Sonoma Coast Camping/Hiking (Sleepaway Camp)

Tuition: $595
Drop off/pick up location is Julius Kahn Playground in the Presidio Park, San Francisco.
Drop off on Monday at 9am and pick up on Friday at 6pm.
Address: 3395-3699 W Pacific Ave., San Francisco, CA 94118.
Program fees include all meals, snacks, camping for 4 nights and a t-shirt.

Day 1: Monday - Bodega Dunes & Bodega Head Hiking

On our hike today we roam in a maze of massive sand dunes that keep us hidden from the world, and straddle an earthquake fault line.  We hear seals bark at us from Seal Island, and our scenic bluff top perch gives us expansive views of Bodega Bay and Horseshoe Cove. We look for buckwheat, purple lupine and seaside daisies before heading to our campground at Salt Point. There we learn the basics of tent set up, cooking a yummy dinner outdoors and of course, roasting s’mores!

Lessons: Coastal Plants, Camp Set up and Safety, Cooking

Day 2: Tuesday - Salt Point Hiking to Stump Beach

Centuries of wind and water have sculpted the rocks into small cave-like honeycomb tafoni and into an assortment of forms and shapes, on which we hike and play today. Here the cliffs are scored with endless grooves and swirls. We hike coastal grassland to forests of Bishop Pine, and end at the blue green waters of Stump Beach. Beach games and “creature construction” from driftwood and jetsam follow. We spend another night at Salt Point, stargazing and telling spooky stories around the campfire.

Lessons: Leave No Trace Camping, Geology, Leadership

Day 3: Wednesday - Fort Ross & Salt Point Hiking to Pygmy Forest

What do Russians, sea otters, windmills and Miwoks have in common? They all had a home here at this tiny outpost on the coast. Fort Ross, a historic settlement abandoned in 1841, is an important reminder of our colorful California past. Today we touch the old cannons and explore what remains of the settlement inside the fort walls. We also hike to a mysterious pygmy forest, where the woods grow only miniature trees.

Lessons: Natural & Human History of Sonoma Coast

Day 4: Thursday - Salt Point Hiking & Tide Pools

Salt Point State Park was for years the “salt shaker” for the native Kashaya Pomo Indians, and we discover today their other favorite treats. At Gerstle Cove, we explore one of California’s first underwater parks and here we can see giant green anemone, orange sea cucumbers and red bat stars. If we look closely at the rocks, we can still see eye bolts where old ships once anchored. Tide pools also teem with life, and we get to touch kelp gardens and sea stars. Tonight we present silly skits and celebrate our last night together.

Lessons: Tide pooling/Ocean Ecosystems

Day 5: Friday - Armstrong Redwoods Hike & Drive home

Today we pack up camp and head to Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. We walk on a soft carpet of sorrel and ferns, and are dwarfed by coast redwoods, the world’s tallest living things. Some of these trees are thought to be over 1000 years old, and we stroll beneath the Parson Jones and Armstrong trees, as well as the bizarre Icicle Tree before heading back to the Bay area. We recount our adventures for the week and then say goodbye to our new friends.

Lesson: Redwood Ecology

Wanderers – phone: 415-643-5686 – kurt@wandererscamp.com