I am a past camper, staff member, volunteer, board member and now the mother of a camper! It's where my environmental ethic was formed. There is no better place to send your kids--they get nature, self-confidence, new skills, new friends, new muscles and an appreciation of life away from screens! The staff is uniformly committed and caring; the location stunning, the transformations awesome. I can't recommend it more highly. If we want to keep wilderness as part of our heritage, we need to have kids value it, and Camp Unalayee does the best job of instilling love of wilderness I have ever seen.

I started my relationship with Unalayee as a troubled teen. Unalayee helped me to gain the tools and perspective I needed to treat myself and others with self-respect and kindness. Since then I have worked and volunteered there for many summers.

I have seen Camp transform children from all walks of life. Their program is unique, rigorous and loving. It's an experience no child should be without.