Camp Ocean Pines Outdoor School

Camp Ocean Pines Outdoor School offers hands-on, standards based environmental education year round providing a great outdoor educational experience for school groups. We are tucked away on thirteen forested acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Although it feels like a distant rustic retreat, the camp is conveniently situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, three hours from Fresno and Bakersfield and just six miles from Hearst Castle. Our beautiful location makes this the perfect setting for outdoor education. Whether whale watching from the deck, planting trees in the forest, listening to seals calling from the beach and raptors calling overhead, this multi-sensory experience engages student minds.

We have a simple registration process in which we would be glad to assist you. A $100 non-refundable registration fee secures your dates.  We know school budgets are tight and the rising price of fuel makes transportation expensive, so we have kept our rates the same for the last 4 school years.

Check our sample schedule to get an idea of our program offerings. Our curriculum is focused on marine science and forest ecology, with activities including team building, tidepool studies, marine mammals, astronomy, Native American culture, sustainability, and wise uses of natural resources. Check out a summary of our marine science curriculum for 5th & 6th grade. Review our rates page for more details.

Our services include meals, afternoon snacks, lodging, lessons, and exciting outings led by experienced naturalists. Students sleep in new passive solar designed cabins built with strawbale construction. Highlights of the 5-day camp include hiking to our secret observation point at the elephant seal breeding grounds in San Simeon, sandy beach studies at San Simeon Cove, or estuary studies and kayaking with the otters in Morro Bay, with transportation included. Onsite, we provide standards-based lessons or a custom program to meet your specific needs. Call to check availability and we'll discuss a program that will best fit the needs of your school.