Camp Visit: Redwood Grove Is a Taste of Nature—In the Heart of Los Altos

Redwood Grove summer camp offers suburban students a chance to explore nature, hands-on, while still being close to home. It is a traditional nature day camp, with activities, games and hikes, 

Once descended from pioneers, is a 5.9-acre nature preserve that includes observation decks and trails that encompass beautiful redwood trees. Students attend day camps at the preserve each summer and twice a summer are offered the chance to sleep under the stars in the preserve for an extended overnight during the camp.

“The kids have been having an awesome time,” said Sean Eaton, a first-year camp counselor who is normally a seasonal ranger with the Santa Clara County parks. “We also had a few kids who had never been in nature so this is a great first experience.”

The younger campers six years old and under spend three hours in the morning playing nature games and activities like archery among the trees. The 7-to-12-year-olds spend three hours in the afternoon.

“A lot of other day camps don’t have the wildlife all around, others are at schools,” said Jesse Slater, a camp counselor.

Students are educated in fun ways about their surroundings, like an extensive nature scavenger hunt where the children go throughout the area identifying trees and plants. Several sessions of the camp are offered all summer. There is a constant air of “just fun” through all the activities and games played throughout the weeklong camp, according to Tamara Oskoui, Los Altos recreation coordinator.  

“Camp should be a place to just be a kid and have fun,” Oskoui said. She added that all the campers only know the counselors by their made-up “magical” names. Oskoui’s camp name is “Tigger”.

Two sessions during the summer offer the older children a chance to spend the night at camp, making burgers and s’mores and sleeping under the stars.

“Kids will remember this for years, just being able to be themselves and have fun outside,” Oskoui said.