Sleepaway camp and fire season
We’ve been thinking about finding a sleepaway camp for some period of July or August for our camp-curious nine-year-old. The regrettable New Normal of California “Fire Season” had totally skipped my consciousness until I came upon one camp website that addressed their management of weeks and weeks of smoke in a recent camp season. Now I’m questioning if even thinking about a west-coast sleepaway summer camp is sensible. Posting to find out what other parents are thinking, and doing, about this—? Thanks in advance for any reflections.
Feb 23, 2022
Parent Replies
Of course it's sensible to think about! Just don't plan for the parents to go out of town during the same week (so you can pick up your child if the camp is closed due to smoke).
It is a concern. My kids have attended two different California camps, maybe 10 sessions between them, and they never actually had a session canceled. BUT they have been impacted by it a few times, and camps they have attended have canceled other sessions due to bad air quality and/ or actual fire danger. Most camps have good safety & evacuation plans, but you should plan to be able to pick your child up early for a smoke closure. If you can, consider a session in the last weeks of June when fires often aren’t as rampant yet. Also, you could think about near the coast like Farm Camp near Cazadero, where the risk of smoke closures, while still possible, may be lower than in the Sierra Nevada, Trinity Alps, etc. Another option, if you have the flexibility and resources, is to look at camps in the Midwest or Northeast. There is a huge summer camp culture in those areas, especially in New England & Maine, and your child could have different kind of experience — green surroundings, summer rainstorms, swimming in lakes that aren’t freezing, etc. Maybe even actual fireworks on the Fourth of July… You could take a parent vacation somewhere in the region during the session.