About
Shaffer's High Sierra Summer Camp offers activities such as archery, arts and crafts, camp fire, evening program, performing arts, swimming in both a pool and a lake, and volleyball. Campers can also take part in backpacking, hiking, a challenge ropes course, disc golf, gold panning, horseback riding, lake kayaking, mountain biking, mountain boarding, paddle boarding, rock climbing, shelter building, whitewater rafting, and hip hop. The camp has a limited enrollment of 120 campers and does not provide Wi‑Fi.
• Ages: 8–17 years old
• Schedule: Sessions of two weeks or longer
Shaffer's High Sierra Summer Camp is led by Lisa and Scott Shaffer. The camp offers a leadership training program for returning campers who are at least 14 years old and attending for two weeks or longer. Its mission statement is: “We help your boys and girls grow better connections with people, better connections with nature, and better connections with their potential by helping them take another step toward a happy, healthy adulthood through the development of critical life skills.” The camp has been recommended by Outside Magazine and The LA Times, named by Outside Magazine as one of its five favorite camps in the U.S., and listed by Newsweek as one of the nation's best camps. The camp picks up and/or drops campers off at the Reno airport, and campers can hike a stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail during an ascent to the top of the Sierra Buttes, with a potential backpack route that includes a 12 to 14 mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail from Jackson Meadow Reservoir to Sierra City and access to the Downieville Downhill mountain bike route starting at 7,200 feet with a 14‑mile descent of 4,000 feet.
Parent testimonials describe campers returning home asking to extend their stay in future summers, showing self-confidence, respect, and patience, and identifying growth and development after attending. Parents report that their children have attended multiple summers, met kids from all over the world, gained confidence on a mountain bike, cooled off in mountain lakes, slept in a tipi, and kept in touch with friends through social media. Testimonials also mention experiences such as rock climbing, mountain boarding, crafts, hip hop, and time spent hanging out with friends, as well as a “safe, adventurous place” for a child with Down syndrome with close supervision and supportive, enthusiastic staff. Several parents state that their children want to return for longer sessions, refer to camp as “Electronics Rehab” because of the lack of phones, iPads, or computers, and describe the environment as high energy and positive, with campers feeling at home and eager to come back each year.
Last updated May 11, 2026.
• Ages: 8–17 years old
• Schedule: Sessions of two weeks or longer
Shaffer's High Sierra Summer Camp is led by Lisa and Scott Shaffer. The camp offers a leadership training program for returning campers who are at least 14 years old and attending for two weeks or longer. Its mission statement is: “We help your boys and girls grow better connections with people, better connections with nature, and better connections with their potential by helping them take another step toward a happy, healthy adulthood through the development of critical life skills.” The camp has been recommended by Outside Magazine and The LA Times, named by Outside Magazine as one of its five favorite camps in the U.S., and listed by Newsweek as one of the nation's best camps. The camp picks up and/or drops campers off at the Reno airport, and campers can hike a stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail during an ascent to the top of the Sierra Buttes, with a potential backpack route that includes a 12 to 14 mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail from Jackson Meadow Reservoir to Sierra City and access to the Downieville Downhill mountain bike route starting at 7,200 feet with a 14‑mile descent of 4,000 feet.
Parent testimonials describe campers returning home asking to extend their stay in future summers, showing self-confidence, respect, and patience, and identifying growth and development after attending. Parents report that their children have attended multiple summers, met kids from all over the world, gained confidence on a mountain bike, cooled off in mountain lakes, slept in a tipi, and kept in touch with friends through social media. Testimonials also mention experiences such as rock climbing, mountain boarding, crafts, hip hop, and time spent hanging out with friends, as well as a “safe, adventurous place” for a child with Down syndrome with close supervision and supportive, enthusiastic staff. Several parents state that their children want to return for longer sessions, refer to camp as “Electronics Rehab” because of the lack of phones, iPads, or computers, and describe the environment as high energy and positive, with campers feeling at home and eager to come back each year.
Last updated May 11, 2026.
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