Parents FAQ

Parents are encouraged to communicate with the Camp Directors about any concerns they may have relating to their child’s Camp experience. Parents will receive an introduction by postcard from their camper’s counselor at the beginning of the session and a personal card from the counselor after the session. For more details on communication with the directors or with your camper during the session we have a communication page with more information.

During Camp, the Infirmary serves as our medical center and doctor or nurse’s quarters.  Located in main camp, the Infirmary includes a treatment center, private examination room, and beds for campers to rest or stay overnight if needed. Our medical center is available 24 hours a day and is stocked with first-aid supplies.

During Camp, a physician or registered nurse are in residence at all times. Emergency medical services, via ambulance and/or helicopter, are available 24 hours a day by calling 911.  The nearest hospitals are located in Weaverville and Redding.

You will be asked to submit health forms for your camper when you enroll for Camp. We require a recent (within a year) physician’s examination and a complete health history for each camper. We require that campers be up-to-date on immunizations or provide a medical waiver.

In the event a camper becomes ill or is injured the Camp Director, Assistant Director, or medical personal will call the camper’s parents, guardian, or, in the event they are unavailable, the designated adult at the alternative emergency number. Situations in which parents would be notified are: serious illness, injuries such as cuts requiring stitches, sprains, broken bones, or other care that required a camper be transported away from Camp.

It is normal for some campers to miss their family and home environment for the first day or two after they arrive at Camp. Getting involved in Camp activities is the age-old solution to these problems. Many times we are aware of homesickness and often call parents to ask how we can work together in giving the camper guidance during this difficult time. Our usual approach will be, “Do you, as a parent, support us in our efforts to help your camper work the homesickness and help them feel successful in solving it so that the next roadblock will be easier to cope with?” If so, we believe your response to the camper who is homesick might be: “I know this is a miserable feeling, but we would like for you to work it out with any person or persons at Camp with whom you feel comfortable.” For the camper whose homesickness is not obvious to us but who writes home about it, we need to count on you to let the Camp Directors know about the situation. Telephone calls from home are very hard on homesick children and for that reason they are discouraged.

We have found that writing frequently and focusing the content of your letters on Camp (e.g., Who is your counselor? What are your friends’ names? What animals have you seen? Have you ridden a horse? What was its name? We are so happy that you are having this time at camp) rather than focusing on home (e.g., The house seems so empty without you. Your kitty misses you. Grandma is here for a visit and wishes she could see you, too.) is most helpful in directing your child’s thoughts away from homesickness. While only a very few parents will be writing to homesick children, focusing letters on your child’s Camp experience is a generally good tip for all parents.

Counselors will collect money, cell phones, and other electronic equipment from campers. All valuables will be stored in the office safe. Please do not allow your camper to bring personal sports equipment, hair dryers, battery or electronically operated games, fireworks, pets, food, drink, or gum to Camp. Also, please discourage your camper from bringing any valuable jewelry to Camp. There is no need for money at Camp. The Camp is not responsible for any items that are lost during your camper’s stay.

Items for personal hygiene, i.e. shampoo, toothpaste, etc., are listed on the clothing list and we ask that you please send your camper fully equipped with these items and other incidentals such as extra flashlight batteries, shoe laces, film, pencils, writing paper and envelopes, chap stick, hand lotion, postage stamps, etc. An important item here at Camp is sunscreen, which is on the clothing and equipment list. We do have a Camp store called The Trading Post, which is stocked with essential items only. These items are available to campers, in cases of necessity. We strongly urge you to make sure your camper comes well-prepared with a good supply of postage stamps or stamped envelopes and all other personal items he or she will be needing, in order to avoid extra charges and billing to you at the close of the Camp session.

The Bar 717 Ranch/Camp Trinity provides in its fee such services as in-camp medical and nursing services (including medication as needed), laundry, horseback riding, special food for backpack trips, and all supplies for such craft programs as ceramics, jewelry, metal and wood shop, and black & white photography. The only additional cost to you is for transportation to and from camp, and charges, if any, at the Trading Post. Plain white T-shirts for silk-screening or tie-dyeing are sold to campers at cost, but you might want to provide your own.

Camp Trinity arranges transportation to and from Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area and Redding on the opening and closing dates of each session. Special arrangements are made for campers arriving from outside of California. Transportation services include administrative supervision, all ticketing, reservations, and lunch en route. Transportation costs are not included in the camp fee.

When you enroll you will have the option to purchase camp tuition insurance provided by TripMate. We strongly encourage you to do this. The insurance is designed to provide a refund of your camp fees, if your summer plans change: TripMate camp tuition insurance can only be purchased at the time you enroll your camper. Purchasing a camp tuition policy when you enroll is the ONLY way we can guarantee that you will receive a refund if your child cannot attend camp.

All services provided by the Camp health care professionals are included in your Camp fee, as well as medication prescribed by them. All campers are covered by our Camper Health and Accident Insurance which provides a limited amount of coverage if a camper needs treatment beyond what can be provided by our Medical Staff at camp. This coverage is provided to augment, not replace, your family medical insurance.

We do not allow visitors during our summer season. If you are interested in visiting the Ranch during the off-season, please contact us or learn about our options for visiting here.

The daily program is open to choice. We offer skilled leadership in horsemanship, arts and crafts, photography, ceramics, woodshop, metal-shop, gardening, archery, camp craft, backpacking, ranch maintenance and improvement projects, nature study, animal husbandry, music, dance, cooking and baking, water activities, and leadership training. You can find more detailed information about all of our programs here. We would also like to highlight some important details about horsemanship and extended backpacking trips below.

Our string of horses is used every day except Sunday on trails and in the riding rings. Campers participate in grooming, saddling, and in tack and barn maintenance. For safety reasons, campers are grouped according to riding ability. In addition, we require campers to wear helmets when riding. If your child owns a riding helmet, you can send it with them to Camp as this will supplement our supply of riding helmets. Riding, like all other programs, is available to all campers.

We take many overnights and extended backpacking trips to areas around Camp. On these trips, campers are responsible for carrying their own things as well as a portion of the group’s food supply. If you have an internal or external frame backpack that fits your child, please send it to Camp with them. If your child is interested in an extended backpacking trip, please make sure to look over the Optional Equipment List For Extended Backpacking Trips.

As part of our Out-Trip program we offer extended backpacking trips to campers in the Trinity Alps Wilderness located approximately 30 miles northeast of the Bar 717 Ranch. The trips run from 4 to 6 days, covering at least 25 and up to 40 miles round trip. The closest medical assistance is in Weaverville, which is approximately 30 miles away. The trails are moderate to difficult and participants will be expected to hike a minimum of 5 and no more than 10 miles on any given day. Due to the physically challenging nature of the hiking and the added weight of a backpack, campers choosing to go on an Alps Trip should be in good physical condition and feel confident in their level of fitness.

To help campers get the most out of their time at camp we try to be aware of any camper who finds it difficult to put together their daily program, and we will have someone help them to schedule activities. Please encourage your camper to tell us if they find it difficult to get involved in a chosen program.

Cigarettes, nicotine products, alcohol, non-prescription drugs, and weapons are absolutely out of bounds at Camp for both campers and counselors. Anyone, camper or counselor, who brings or has in their possession any of these items will be asked to leave Camp immediately. Parents will be billed for added transportation costs that such action necessitates. As stated in our Camp contract, NO FEE REFUND WILL BE MADE if a camper is asked to leave for violation of these regulations. Your camper’s signature on the camper contract tells us that they have agreed to respect the Camp rules.

If your child is not accustomed to taking showers, please teach them to wash their body and hair in a shower before camp. Each living area has its own group shower room, which is shared by all of the campers and staff in that living area. Our only bathtub is in our medical facility and is not available for everyday use. Sandals or flip-flops may be worn to and from showers, but at all other times closed toe shoes must be worn for safety reasons.