Camp Ocean Pines was established in 1946 to serve the community as a non-profit camp and a conference center. A jewel on the Central Coast, the camp sits on thirteen donated acres of Monterey Pine forest that nearly meets the ocean shore. Camp Ocean Pines has made memories for more than 100,000 campers – with generations more to come!
We have ten beautifully designed straw bale cabins. They are engineered for passive solar efficiency, and timbers and siding milled from our own wind-felled trees were used to construct them. By staying in these cabins, people experience facilities that use natural resources wisely. Our campus can house 120 guests.
Camp Ocean Pines is a truly unique place for kids to come! Wildlife abounds, with seals and otters swimming by, and deer roaming through the property. The students who come to us from urban settings find this a remarkable place! We serve thousands of kids in our summer camps and environmental education programs. We also host students from the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation and a camp for kids with HIV/AIDS – all who enjoy the benefit of acceptance in this beautiful natural setting.
Adults use the facilities for enriching conferences. Singers, songwriters, sculptors, storytellers, quilters, weavers, flutists, dancers, choirs…they ALL join us! We regularly host weekend and week long retreats, church groups, marine science focused educational seminars and art focused weekends. We invite you to bring YOUR group! See our rates schedule.
MISSION
Our mission is to foster enjoyment and appreciation of the natural world among people of all ages through creative activities in a residential camp setting.
VALUES
We are a friendly and creative community of camper focused people.
• Camper focused: friendly, helpful, can-do attitude of service
• Children focused: we work with every generation – but we really like children!
• Creative: blending human artistic creativity with the wonderful patterns in nature
• Adventurous: exciting programs in variety of outdoor settings
• Mentoring: encouraging growth & learning by giving space to experiment and fail with expectation to grow in excellence
• Balanced living: we try to live healthy lives by working hard and playing hard. We encourage a strong work ethic balanced with time outside having fun.
• Cuisine: bucking the camp trend, we serve nutritious high quality food
• Environmentally progressive: caring for people, caring for the earth, we believe in a thoughtful ecological footprint
• Education: always teaching, always learning
VISION
Ocean Pines programs attract a broad range of campers of all ages. Our structures are built of natural materials to insure minimal environmental impact. A large variety of groups with diverse needs can live and learn on our site. Exemplary staff are known for their customer service and creative programming.
OUR ORGANIZATION
Camp Ocean Pines is run by a visionary volunteer board to and a hard working staff who accomplish the mission as they run day to day operations. We appreciate our community connection to volunteers and donors who believe in our mission.
OUR PROGRAMS
o Outdoor Education is our key mission to school kids, where we teach the larger natural cycles. Kids get excited about exploring science and learn environmental and social implications on right living in this world.
o Summer Camp has a focus on fun and creativity. Living with counselors in new social groups, there is a built in mentoring opportunity in leadership and cooperative living.
o Adult Workshops provide folks the chance to learn and express their creative side. This also increases our base of supporters who volunteer their time and give donations to benefit other campers as a direct outcome of their positive experiences at camp.
OUR PLACE
We maintain this site overlooking the ocean in the pine and oak forest of Cambria. It is a living lab of our mission and values. Our mission goes forward as we offer our facility as a meeting place to organizations and groups with a similar philosophy. We hold most of our programs on this site, but will also use other sites as our program grows or the need arises.
GET INVOLVED
Everyone can help! We always need volunteers! Throughout your life you have developed an array of skills and we need your expertise! You have access to discounts, materials, and contacts with just the right people. Come spend some time walking around camp and chatting with the director to figure out where you can help. Of course we accept financial contributions, but people only give to what they care about. We want your heart more than we want your money. Camp Ocean Pines is moving forward as people care about our mission – we hope you’re one of those special people.
Camp Ocean Pines is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, public benefit organization. All donations are tax deductible and very much appreciated by the camp. The Federal tax ID number for Camp Ocean Pines is 95-1738144.