Santa Cruz

Young Life Adventures in Santa Cruz, California is all about fantastic adventures and going deeper with God and one other.  At Adventures, you get to be a part of a close-knit community of friends, learn more about following Jesus, and have experiences you won’t forget.  With the majestic redwood forest and gorgeous beaches just miles from camp, you get the best of all the beauty Santa Cruz has to offer.  Each day you’ll have a blast doing things like:

surfing – kayaking – mountain biking – river hiking – bodyboarding – scootering – hanging out at the beach

You’ll also get your favorite parts of Young Life camp—club, cabin times, great food, laughter, hanging out, and making new friends—in the intimate setting Adventures has to offer.  Join the thousands of people who have said Adventures was their favorite experience with Young Life… you won’t want to miss a week at Adventures!  Talk to your Young Life leader to sign up!

Location

Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, basecamp for Santa Cruz is located about two miles from the town of Scotts Valley.

Surfing in Santa Cruz • Sea Kayaking on the Elkhorn Slough • Mountain Biking at Wilder Ranch • River Hiking on the San Lorenzo River • Bodyboarding • Dirt Scootering • Hanging out at the Beach

Dates

WeekDates
Week 1No camps for summer 2024
Week 2No camps for summer 2024
Week 3No camps for summer 2024
Week 4No camps for summer 2024
Week 5No camps for summer 2024
Week 6No camps for summer 2024
Week 7No camps for summer 2024
Week 8No camps for summer 2024
Week 9No camps for summer 2024

FAQ

Camp Details

Camp size maxes out at 50 campers and leaders.  Campers stay in rustic, open air cabins with bunk beds and no electricity, and will need to bring their own sleeping bags and pillows.  The intimate size of camp creates a beautiful sense of community and connection among all campers and staff each week.  We leave the camp property each day and engage in activities in the surrounding area of Santa Cruz County:  hiking and river walking in the redwood forest of Henry Cowell State Park, sea kayaking with otters and seals in Elkhorn Slough, mountain biking in Wilder Ranch State Park, surfing in Santa Cruz, and more.  All areas who attend YL Adventures need to provide car transportation for their group for the week they are at camp.

What to Bring

  Here’s a list of helpful things our guests need:

  • Sleeping bag (warm) and pillow. Do not forget these!
  • Sturdy swim suit that will stay in place during activities
  • Running style shoes
  • Water shoes or sandals (old sneakers are great) for walking in a river (not flip flops)
  • Flip flops or sandals to walk from cabin to bathrooms & for the beach
  • Sunglasses & Sunscreen
  • Activewear (for playing outside)
  • Dri-Fit or non-cotton top
  • Flashlight (an essential item!)
  • Jacket for nights (plus pants, sweatshirt.  It can get COLD.)
  • Toiletries
  • 2 towels – one for showers; one for beach
  • Bible, journal and a pen
  • Bug spray
  • Spending money for snacks and other items
  • Completed health forms

Traveling to Camp

For directions to Young Life Adventures, please click here for a link with directions.  The address is 627 Nelson Road, Scotts Valley, CA 95066.  Plan ahead for travel time and summer beach traffic.  The closest airport to fly into is San Jose Mineta (SJC), followed by San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK).

Arrival & Departure Times

Arrival time for Adventures is 3:00 PM Sunday.  We would like all areas to arrive at that time.  Please make sure you fill up all of your cars with gas when you get to Scotts Valley.  You will need to drive your vehicles every day of the week during your camp session. Departure is 10:00 AM Friday.

Flu Pre-screening Requirements

All California camps are required to screen each person 24 hours or less before the start of camp to ensure they are not sick.  You must get each participant’s temperature taken by a nurse or doctor within 24 hours of your trip departure.  Please check the Young Life Staff Resources page to make sure you have the most up-to-date information.  Make sure you comply with this as we do not want to send anybody home because they are sick!

Mail

If parents are wanting to write a letter or send a package to their child, they can send mail and packages to:

Young Life Adventures

Write the first and last name of the camper

627 Nelson Road

Scotts Valley, CA 95066

Electronic Devices

We will withhold all electronics from guests for the duration of your stay.  This includes any music devices, cell phones, etc.  These items should be collected upon arrival.  Bags/containers marked with your area name will be provided when you arrive in your vehicles.

Forms for Trip Leaders

HEALTH FORMS:  The Health, Consent and Release Form (YL6007) is available on the Young Life website/staff resources.  Online health forms are okay for use for Young Life Adventures, but please print a copy of each health form and bring it with you as well.  We will need paper copies to go on activities each day.

10 DAY CHECK IN FOR CAMP:  The 10 Day Check-In needs to be made at least 10 days before your trip to Young Life Adventures.  Please mark the due date of your 10 Day Check-In on your calendar and e-mail info@adventures.younglife.org 1) the number of guy campers and leaders, 2) female campers and leaders, 3) any prayer requests we can be aware of, and 4) dietary needs of kids or leaders.  If you expect a drastic change in your numbers, please don’t wait until 10 days before to let us know.

Flyer

Download a pdf of the Young Life Adventures camp flyer.