Lair of the Golden Bear

Simply put: magical family vacation where hundreds of people agree to step back in time together.

Our family has been camping at Gold, week 6, for 12 years. Your experience here will depend on your family’s personalities and how they interface with the personalities in their age groups during your week. The camp used to be very conservative, Republican, and very male-​sport oriented. I didn’t like it much. But my husband did, and one daughter met 2 girls who have become very close friends. My other daughter had some miserable years there due to the dynamic in her age group. One year she brought a friend from home. Then another family started going our week and now she has a group and has fun. Much of the old guard has aged out and the vibe has mellowed a lot. There is much more emphasis on staff serving campers rather than the other way around. There are daily water aerobics and yoga classes. There are art activities (tie die, clay), organized (and unorganized) hikes, many sport tournaments, and age group activities (1 – 3 per day). For an additional fee, you can get a massage. The food is good and plentiful. This year, they began serving prime rib up at the Vista Lodge (in camp) for $ 54 a person. You get unlimited beer/​wine, appetizers, plus salad, side dishes, the meat, and dessert. We would not have purchased this on our own but a friend won dinner for 2 at Disco Bingo, and gave it to us. It was fabulous. Many people leave camp for a nice dinner out and I never have, but I doubt very much any restaurants in the area can match the quality of the food we ate at the prime rib dinner.
You could be active with tennis, biking, hiking, softball, volleyball every minute or you could sit around and read. Many nights there are cocktail parties for all as well as campfires with skits and songs. This year, our week had many new families and they were welcomed openly. It was awesome to have new blood. It is a place steeped in tradition so I’m not sure you can totally «get it» in one year. If you go, I hope you have a great time.

I’ve been camping at Camp Gold, 2^nd Week, since I was 8 years old. That’s more than 30 years of The Lair under my belt, but who’s counting?
I’ll give you my perspective since my first year:
LITTLE KID: As a little kid, I loved The Lair. I could spend some great quality time with my family, while also having a level of freedom that didn’t exist for me 51 weeks out of the year. The activities were always great fun. I also made good friends, some of whom I’ve kept friendships with for decades (been a groomsman in one fellow camper’s wedding, attended another’s wedding — we’ve been good friends since we met as kids at The Lair).
PRE TEEN: Being a pre-​teen at The Lair was a BLAST. The activities for this age group were great. Paddle boating at the lake, fun hikes, rush-​in softball, art, horseback riding, and everything else were great. My parents appreciated the fact that I was busy and they got their peace and quiet.
TEEN: These were memorable days at The Lair. It’s all a blur of late nights, spin the bottle, venturing over to Blue for no good reason, talking to trashy girls at the Pinecrest Lake campgrounds, renting boats with my brother’s ID, the Teen Dance, boating at the lake, awesome group hikes to Cleo’s Baths, and tearful goodbyes to longtime friends at the end of the week. For everyone, it was great having freedom and responsibility in a secure and contained environment. Great times.
YOUNG ADULT: With college and then being new in the workforce, it was difficult to get to The Lair, but I did it. My parents kept going, so I’d make it up for (at least) most of the week. It was an odd spot to be in. You’re the same age as the staff, and less accomplished than the campers. But, it’s great. Relaxation was key in this period of my life, and The Lair delivered.
ADULT: Now I see why my parents kept going. My 7 year old son is now a long-​time Lair camper, and he loves it. He’s no longer attached to me, and has gotten to enjoy his Lair freedom. Not much has changed since I was a kid at The Lair, and I’d have to imagine that it’s the same absolutely magical experience for him. For me, it’s great too. Along with some other families, we hold an annual Thursday night cocktail party with history (an photographs) dating back to the ‘80s. We play sports during the week, relax by the pool, explore the area, and do a daily run around Pinecrest Lake. We also drink a fair amount of beer and wine while we socialize with other long-​time campers we know well, and first-​time campers we have just met. It’s a way to get away, and there’s truly something for everyone at The Lair. Unfortunately it isn’t cheap, but the experience is well worth it to me.

I am not a camper. My idea of a fun family vacation always involves a stay in an air-​conditioned room with a pool and maybe a fitness center. But my crew of friends (we met in college and now we all have toddlers) decided to start an annual family vacation last year and I gave in. The boyfriend is ex-​military so he’s fine with roughing it. But I do love my alma mater and I’ve been wanting to visit the Lair since my college days so I decided to book us a stay. FANTASTIC FAMILY WEEKEND! Ditto to most of what’s been said.
But no one has mentioned DISCO BINGO! What a blast! The staff hosts the bingo decked out in Afros and glittery polyester and if you win, they all do a disco dance in your honor. You best believe I joined in.
There are motel room accomodations at Bosch Hall where we stayed. You didn’t really think I was going to stay in a tent. We will be there next year and every year if possible.

Great experience. This was our first year as a family of four but my wife and her family have been previously several times prior to our marriage.
It’s a step up from sleeping on the ground (tent cabins) but the community and events make it well worth the experience. Great for kids over 3. Great sense of community with many people going annually for decades. Hard to get into, however if you’re a first-​timer.
Nearby Pinecrest lake offers additional fun. Food was good overall.

We just returned from our first trip to the Lair. It was incredible. This family camp offers a ton of fun activities for kids and adults of all ages. Each day there are morning and afternoon activities for kids of 5 age groups (2 – 5; 6 – 7; 8 – 9; 10 – 12; and 13 – 18). The kids have a blast. The Lair provides 3 meals a day. The property is secluded, and is extremely safe for all. The facilities include a nice pool, various athletic courts (volleyball, squash, shuffleboard, horseshoes, softball. etc.) and an art grove.
We have 3 kids, and all of them rated it as their best vacation ever! My wife and I also had a blast, playing sports, hiking around the lake, bike riding, and just relaxing.
I highly recommend this to anyone. While it’s run by the California Alumni Association (Cal Berkeley alumni org), it is open to anyone.

We just got back from family weekend at Camp Lair and had a great time! We actually stayed at Pinecrest Chalet so perhaps we didn’t get the full camp experience but I’m not much of a tent person. We chose the weekend stay so we could get a sense of how camp would be. We found the staff to be super friendly and food was actually pretty good. We loved the pool and found the place great for kids!

some of the best memories of my childhood and early teen years. it’s such a unique and enriching experience, nothing else has ever compared. there is so much to do for every age group. it’s the perfect vacation for anyone who likes being active, outgoing and adventurous in the great outdoors. they have every form of sports, games, crafts, activities and entertainment. i can’t wait to take my kids there someday just to relive the experience with them.
go blue!

Ah, the Lair!
Wefster and sibling hop out of the car upon Sunday arrival and I stop them, announcing that we’ll be departing «next Saturday at 11». They look at one another for a sec, then at me with a big question mark on their foreheads. Then the light bulb moment occurs and they smile, «Okay, see you then!» And for the next week, I barely see them, as it should be.
The Lair is a playground for people of all ages. You can do as much or as little here as you want. Me, I take a daily hike around Pinecrest Lake then sit back and eat and drink the requisite 3000 daily calories, play Mexican Train dominos with cabin neighbors, lay by the pool, finish a few books… all good, all good).
The boys (quickly becoming men) are still enchanted. They stay up until all hours of the morning, doing whatever teens do all night *** I DON’T WANT TO KNOW *** and stumble back into the cabin before dawn, usually. Nobody is in a car; they’re all down at the lodge, playing games or making out with each other… I don’t know. I just know they’re really happy and really filthy.
There’s a ton of competitive sports for adults and kids: tennis, softball, volleyball, basketball, paddle tennis, shuffleboard… you think of it, it’s here.
The food is good and you get three squares a day, plus Lair burgers and fries late at night in case you really are pretending tomorrow’s the end of the world.
Best things to know, really:
1. You don’t have to even have attended Cal (UC Berkeley) to go here. You jus need to join the Alumni Association, open to all.
2. Once you are in, you are in for life (or until you stop showing up). You’re assured space in the same cabin, the same week, and the same camp until you decide to stop coming. This means that you make some great friends who you only see once per year, when you all vacation together.
3. Camp Blue, Camp Gold, Camp Oski… they’re all good. Oski, though, is best for people with little kids.
4. Lair Family Camp runs all summer long but they also have some non-​family camps in the fall. (Adult sports weekends, women’s weekends…). And, even in the summer, nobody cares if you have kids there or not.
Get thee to the Lair, if this sounds like your sort of thing. Having been to quite a few, I can tell you: It’s the gold star of family camps (though if you can get in, San Francisco’s Camp Mather shares the award).

My son is 9 and this will be our 7^th year at the Lair — Blue week 7. Let me preface this by saying that I do not camp, I like comfy vacations with air conditioning and room service. This is why every year I am amazed at how much I look forward to going to the Lair. We are big fans of the Lair, Camp Blue — here area few reasons why:
1. My son has made some great friends. Every year when we unload our car, he runs off to look for his buddies — they always start where they left off the year before. The kids run around all day, hitting their age group activities, then run free visiting tents, the pool and snack shack. After being at the Lair, the same week for several years now, most campers know the kids and always keep an eye out. This is the only place that at age 9 my son can really have the freedom of running around with his friends without too many worries.
2. Athletics — after day 3 my husbands knees are swollen from too much basketball and volleyball but he has a smile on his face while he ices his knees and sits at the Lodge.
3. Activities — ever wanted to try your hand at a pottery wheel, make a lanyard, tie-​dye? Well, you can do all that and more here! Do you play an instrument? Bring it with you, many other people bring theirs and impromptu jam sessions seem to spring up.
4. The Food — when we get home after a week at the Lair my family is bummed that each meal is not at the exact same time each day and that there is not dessert EVERY lunch and dinner. I have to admit that the food is pretty good, much better than you’d expect at a family camp. Have a Birthday at the Lair? You can order a cake. Have special dietary needs? They can accomodate those too.
5. Cocktail parties — during our week there is one somewhere at Blue every night.
I could go on and on. We rave about the Lair to friends and they look at us like we’re crazy, but the truth is that they are crazy for not coming with us!

We took our children to camp blue when they were 6 and 8. We were encouraged to attend by another family who had kids the same age. As a mom, it was the best vacation I have ever had. The kids had freedom that they don’t experience in the Bay Area, and the parents can do nothing or enjoy the wide range of activities, classes, swimming, hiking, art classes, wellness classes, sports, etc. No cooking, no cleaning. Neither one of us was a cal grad. We basically joined the alumni association (which anyone can do). Of note is that many of the staff do not go to Cal. Of course there is a Cal theme, Cal songs, but there is so much more. My kids insisted on returning every year. My son, who just finished his first year in college, insisted on going up through last year and would occassionaly invite a friend. He is on staff this year. My daughter, a senior in college, has not attended the last two years, because of her work schedule, but she is hoping to break away even for a few days to attend. I will continue to go, even by myself if I must, because it is just plain enjoyable. There are generations of family members who go to specific weeks every year, and it can feel cliquish, but for the most part people are welcoming and inclusive. You do need to be a bit outgoing and willing to talk to complete strangers, but the campers are a great group of people, very interesting, and fun! I would recommend waiting until your kids are potty trained, but I have seen families with infants who can’t wait to bring the babes to campl So moms, if you want a real vacation, go to the Lair. If your kids need to be supervised closely when not in activities, go with another family and share the child watch duties. The staff can also be hired to babysit, (for the adult wine and cheese «hike» or the adult dance, etc. If you need a break from camp, Sonora is a cute town to visit. Strawberry has a cute bar? restaraunt where the guys can catch up on sports. There is limited wireless internet access if you must stay connected, but here is a place where technology quickly is forgotten.

We’ve been going to Camp Oski for years, after two years at Blue. Oski is much more relaxed and much less cliquish than Blue and Gold — we’re not so much into the competitions that Blue and Gold have. Our kids, both of whom are in high school, look forward to the Lair as the highlight of the summer every year. It’s a great place where you can just let the kids run and not worry about them.

Hello Unilocalers, UC grads, friends. Please read Dave H’s Unilocal — he’ s spot on as a former Lair staffer and goer.
Similarly, my dad took me and my brothers when we were teens. Dad is a UC grad; mom was a Bruin (UCLA). As a teen, we were usually 7^th or 8^th week goers (depending upon Dad’s work schedule) and always at BLUE, even though we ventured over to GOLD. Frankly, for whatever, we were hooked on BLUE.
I take my teens now… as much as possible… to BLUE but just not every year. They love the experience and have made good friends.
Particularly, they love swimming so the pool provides that or we venture into Pinecrest to swim, rent a boat and venture off to their hearts’ desires. They are water lovers (both Aquarians).
Dining is so communal. At the ringing of the ‘bell’ they look forward, as to I, for (obviously) the grub (its really better than grub) but for the ‘so what did you do yesterday, did you catch any fish, did you get an ear ache from swimming? That kind of thing.
Pre-​dinner is another warming event. Most campers sport a happy hour… we have too. It’s great to be with a PBR or a martuni with annual friends. Yes, we invite the staff, always. Frankly, we miss those that have come and gone but we stay in touch. «Shouts» as they say to Amanda, Kevin and Adam (from Sweden). Hope you are well.
This is a true BLUE extension of what the University of California educational experience is all about. Go, find out, relish, revive.
GO BLUE!

one of the best things i did as a child. i went for 14 years and cannot wait to take my children there some day. go bears!!!

Updated.

As a lifelong 8^th week Gold camper kid and former staffer, I can understand where Dan S. is coming from. The Lair is more than a clique, it’s a cult. You have to be nuts about Cal to endure this place.
Quick tips:
–Don’t bring anything red, especially clothing. If you do, you might hear people heckling «take off that red shirt».
–Don’t bring anything that shouldn’t get dirt on it. Your white sneakers will be brown in 24 hours. Take a shower and your feet will be black again by the time you get to the dining hall for your next meal.
–Bring a flashlight, but if you use it, you’ll be made fun of. Longtime campers walk back to their tents after disco bingo nearly blacked out and still know every stump to avoid.
–Feeling like you’re not part of the «in crowd»? Host a themed cocktail party (not Hawaiian please) and invite the staff. Leave extra booze in your tent for the maintenance crew at the end of the week and the staff will remember you next summer.
Kid activities — Age group activities will fill up your kids’ week so you can do adult things like hosting cocktail parties and inviting the staff. Highlights from my childhood at the Lair include: capture the flag, inner tube water polo, scavenger hunts, It’s It’s, Russian softball against Camp Blue, party boat fishing trips to the lake, smores around the campfire, and an occasional lanyard or clay pot. Moving into the preteen years, stealing chair cushions from the lodge to star gaze from the softball diamond and of course the Friday night teen dance became favorites.
Adult Activities — Depending on your personality, there are lots of things for you to do. Hosting cocktail parties (don’t forget to invite the staff) is always encouraged. Some weeks are known for the cocktail parties that are thrown. People make their own cups and signature drinks, have elaborate themes and décor to match. There’s no such thing as over the top here. Invite (warn) your prude cabin neighbors so they can quietly read at Vista Lodge if they don’t want to mingle. You can also go on group hikes, fish or kayak at the lake, listen to guest speakers, play tennis/​basketball/​volleyball, do lap swim in the morning or 15 minutes each hour for adult swim.
Accommodations — You will have a small A-​frame tent with a canvas top. Most of them are structurally sound. Typically a four-​person tent will have two twin beds on the right and two twin beds on the left, with one dresser at the back of the tent. Don’t keep food in your tent, you might attract unwanted critters. Bathrooms (heads) are scattered throughout camp and most have been or are soon to be remodeled. The new heads have pretty decent showers and the water is even hot on occasion. Shower early if you hate cold showers.
Dining — A ringing bell will alert you when meals are ready. The staff typically serve 6 tables family style and it’s always a free-​for-​all. If you have a big group, get there first thing so you can reserve a portion of a table. You bus your own trays on the way out. The food is actually not bad. If you have a restrictive diet, let the hostess know when you get to camp but don’t expect too much. They serve 300+ people at once and cranky campers wear on the staff very easily. If you get tired of camp food, Mia’s (wood fire pizza) in Cold Springs is a personal favorite. La Morenita next door is also respectable although I haven’t been there in a few years. If you do go there, ask for their special dessert (not on the menu) of warm churros covered with vanilla ice cream. Mountain Andy’s in Mi Wuk Village is a hole in the wall but he makes some of the best burgers I’ve ever had.
Other Practical Advice — If at all possible, avoid weeks 2 and 12. Because of the way college schedules conflict, the staff is never 100% early or late in the summer. The shows also take a few weeks before the staff gets comfortable with the scripts. Weather can also be a problem early in the summer with thunderstorms.
Overall, this is a great summer vacation for the ultimate Cal fan, especially if you have kids. There are cheaper ways to take your family to the mountains to be sure, but the Lair has a spirit that’s hard to match.

We went for three years, and then decided to stop. Did a year at Blue and two years at Gold.
On the plus side: very family friendly, and your kids are unequivocally safe — probably safer than if you took them camping yourself. The student staff are friendly, sincere, and energetic. In general, especially for toddlers, this is a wonderful beginning to the great outdoors, and most likely to decades’ worth of repeated rendezvous with other kids that they’re growing up with. That’s an amazing thing.
Also, the food is good, the entertainment is entertaining, and the surroundings are as beautiful as anyone could wish for.
However, our family was unanimous that we needed to stop. My wife is lukewarm on camping to begin with, but was willing to do it as long as our pre-​teen kids were happy. But they weren’t happy. Why? The same thing that draws folks to bringing their toddlers there: the folks that come year after year are such great friends, and have bonded since the kids could crawl, and see each other every year — but my kids were the newbies, the ones that weren’t part of the clique. And so they were treated as outsiders, picked on, and — ultimately — they asked me to not make them go.
So, I miss the idea of the Lair, the promise of decades of old friends that are wonderful to revisit and catch up on what’s been happening to them. But, instead, for about ¹⁄₃ of the cost, we rent a private cabin in Pinecrest each year and enjoy the lake and the weather and ask each other if we did the right thing, and my kids are adamant that we did. You have to listen to that.

All I have to say is, 7^th week Gold rules! I feel like I wait all year just to get back. This year will be my 30^th!

When I was about 8 I made a friend at camp.
First day, 2 cabins down, amped up on Bug Juice, she and I decide to explore the woods before campfire. The only restriction from the Moms was to keep the blue tarp of the cabins in sight and not to stray too far.
I remember I had my favorite maroon hoodie on and a bottle of bubbles in my pocket– you know– for bears. And bubble making.
I think we all know what happens next.
There were no bears but the sun set a bit quick and of course we had lost sight of the aforementioned tarps. Stumbling through the increasingly darkening woods, we came across a large cabin that sounded as though it really might be full of angry dogs. I mean, lots of barking.
Conveniently I was deathly afraid of dogs at the time, due to a mishap with a poodle in New Orleans, and so my new found friend left me. Alone. In the woods. To see if the dog cabin people could help. Which I can only guess they did, because she got back to camp a helluvalot sooner than I did.
I end up by the side of a road in Strawberry. Yeah, that’s a town over.
I met a group of hippies who after a really long discussion about why I didn’t want to get in their car, drives me back to camp, where everyone has been yelling my name for over 3 hours.
No suprise, my new friend and I don’t hang out much for the following weeks of camp, but I made some pretty sweet lanyards, pottery, and tie dye shirts. Just like every other year.
I do have really fond memories of the lair though –other than getting lost.
Like of the thick plastic mugs in the cafeteria, the awesome camp counselors, and getting to sit around a ginormous campfire with my whole fam-​damly.
Camp rules, don’t wander in the woods. Camp Gold OUT!