About
Circle V Ranch Camp is a traditional residential sleepover camp where campers take part in hiking, swimming, nature walks, archery, arts and crafts, painting, photography, and a variety of sports including baseball, basketball, soccer, ping pong, foosball, and miniature golf. The program also includes campfires, skits, songs, and a beach day as part of the camp experience.
• Ages: 7–17 years old
• Schedule: Six sessions, each 5 days/4 nights, and four sessions, each 6 days/5 nights
Circle V Ranch Camp was founded by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Los Angeles in 1945 in the Big Pines area of the Los Angeles National Forest, and from 1954–1990 the Society leased several different locations for its summer camp program around Southern California. In 1990, the Society purchased Circle V Ranch, previously owned by the Boy Scouts, on 30 acres in the Los Padres National Forest in the Santa Ynez Valley. Children and their counselors stay in air-conditioned cabins or canvas tents, and three nutritious daily meals are served cafeteria style or family-style in the Dining Lodge. All children are fully supervised by caring, trained counselors and long-time staff, and CILTs work under the direct supervision of the CILT Director, who trains participants in group sessions and one-on-one mentoring.
The mission of Circle V Ranch Camp is to develop a strong spiritual, physical, mental, and social character in participating youth through a variety of activities and encounters with positive role models. The camp provides innovative and enriching outdoor experiences that build self-esteem and expand knowledge and appreciation of others, nature, and God. Programs revolve around the ranch brand, the Circle V (for St. Vincent), which stresses the importance of respecting and getting along with others at all times, with the circle reminding everyone to love God and the V to love neighbors as themselves.
Circle V Ranch Camp offers a choice of themed sessions ranging from “Carnival” to “Medieval” to “Super Heroes” and others. It also offers a Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) program for teenagers ages 14–15 who seek to continue their personal growth and development as youth leaders. CILTs assist with campers and participate in the team-building effort under direct supervision of the CILT Director, and the leadership program aims to help young people discover their strengths, make decisions, set goals, solve problems, and resolve conflicts. Teens in the leadership program experience a feeling of accomplishment, acquire on-the-job skills, develop important social expertise, and receive spiritual guidance to help them become productive citizens, prepare for higher education, and plan for a successful future. The CILT application process is not a guaranteed volunteer position and has limited spaces available per session, and volunteering at Circle V is described as more than a job, extremely rewarding, and requiring a lot of hard work while being very challenging at times.
Circle V Ranch Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association. A group of caring donors known as the “Friends of Circle V” help raise funds to support the mission of the camp, and most children who attend or want to attend need financial assistance to do so. Of the 468 kids who attended summer camp in 2025, 95% received scholarships known as “camper-ships” to help their family pay the fees, and there are year-round opportunities to volunteer and contribute work, wealth, or wisdom. One camper parent shared that all their kids have been going there for years, started as campers, then became counselors, and still are, and that they all come home wanting to go back again. Interested families can fill out a Summer Camp Enrollment Inquiry form to be contacted when registration opens in early 2026.
Last updated June 14, 2026.
• Ages: 7–17 years old
• Schedule: Six sessions, each 5 days/4 nights, and four sessions, each 6 days/5 nights
Circle V Ranch Camp was founded by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Los Angeles in 1945 in the Big Pines area of the Los Angeles National Forest, and from 1954–1990 the Society leased several different locations for its summer camp program around Southern California. In 1990, the Society purchased Circle V Ranch, previously owned by the Boy Scouts, on 30 acres in the Los Padres National Forest in the Santa Ynez Valley. Children and their counselors stay in air-conditioned cabins or canvas tents, and three nutritious daily meals are served cafeteria style or family-style in the Dining Lodge. All children are fully supervised by caring, trained counselors and long-time staff, and CILTs work under the direct supervision of the CILT Director, who trains participants in group sessions and one-on-one mentoring.
The mission of Circle V Ranch Camp is to develop a strong spiritual, physical, mental, and social character in participating youth through a variety of activities and encounters with positive role models. The camp provides innovative and enriching outdoor experiences that build self-esteem and expand knowledge and appreciation of others, nature, and God. Programs revolve around the ranch brand, the Circle V (for St. Vincent), which stresses the importance of respecting and getting along with others at all times, with the circle reminding everyone to love God and the V to love neighbors as themselves.
Circle V Ranch Camp offers a choice of themed sessions ranging from “Carnival” to “Medieval” to “Super Heroes” and others. It also offers a Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) program for teenagers ages 14–15 who seek to continue their personal growth and development as youth leaders. CILTs assist with campers and participate in the team-building effort under direct supervision of the CILT Director, and the leadership program aims to help young people discover their strengths, make decisions, set goals, solve problems, and resolve conflicts. Teens in the leadership program experience a feeling of accomplishment, acquire on-the-job skills, develop important social expertise, and receive spiritual guidance to help them become productive citizens, prepare for higher education, and plan for a successful future. The CILT application process is not a guaranteed volunteer position and has limited spaces available per session, and volunteering at Circle V is described as more than a job, extremely rewarding, and requiring a lot of hard work while being very challenging at times.
Circle V Ranch Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association. A group of caring donors known as the “Friends of Circle V” help raise funds to support the mission of the camp, and most children who attend or want to attend need financial assistance to do so. Of the 468 kids who attended summer camp in 2025, 95% received scholarships known as “camper-ships” to help their family pay the fees, and there are year-round opportunities to volunteer and contribute work, wealth, or wisdom. One camper parent shared that all their kids have been going there for years, started as campers, then became counselors, and still are, and that they all come home wanting to go back again. Interested families can fill out a Summer Camp Enrollment Inquiry form to be contacted when registration opens in early 2026.
Last updated June 14, 2026.
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