What do we do during a “typical day” at Coastal Camp?
Each day is a different adventure! Our educators plan unique days based on the camp’s theme, their expertise and campers’ interest and age. Using the power of play and the magic of the Marin Headlands, we foster our campers’ curiosity and teach them about the natural world.
We might paint a mural together of the view from the top of a hill, play a game showing the adaptations of the newts we saw or make a skit about some of the plants in the area! Nature offers us the most special kind of moments here. We might stop and see river otters playing the lagoon, a red-tailed hawk kiting right above us or even a pod of dolphins playing in the surf! In the blink of an eye, a good hike can turn into a fantastic one with a magical moment in nature.
Everyday at Coastal Camp we hit the trails to learn and have fun through hands-on exploration, games, stories, art and much more at some of the most scenic spots in the Headlands. Check out some of our most popular destinations below!
Sample Activity
To start, campers take some time to free explore the beach and play with their new friends, collecting interesting items along the way. Next, they might work in pairs to sort those objects into three categories living (biotic), non-living (abiotic) and human-made. They would then get to share some of their most interesting discoveries and how they would classify them. Younger campers might learn the basics of high tide and low tide washing things ashore while older campers might learn about the ecology of the wrack line and the vital role it plays in the health of the environment. Campers could then have an age-appropriate discussion on how humans have changed the environment and how that affects everyone differently.
“Coastal Camp was my son’s favorite camp of the summer. Not only did he have lots of fun playing games with new friends, he learned an impressive amount about rocks, the sea, local plants and animals, and Headlands history. He was so enthusiastic about everything he was experiencing that he took my husband and me on a three-hour tour of the Headlands, guiding the campus, Newt Nation, the Visitor Center, the batteries, etc. while sharing all his newfound knowledge.”
Sample Day
The following would be easily accomplished by a typical camper in 3rd-4th grade.
9:30 All campers arrive at the Campfire Circle. The entire camp sings songs, plays games and listens to announcements.
10:00 Snack time! While campers are eating they will get a preview of the day’s adventure, double-check they have everything they need and afterward play biggest fan, a rock paper scissors tournament.
10:30 The group starts hiking around Rodeo Lagoon. While hiking campers will try to find the plant on their ID card. When they find it, they will stop and shout “AHA! or “Eagle eye!” and share one fact about that plant with the group.
11:30 The group stops outside the pond for a lunch and bathroom break.
12:15 Time to explore inside the pond! Using nets, campers collect macroinvertebrates and use cards to identify them.
1:00 Hike from the Visitors Center to the Beach. Along the way campers will walk and talk in rotating pairs, answering fun, interesting or silly questions like “If you could fill a swimming pool with anything, what would it be?”
2:15 Stop on the beach for free exploration and snack time before heading back to campus.
3:00 The educator reads a story and then everyone shares their Rose, Bud and Thorn of the day.
3:30 Campers get picked up or go continue the fun at after care!
What a group can accomplish during the day greatly depends on age. For a Kinder group, in the above plan, they likely wouldn’t have time to tour the pond and hike the long way around the Lagoon to the beach, so their program would include one or the other. But a middle or high school group could walk around the lagoon and tour the pond all before lunch.
Explore our Most Popular Destinations
Point Bonita Overlook
The Point Bonita overlook offers sweeping views of the Bay including the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. On the rocks below, campers often spot harbor seals swimming and sunning themselves.
Rodeo Beach
Rodeo Beach is one of the most popular spots in the Marin Headlands. It’s the perfect place to search for shells and carnelians and listen to the waves crash.
Rodeo Pond
The pond is located at the north end of Rodeo Lagoon. Here campers use nets to scoop and investigate macroinvertebrates, the creatures that live in the pond. It’s a great place to get hands-on with nature!
Battery Townsley
Battery Townsley is home to our beloved Newt Nation and one of our most-visited spots. One of the uncovered former gun pits filled with water and is a great spot to spy a California Newt among other amphibians.
Victory Point
Victory Point is a short but steep hike with views that make the climb completely worth it. At the top, most of Rodeo Valley is visible, making it a great spot for nature art, stories and quietly taking in the view
South Lagoon Trail
South Lagoon Trail connects the Visitor’s Center and Rodeo Beach. This easy trail takes hikers through willow groves, past a giant eucalyptus and down through the coastal scrub offering some great view of the lagoon and Fort Cronkhite along the way.