Foothill Horizons Summer Camp

Foothill Horizons Summer Camp includes activities such as swimming, pool time, playing capture the flag, group games, creative classes, campfire skits, and evening activities. Campers take part in hikes, nature scavenger hunts, visiting the creek, climbing through the boulder caves, hiking to the top of the Sky Tower to see the stars, and singing together at Campfire. The program also features pancake catching, an adventure course, theme night, and nightly adventures tied into the week’s plot.

• Ages: 7–17 years old
• Schedule: Summer Camp Registration opens on January 28, 2026. Early Bird registration for returning families opens on January 26, 2026 at 8AM.

Foothill Horizons Summer Camp has welcomed generations of families for over 40 years since opening to campers in 1980, and Foothill Horizons has over 60 years of tradition. The program is owned and operated by the Stanislaus County Office of Education and functions as a residential outdoor school, summer camp, and site rental facility. Foothill Horizons is a California Outdoor School Association (COSA) certified residential outdoor school.

The leadership team includes Jessica Hewitt, Director III, Outdoor Education; Clare Olson, Administrative Assistant; Peter Zucca, Summer Camp Director; Diann Rastetter, Assistant Director, Outdoor Education; Alexander Frierson, Naturalist Coordinator; Lucas Smith, Health Clerk; David Josephson, Lead Custodian; Shannon Perez, Food Services Supervisor, OES; and Edward Wynimko, Facilities Lead, Outdoor Education. Over 600 high school students each school year volunteer as Counselors for overnight programs, and these Counselors receive written feedback that may be used as a Letter of Recommendation for future employment. The site also offers a 9-month Naturalist Internship for future outdoor educators.

Foothill Horizons Outdoor School states that it inspires connections to nature and one another, and that it provides an interactive outdoor science experience, a collaborative learning environment, and personal growth opportunities through individual challenges. It states that it develops respectful global citizens dedicated to stewardship in their communities and beyond. Foothill Horizons offers hands-on, interactive science lessons aligned with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, and students experience a minimum of 5 hours of science instruction a day, which the program states is equivalent to 5 weeks of science education in the average California classroom.

Campers bunk in dorms with kids their own age and may request bunkmates, and they also interact with other age groups during activities. The program includes a 4-year progressive leadership program with Counselors in Training (CITs) and Junior Counselors (JCs), who learn leadership skills, responsibility, independence, and program creation, and who supervise, lead classes, and build scenes for the weekly theme. Participants use 143 acres of forest, meadows, and creeks, and all facilities are ADA compliant and have heating and cooling.

Last updated March 24, 2026.