Questions?
We’ve got answers.
Answers to the questions we hear most about Summer Family Camp, Base Camp and Labor Day Weekend. Can’t find what you need? Email or call 510-336-2267, and we’ll get back to you within 3 to 5 business days.
A Week at Family Camp
Pick a day to see what a typical week of Family Camp looks like. There’s something for every member of your family!
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
This is just a sample schedule! Activity offerings change from week to week.
Activities for Everyone
- Tot Lot: time for our youngest campers, ages 2–5, to gather for special, age-appropriate activities.
- Arts & Crafts: get your hands dirty, learn a new skill, and create something beautiful.
- Archery: take a deep breath, aim, and send that arrow flying toward the target.
- Sports & Games: come together with new friends, develop teamwork, and play a game.
- Nature: learn about the natural surroundings with hands-on activities.
- Adult/Teen: activities designed for older campers, ages 13 and up.
Weekly Theme
On top of these activities, each week has its own theme with special activities. See the theme weeks.
Community Cocktail Party
Hosted twice each week by our Executive Director. Connect with the other adults at camp and enjoy some adult beverages and treats.
The Accommodations
We offer over 70 canvas tents and rustic cabins for overnight stays at camp, including four ADA accessible tents. Some tents and cabins have electricity, and you can choose a unit with or without electricity when you register.
Canvas Tents
- Equipped with 4 metal-frame cots, a small desk, a stool, and a wooden shelf
- Sleeps up to 5 campers if your family includes young children who can share a cot
- Four ADA accessible tents available
Rustic Cabins
- Equipped with 3 wooden-framed beds, a small desk, a stool, and a wooden shelf
- Sleeps up to 4 campers if your family includes young children who can share a bed
- Some cabins have electricity
During registration, you can request a specific tent or cabin and ask to be near other registered families.
Family Camp FAQ
Our programs
Our signature Family Camp is a fully immersive camping experience where we do all of the work. Adults don’t need to worry about keeping kids entertained or getting dinner on the table. Each week has a theme, plus all the traditional summer camp programming like archery, crafts and swimming. It’s ideal if you want an easy camping experience with lots to do, surrounded by a wonderful community.
Base Camp is a self-led adventure without the hassle of setting up a campsite, using questionable bathrooms, or cooking three meals a day out of your trunk. The only programming is lifeguarded time at the Swimming Hole each afternoon. Explore the Lost Sierra, relax on the Veranda with a book, and get to know fellow campers. It’s also a great option for family reunions and team retreats.
| Family Camp | Base Camp | |
|---|---|---|
| Tents & cabins included | ✔ | ✔ |
| Clean bathrooms & showers | ✔ | ✔ |
| 3 meals per day included | ✔ | ✔ |
| On-site camp health supervisor | ✔ | ✔ |
| Afternoon swimming hole with lifeguards | ✔ | ✔ |
| Book & game library | ✔ | ✔ |
| Camp Store (extra cost) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Inner tube rental (extra cost) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Morning, afternoon & evening activities | ✔ | ✘ |
| Tie-dye t-shirt (extra cost) | ✔ | ✘ |
| Weekly themes | ✔ | ✘ |
| Massage (extra cost) | ✔ | ✘ |
| Horseback rides (extra cost) | ✔ | ✘ |
| Camperships available | ✔ | ✘ |
| Minimum nights | 3 | 2 |
| Arrival day | Sunday or Wednesday | Any |
| Departure day | Wednesday or Saturday | Any |
| Discounts | Oakland Resident, Early Bird, New Camper | Oakland Resident |
Registration
Coordinate before registering so you sign up for the same or overlapping Sessions in the same Week. In the Household Information section of the form (Step 4) you can list the families you’d like to camp near. If there isn’t room for everyone in your preferred Week, our Registrar can help find other options.
Some Sessions fill quickly, so register as early as possible. If your preferred Session is full, join the Waitlist through our CampBrain registration portal. You can also register for an available session while waitlisting for your preferred one on the same form. When a spot opens we notify families in order, and you have two business days to accept. There are no administrative fees for moving weeks because a waitlist spot opened.
All minors must be accompanied by an adult. If a minor is attending with an adult who is not their parent or guardian, the parent or guardian must complete a waiver before the minor arrives.
Rates & fees
Your total depends on the length of the session and the number and ages of campers in your household. See Dates & Rates for current pricing, and the Family Camp vs. Base Camp table above for what’s included.
Required: Facilities Maintenance Surcharge of $12 per tent/cabin per night.
Optional: Electricity Surcharge of $12 per tent/cabin per night for a unit with electricity. Extra Tent/Cabin Surcharge ($100 for 3 nights, $200 for 6 nights) if you request more units than your party needs.
The Camp Store is open daily with ice cream, snacks, drinks, ice, OFRC apparel and camp necessities like sunscreen, toothpaste, water bottles and flashlights. A few activities cost extra: trail and pony rides, massages, inner tube rentals, and some specialty crafts like ceramics and basket weaving. You’ll set up a camp tab when you arrive, and you can set daily spend limits so kids can shop on their own.
Like many organizations, we’re facing rising labor, operating and material costs. The update lets us pay our team meaningful salaries, maintain our 100-year-old facility, and add new programs based on your feedback. Accessibility is our top priority, so we’ve kept increases as small as possible and expanded the Campership Program so rate increases don’t keep any Oaklanders from camp. Early Bird, New Camper, Oakland resident and referral discounts also lower the cost.
Yes, thanks to generous donors. The Campership (camp scholarship) application is part of the registration process, and we hope to award as many as possible. Contact our Registrar with any questions. Camperships are currently for Oakland residents only and can’t be combined with promotions other than the Oakland resident discount.
If your family has never attended Family Camp or Camp It Up! at OFRC, you get 10% off your first Family Camp registration. Select the New Camper session option when you register. This discount isn’t available for Base Camp.
Arrival & departure
Check-in is 2:00 to 5:00 pm on your arrival day. First-time campers should be at the welcome and safety orientation at dinner.
- Family Camp Session A (6 nights): Sunday to Saturday
- Session B (3 nights): Sunday to Wednesday
- Session C (3 nights): Wednesday to Saturday
- Base Camp: arrive on the first day of your registration, depart on the last
- Labor Day Weekend: Friday to Monday
On departure day, please be moved out of your accommodations by 10:00 am.
Family Camp only offers 3-night and 6-night sessions, and fees aren’t pro-rated. For 4 or 5 nights, register for a 6-night session; for 2 nights, register for a 3-night session. Base Camp has a 2-night minimum and you can stay up to 11 nights.
Everyone in your party should arrive on the day your stay begins so you get session-specific information. There are no prorated rates for arriving late or leaving early.
Families enrolling for two consecutive weeks of Family Camp need to vacate camp between sessions on Saturday night.
Accommodations & facilities
Our cozy, rustic platform tents and cabins are a staple of OFRC. Because of fire marshal requirements, cabins have 3 twin beds and tents have 4 cots. Cabins fit up to 4 campers and tents up to 5 if young children can share a bed or cot. When registering you can choose a unit with or without electricity, request a specific tent or cabin, and ask to be near other families.
List your request in the Household Information section of the registration form (Step 4), such as a unit near a bathroom or near a specific family. We’ll do our best, but requested units may not be available. Assignments are first-come, first-served by registration time, with priority for 6-night families, and are completed on a rolling basis. We’ll notify you once your housing is assigned.
Absolutely. Units start as a blank canvas with beds, a small desk, a stool and a shelf. Bring string lights, rugs, tapestries, camp chairs, hammocks or favorite stuffed animals. Please don’t bring large appliances, electric heaters, portable air conditioners, cook stoves, mini fridges or anything else with significant power use.
There’s an Extra Tent/Cabin Surcharge ($100 for 3 nights, $200 for 6 nights) if you request more units than your party needs. Children under 13 must stay in a tent or cabin with an adult.
Yes! We offer an all-gender, all-family restroom and an all-gender shower off the Chow Palace.
Dogs are welcome during Labor Day Weekend Camp! Pet dogs are also welcome during Memorial Day Work Weekend. Dogs must be registered and approved in advance and must follow OFRC’s Animal Policies.
During summer Family Camp weeks, only service animals are allowed unless OFRC gives written permission. Questions? Contact or 510-336-2267.
Camp sits at the bottom of a small canyon, so most carriers don’t work on most of the property. We’ll show you where the signal is best, and a short walk or drive up the entrance road gets full bars. Camp internet only supports business operations, so there’s no camper wifi. Quincy has several places with wifi if you need it. Enjoy being disconnected!
See our suggested packing list, and contact the office if you have questions.
Accessibility (ADA)
OFRC is a 100-year-old property with the following ADA accommodations to support our community.
Moderate ADA Canvas Tents/Cabins
Examples:
- 1–4 inch step into the cabin or tent
- Ramped (hard-packed ground between the road and the ramp)
ADA Canvas Tents
Includes:
- Cement floors that line up evenly with the paved road
- Electricity available upon request
ADA Restrooms and Showers
- Located in the Chow Palace (about 100 feet from the ADA tents to the restroom)
Bathhouses
- Two of the three public bathhouses have 1–4 inch step-ups (after hard-packed ground) and standard-size toilet stalls
- All major areas in camp are connected by paved roads or sidewalks
- At our waterfront, Access Trax mats help you get through the sandiest parts of the trail to our beach
- The trails to the sports field/archery and the waterfront are hard-packed ground
- There is ramp access to the dining hall and the bathrooms within the building
- There is ramp access to our camp office, First Aid Station and arts and crafts deck
Yes! Service animals are welcome with advance notice. Our Animal Policies explain what qualifies as a service animal and the expectations for the behavior of the animal and the handler.
- Staff are trained in First Aid and CPR
- Our on-site Camp Health Supervisor is a Registered Nurse
- The closest hospital is Plumas District Hospital, about a 15-minute drive from OFRC
Low-Sensory Accommodations
- Campers are welcome to take their meal trays away from the main dining patio if a quieter dining experience is preferred
- There are a variety of spaces where campers can seek quiet and calm, including their tent or cabin, Adirondack chairs around camp, and other quiet spots throughout the site
Flexible Activities Schedule
- Campers design their own daily schedule and can choose from a variety of activities throughout the day
- All are welcome to enjoy camp, or rest and relax, in the way that is right for them
Programming
Theme Weeks are a big part of OFRC’s culture and history. Each theme week includes related activities, and most sessions welcome Guest Artists and Guest Educators who share their talents. Every activity is optional. Some campers spend most of their time in an Adirondack chair with a good book!
Our Book & Game Library, plus foosball, ping pong, giant checkers, yoga mats and foam rollers, bag toss, volleyball, badminton, horseshoes, shuffleboard and a playground with slides and swings.
The Evening Activity is usually the last staff-led event of the day, though guest artists and educators sometimes host later activities. A staff member is always on the Veranda or Dining Patio to help and check games in and out. Many campers spend the rest of the night playing games, doing puzzles and enjoying a starlit Sierra night.
This session centers queer-led families and families with LGBTQIA+ children, held in partnership with Camp It Up! It includes special adult programming along with all the traditional camp activities. Families who don’t identify as queer-led or don’t have LGBTQIA+ children are encouraged to join other sessions.
Base Camp includes three meals a day from the Chow Palace, the swimming hole and the Camp Store, but no organized activities led by staff. Play games, hang out on the Veranda and explore local trails on your own.
It’s our last hurrah of the summer. There’s usually no theme, but it mirrors a typical 3-night Family Camp session, complete with the famous Feather River BBQ. See the Labor Day Weekend Camp page for a sample schedule.
Food & meals
Our menu changes weekly. Cereal, simple sandwich fixings and fruit are available all day. Coffee is served until early afternoon, and water, lemonade, iced tea and hot tea are available from sunup until late evening.
Yes, for gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegetarian and vegan diets, as long as you note them in the Medical Form section of registration (Step 4). We can sometimes accommodate other diets too, so please share details. There’s also a separate mini-kitchen with a fridge, sink, stovetop, toaster oven and microwave, open 24/7, if someone in your family needs to prepare their own food. If needs change before camp, contact or 510-336-2267.
Health & safety
No. If anyone in your party feels unwell before camp, please use your best judgement to help limit the spread of illness.
Many staff are First Aid/CPR certified, and the centrally located First Aid Station has office hours throughout the day. Families handle their own general medical needs, but at least one staff member with advanced medical training (nurse, EMT, or Wilderness First Aid/Responder) is always on site and on call. The nearest hospital, Plumas District Hospital, is a 15-minute drive.
Payments, refunds & credits
A 25% deposit is due at registration. Balances for summer Family Camp are due in mid-May, and balances for Base Camp and Labor Day Weekend are due in late July. Exact due dates are listed in your registration confirmation. If you register after the due date, payment in full is required. Your card on file is charged automatically on the due date. Checks payable to Camps in Common can be mailed to Camps in Common, PO Box 3229, Quincy, CA 95971. Payments postmarked after the due date incur a $25 late fee. If paying on time is a problem, contact the office about a payment plan.