San Jose Family Camp is a scenic 47-acre self contained campground facility with 65 tent cabins for campers, a dining complex, a swimming area, amphitheater, campfire circles and conveniently located restroom/bath units with hot showers. The camp facilities include a softball field, archery range, horseshoe pits, playground, shuffleboard courts, and a lodge for for special gatherings. Limited wheelchair accessible facilities are available, advanced reservations are recommended. During the summer session the Camp provides three meals a day, supervised recreational activities and interpretive programs for camper to enjoy.
Family Camp offers activities and special events for all ages throughout the summer, including swimming, nature hikes, skits, talent shows, socials, and special activities for children and tots, overnight campouts for older children and teens, and sports such as volleyball, softball, tug-a-war and ping-pong. Interpretive activities introduce children and adults to the natural history and beauty of the Sierra foothills. Nature oriented art and craft programs are conducted daily. The Fort Tuolumne play area provides supervised fun for youngsters, allowing adults to participate in other activities. Sports tournaments, theme days, and special events attract those who are more adventuresome. Reading on the patio/deck, board games, a dip in the swimming hole, a quiet morning walk are part of a more leisurely visit activities at Camp. A different program is presented each evening with an emphasis on old fashioned family fun in a mountain camp.
Location
Family Camp is located at 11401 Cherry Lake Road, just off of State Highway 120, and 15 miles east of the town of Groveland and 10 west of the northern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Many families take advantage of Family Camp’s ideal location to plan excursions to Yosemite, and the historic gold rush towns of Columbia, Sonora and Coulterville. Trips to the Moccasin Creek Trout Hatchery and the fishing streams and lakes in the Sierra are also popular. Other nearby attractions include hayrides, horseback riding, golf and swimming at Rainbow Pool, which is just down stream from Camp on the other side of the Highway 120. For an additional fee, a camper can buy a box lunch for their off-site excursions.
Fish Camp
The opening day of fishing in the Sierra is Saturday, April 28, 2012, so come join us for Fish Camp beginning Apr. 27, 2012 through Sunday Apr. 29, 20112. Camp is located on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River and makes a great location to begin your summer fishing excursions. Please check back to this website for future reservation information regarding Fish Camp.
Extended Mini Weekend
San Jose Family Camp may offer an Extended Mini Weekend(s) in late August. This is an opportunity for campers to spend one last weekend camping, relaxing or fishing in a camp environment without all of the food preparation, tent setup and clean-up headaches. Please check back to this website for future reservation information regarding the extended mini weekend(s).
Pre & Post Season Camp
Camp is generally open to groups and organizations to rent. Please contact the Camp staff for additional information regarding usage of the Camp by groups.
Campership Program
San Jose Family Camp offers a campership program, which provides a discount to low-moderate income families. This program in the past has been underwritten by the Friends of San Jose Family Camp.
Friends of Family Camp
Friends of Family Camp was established in 1973, as a volunteer auxiliary organization dedicated to maintaining Family Camp for the enjoyment of all campers. They have been conducting periodic work parties at Camp since their inception and continue to the present day to support site maintenance and fundraising activities. This group has grown to include contacts and members of around 450 individuals and/or families, who still enjoy the Sierra camping experience provided by Family Camp.
Camp Master Plan
The City is negotiating a new Special Use Permit/Land Lease with the U.S. Forest Service to operate Family Camp on Federal lands. As part of the negotiation, the Forest Service has requested the City to provide a comprehensive evaluation of camp facilities, and to identify opportunities to renovate the facilities and ensure regulatory compliance. The Forest Service has requested this information be presented in a master plan format. The Draft Master Plan satisfies that requirement for such a document and is posted online (see the Family Camp Home Page) One of the main objectives of this Master Plan is to document existing conditions at Family Camp. Some of Camp buildings date back to the first half of the twenty century, when the City of Oakland built them. Deferred maintenance of facilities has resulted in the deterioration of many of these buildings.
Once the proposed improvements of the Draft Master Plan are analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA) and approved by both the City and U.S. Forest Service, then a new Master Development Plan document will be prepared to reflect the approved projects to be undertaken to improve Family Camp. The City is currently working on the environmental document for future posting on this website and for public comment.
San Jose Family Camp may offer an Extended Mini Weekend(s) in late August. This is an opportunity for campers to spend one last weekend camping, relaxing or fishing in a camp environment without all of the food preparation, tent setup and clean-up headaches. Please check back to this website for future reservation information regarding the extended mini weekend(s).
Camp is generally open to groups and organizations to rent. Please contact the Camp staff for additional information regarding usage of the Camp by groups.
San Jose Family Camp offers a campership program, which provides a discount to low-moderate income families. This program in the past has been underwritten by the Friends of San Jose Family Camp.
Friends of Family Camp was established in 1973, as a volunteer auxiliary organization dedicated to maintaining Family Camp for the enjoyment of all campers. They have been conducting periodic work parties at Camp since their inception and continue to the present day to support site maintenance and fundraising activities. This group has grown to include contacts and members of around 450 individuals and/or families, who still enjoy the Sierra camping experience provided by Family Camp.
The City is negotiating a new Special Use Permit/Land Lease with the U.S. Forest Service to operate Family Camp on Federal lands. As part of the negotiation, the Forest Service has requested the City to provide a comprehensive evaluation of camp facilities, and to identify opportunities to renovate the facilities and ensure regulatory compliance. The Forest Service has requested this information be presented in a master plan format. The Draft Master Plan satisfies that requirement for such a document and is posted online (see the Family Camp Home Page) One of the main objectives of this Master Plan is to document existing conditions at Family Camp. Some of Camp buildings date back to the first half of the twenty century, when the City of Oakland built them. Deferred maintenance of facilities has resulted in the deterioration of many of these buildings.
Once the proposed improvements of the Draft Master Plan are analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA) and approved by both the City and U.S. Forest Service, then a new Master Development Plan document will be prepared to reflect the approved projects to be undertaken to improve Family Camp. The City is currently working on the environmental document for future posting on this website and for public comment.
