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August 2023 by William Brown
Go Bears!
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July 2023 by Sara Littlefield
The happiest place on earth
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June 2023 by Sara Henry
This is a great place to camp, I am working out here this summer... but the grounds are gorgeous. It's cold at night though.Playground: Kiddy camp/playground is like a childcare center for toddlers. Fun and interactiveRestrooms: Bathrooms are clean and comfortable. Showers are good too with hot water.
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August 2022 by Leigh A.
TLDR - nice campground, rustic tent cabins that are not fully enclosed, burnt out and disengaged staffPROS* campground - its pretty nice. beautiful trees surround you. despite how big it is, all the facilities are accessible, very short walk to almost everything. dining hall, lodge, stage, tennis courts, basketball courts, swimming pool (plus a small wading pool for tots, no jacuzzi however), gaga ball pit, cub playground (for 5 and under)* pool - its large and clean and well maintained. open only during non meal hours during day. there is a separate wading pool (maybe 2-3 ft deep) for tots* staff - two sided coin (see below for cons). most of the staff seem friendly. I think this is what makes lair special, but that said, they seemed burnt out (see below in CONS)* food - for camp food, its pretty good! think chicken meatball sandwiches, pasta, eggs and bacon for brekkie, coffee cake. saturday bbq dinner was very good: bbq pork ribs and bbq chicken, corn bread, baked beans. pro tip: there is a sandwich bar with deli meats and cheeses, use these to spruce up your meals (ie put cheese on your eggs or turkey in your burger). major props to the kitchen staff who work hard to feed this massive group and wash all the dishes too.* night show - staff put on a fun show. kids were entertained. the second night they did disco bingo which the kids enjoyed as well.CONS* activities - disengaged or MIA staff. at the scavenger hunt for 1st-3rd graders, two counselors took the kids to the bear statue and had them scavenge for pinecones and other natural items. they did not venture anywhere else aside from a 10 yard radius. the counselors sat on a rock. one ate her breakfast while the other played on her phone. at another basketball activity, the staff were playing pretty much on their own while kids were left to do their own thing. and the craft station, there was no counselor there to help at all. one mom from our group ended up helping all the kids (including kids not from our group)* staff burnout - this is related to the above, but since we attended one of the last weekends for the summer Lair program, it seemed like the staff were "over it". they seemed unenergized and fatigued. they seemed more interested socializing amongst themselves than with the campers* tent cabins - they are RUS. TIC. dusty. loose nails on the wall, a few came off with a gentle tap. and the worst part - the canopy was only three sided. so the front-top of the cabin was wide open for bats to fly in and out. YES. BATS. my kids were pretty terrified. I get its nature, but why not have a 4 sided canopy? it appeared that maybe 25-50% do NOT have 4 sides. * lack of urgency- I spoke to staff about the bats and they said they would send someone to handle it "right away". guess what? no one ever came. * quiet hour is a joke - 10pm is supposed to be quiet time. well at midnight, guess who was talking and laughing and keeping my kids up? the staff! look, I remember being 22 years old. but when you are a staff member and you state quiet hour rules for campers, then y'all need to abide by them too* yellowjackets - this isn't the camp's fault, but there are tons near the dining lodge. do NOT eat on the patio or they will swarm your food and you. problem is, the dining hall is not large enough to fit all campers. so line up early for meals.Our family camps A LOT. Through Boy Scouts, Church, and on our own. So we have seen it all. Lair has a nice facility but their staff needs to be trained better.
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July 2022 by David Hedden
If you don't mind driving to and from the lake not bad. Parking spots are very small and the rangers are over the top about parking.
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May 2022 by Pat Massagli
The Lair of the Golden Bear is the best family.
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May 2022 by Jed Davidow
Best family vacation. EVAAAAARRRR
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July 2020 by Bethany Chambers
The camp is beautiful, well taken care of and the students/staff were so friendly and engaged with the kids!
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July 2020 by M Brew
Cal Alumni family `glamp`. Week long sessions spanning the summer where families keep coming back to a specific year after year. Some families are on their 3rd or 4th generation.
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July 2020 by Mario Torres
Great place for camping!
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July 2020 by linda mondal
Great place and the staff was so friendly .
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July 2020 by Roger W. Doering
Great family camp.
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July 2020 by Maddy Fahn
i have been going to the lair since i was a baby and it is amazing. i have amazing friends, who i can’t wait to see every year. we get to do activities such as kayaking, tie dye, have campfires, tell scary stories, play disco bingo, go to movies at the lake, horseback riding, swim, play in the creek, create skits (or do anything you want) for the talent show, archery, hike, play and watch sports, just hang out with friends and much more all week! there are so many activities to do all day long, so you never get bored! the lair is definitely one of my favorite places and i highly recommend it for all families with kids of all ages!also, GOLD CHEATS
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July 2019 by Jason Parks
An all around great family summer camp put on by the Cal Berkeley Alumni Association. Lots to do from swimming to arts and crafts, hiking and biking, and just lounging around.
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July 2019 by Riley York
Very fun family camp, although the smoke was a big issue this year.
