Camp Unalayee is a nonprofit wilderness overnight summer camp for youth ages 10-17, founded by Quakers in 1949, set on 400 private acres in an alpine lake basin at 6,400 feet in Northern California's Trinity Alps Wilderness. Campers live in small groups and take part in extended backpacking trail programs with wilderness-survival skills. The camp is administered from Palo Alto.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Camp Unalayee directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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Accreditations & licensing
As stated by the camp or listed in the accrediting organization's directory — confirm current status with the accreditor.
Google Reviews
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★★★★★Esmeralda ArevaloBest summers spent here!
★★★★★I am a PizzaI attended this camp when I was 12 from Japan. It was such a life changing experience! I recommend camp unalayee to people who want challenge yourself and experience the real rich nature :)
★★★★★Nick RussellI've been attending this camp with both of my younger siblings since I was 10 years old. I found the reviews while looking up the packing list to double check my bag before I leave. I leave in less than 10 days for my eighth year and final year as a camper before I come back next year as a counselor. This camp has been one of the biggest parts of my childhood and adolescence and I am so incredibly excited to keep coming year after year. Summit to Summit 2016
★★★★★Jeanne ChouardThis amazing camp defined our daughter's adolescence. We even recommended Unalayee to our cousins in France who ended up sending their daughter too! Now both girls return every summer to be counselors. If you want your child to get off line and unplugged and experience the American wilderness, I couldn't recommend Camp Unalayee enough!
★★★★★LaRocha Nicole LaRiviereBeing a camper at Camp Unalayee was a beautiful experience - the mountains and lakes of the Trinity Alps are gorgeous and community was welcoming and supportive while challenging me to try new things and grow as a person. Those summers I spent backpacking - the friends made, campfires built, peaks climbed, dinners cooked, maps read, and miles hiked - made me a more confident and capable person. I wholeheartedly recommend Camp Unalayee to any kid (or parent) looking for a fun, unique outdoor summer camp experience.