We offer one-week and two-week camp sessions, with the option to combine any sessions to create your own summer of fun! In 2025, we are offering two one-week mini camps.

See our 2025 session dates and rates here.

We welcome co-ed campers ages 7-16. 

At Mountain Meadow Ranch, we believe that summer camp experiences equip young people with a robust and inclusive worldview, established through meaningful, real-life connections with the diverse community of people often met at camp. We also recognize and acknowledge the privileged legacy of organized camping that has often made it difficult for all populations to gain access to the camp experience. We are actively working to increase the diversity and representation of different backgrounds at our camp, through maintaining curiosity in the ways we can improve, educating ourselves to better implement those strategies of inclusion, and increasing access and/or removing obstacles to the camp experience where we can. If you would like to hear more or be a part of our efforts to make MMR a safer and more inclusive space, please reach out to us either by email to [email protected] or call us at 530-310-9281.

We use the Campanion App to help those at home feel connected to the camp experience and their camper. We offer four ways to stay connected:

1. snail mail (real paper letters with a stamp!)
2. eLetters through the Campanion App
3. Camp Line (phone) that puts you in direct contact with a director on-site at MMR who will check in on your camper and give you an update
4. camp photos with facefinder shared through the Campanion App

That depends! Cabins are assigned by age, grade, and gender to ensure that each group is matched for maturity. If the request is for campers of a similar age, grade and same gender, we will do our best to honor it (but do not guarantee it). 

We do not accommodate requests that place campers in dramatically different age groups as we have found it is likely to negatively impact the camper and the cabin dynamic.

Each cabin at Mountain Meadow Ranch is unique in style, but every cabin has electricity, wall-to-wall carpeting, and its own bathroom and shower facilities. Many have a front deck that overlooks the central meadow, a great place to catch up with cabin mates and enjoy the view. Campers sleep in their own twin-sized, cozy wooden bunk beds with bedding or sleeping bags. All clothes and belongings are kept in trunks or luggage that slide under or to the side of the bunks. There are shelves and countertop space in the bathrooms. Cabin groups are assigned by age, grade, and gender, and in groups of 8-16 campers with 2-4 counselors at a time.

It is a priority that our cabins be clean, safe, and comfortable. Laundry is done once a session by our support staff. Campers join in the stewardship of their “camp homes” through cabin clean-up (natural, nontoxic cleaning products are provided) and daily cabin inspections, all for the chance to win a “cleanest cabin” ice cream party at the end of the first week and pizza party at the end of the session!

We provide empathy, comfort, and encouragement for our campers (and staff!) experiencing homesickness. First, we will give your child time and attention, recognize their feelings and let them know they are totally normal. Next, we will offer some ideas of things that can bring a little comfort to help move out of the hard feelings and into feeling safe and secure for camp play. Finally, we will encourage your camper with some tools for coping. Ultimately, we have found that the best remedy for homesickness is CONNECTION and PLAY. After providing some TLC (tender loving care), our staff will encourage your camper to get back in on camp life, with the promise to check in on them later that day. We will notify home if homesickness becomes concerning or out of the norm in any way – which is rare!

Absolutely! Inclusivity and authenticity are two of our main values. That means we have created a camp culture that thrives on kindness and encouragement. Returning campers are often the first ones to welcome in a new camper and make them feel at home. Upon arrival, first campers can be intimidated because the returning campers are naturally excited to see their friends. However, without fail by the end of the first day that new camper is right in the mix and can barely be discerned from the returning campers.

We’ve adapted these camp readiness tips from from Bob Ditter, M.Ed., LCSW Boston, MA www.bobditter.com

The first step in determining camp readiness is to establish that while camp is for every child, not every child is ready for camp; not every child is in a place to get the most out of what the camp experience has to offer.

The second step is to establish common ground with the prospective camps you are evaluating. Camp professionals take incredible care to be sure that a child’s experience at their camp is going to be a happy, healthy and successful one. As the parent and/or adult at home, it is important to partner with your prospective camp in taking this same care with honest and as little bias as possible in assessing your camper’s readiness for camp. 

Why is it important to take care in determining whether your child is ready for camp?

It is easy to fool ourselves into thinking that a child is ready when they are not, but it is the child (and often the other children around them) who pay the price for this. A child who comes to camp who is not socially or emotionally ready risks not only being turned off to camp in the future, but they also may suffer from the humiliation of being “a failure” because they “couldn’t make it” at camp. The other children around them could be negatively impacted by the surface behaviors that can manifest in response to this “failure”: bullying, aggression, negativity, moodiness, etc. If a child is not ready for the camp experience, they may end up miserable, feeling worse off for it, and negatively impacting the other children at camp.

What does a successful camp experience look like?

Bob Ditter defines a successful camp experience in part as 1) being able to make and keep friends; 2) meet the responsibilities of living in a cabin, bunk or tent; 3) respect the authority of caring-taking adults; 4) freely take advantage of camp activities and 5) work out the normal and expected conflicts that come when a bunch of “brothers” or “sisters” share common space.

Identifying Signs

It is the joint responsibility of the camp director and the parent to make a determination of readiness. Partnering together begins by looking together at what signs might help decide whether a child who has never been to camp before is ready.

Bob Ditter’s “Ready, Set, Go!” checklist for camp readiness: 

Self-Care Habits

• Your child is able to choose and put on his/her own clothes.  
• Your child is able to brush their teeth without a lot of prompting.  
• Your child washes up or gets clean without a lot of prompting.  
• Your child has taken a shower on their own.
  
• Your child generally sleeps through the night.
  
• Your child does not usually have severe nightmares.
  
• Your child rarely wets him or herself at night or during the day.  
• Your child agreeably wears clothing that fits the weather.
  
• Your child can ask for help around self-care issues (dressing, eating, bathroom care, showering, etc.)   

Family Relationships 

• Is your child able to ask for help from you or another significant adult in his or her life when he or she has a problem at home or in school?  
• Does your child usually obey your requests and follow rules in your household?
  
• Does your child have a positive, nurturing relationship with at least one grandparent?
  
• Has your child successfully slept over at a relatives’ house?   

Friendships/Social Relationships

• Does your child have a best friend?
  
• Does your child make and get phone calls from kids his/her age?
• Does your child get invited to play dates?
  
• Does your child get invited to birthday parties/Bar and Bat Mitzvahs?
  
• Has your child successfully slept over at a friend’s house?
  
• Has your child had any friends sleep over at your house?
  
• Do other children want to come to your child’s birthday parties?  
• Does your child play primarily with children the same age as him/herself?
  
• Does your child share control of the play when he/she is with other children (the choices of games/the conversation/rules)?   

School/Activities

• Does your child go to school with reasonable ease?
  
• Does your child do reasonably well academically?
  
• Does your child have friends in school?
  
• Does your child follow school rules/comply with discipline?  
• Overall, is your child happy at school?
  
• If your child is on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), does he or she participate reasonably well with its provisions?   

Overall Psychological Health

• Does your child recover from setbacks reasonably well?
  
• Is your child able to express his or her feelings or concerns in words reasonably well?
  
• When your child is upset does he or she eventually ask for and accept help?
  
• Does your child eventually accept discipline reasonably well?
• If your child has a problem has he or she been able to collaborate on problem-solving with a trusted adult in his or her life?   Overall, is your child reasonably happy?   

The key to the checklist is to look for a pattern of behaviors or a trend of responses that might indicate that a child is either too emotionally immature or not socially well developed enough to handle the rigors of life in a cabin, tent, or bunkhouse. Rather than try to make a determination based on one item or the checklist as a whole, the answers provide an opening for a more in-depth conversation with your child (and a camp professional) about the realities of camp and whether the child will be reasonably able to meet the demands of that reality. 

Careful questioning and an open discussion can help you make the decision as to whether your child is ready for the rich, growth-enhancing, and diverse experience of camp.

Driving and Drop-Off Instructions and Details:

Dropping off your camper affords you the opportunity to see camp, meet a Director, and meet one of your camper’s cabin staff at check-in.

Follow the signs to the designated drop-off location where a Director will greet you. Each family/carpool pod will be assigned an hour window for drop-off. Please be prompt and keep to your allotted window as it assists with lines and wait times at Check-In. We ask that you keep the visit to 1 hour max to ensure your camper can transition to camp time. 

We schedule drop-off between 9am-12pm with a later window after lunch from 1-2pm. Check-in is closed from 12-1pm for lunch. Please do not arrive during this time. Please specify if you have a preferred drop-off time on your Transportation form. We will send out confirmation of your time and more detailed drop-off instructions 2 weeks before your camper’s arrival day.

Please leave your pets at home. Given all the excitement of camp drop-off, we cannot accommodate outside pets. Our own ranch dogs, like most dogs, are prone to territorial behavior and may react negatively.

Lunch is only available for our campers and staff. We will have refreshments available at check-in, but we recommend planning to grab a bite before or after drop-off.

Pick-up Instructions and Details:

Pick-up is from 8-10am on closing day. There will be coffee and bathrooms available at the Dining Hall. There are no tours or events scheduled for closing day, so please plan for a quicker pick-up process. If you wish to tour camp, see your camper’s cabin, see more of camp in action, etc., we recommend planning to drop-off at camp so you may take advantage of the events happening that day. 

Instructions for Solo Flight and Arrival at Reno Airport:

At Reno-Tahoe International Airport, a staff member wearing an MMR staff shirt and MMR sign will greet your camper at their arrival gate in Reno, assist them in retrieving their luggage, and walk with them to the camp vans/bus for the drive to camp. Please arrange for your camper to arrive/depart the Reno-Tahoe International Airport between 9:00am-1:00pm. ANY flights booked outside of these times will incur a $75 fee.  Flights are limited in and out of the Reno-Tahoe airport, please plan early and book travel early.

All of your camper’s flight information must be submitted on the Transportation Form by May 1, 2024 or before in order to reserve their seat on the camp vans. Information received after this deadline will likely result in your needing to plan a drop-off at camp directly. Emailed travel information will not be accepted.  

Camp Van Important Details:

Seats on camp transport are only guaranteed for those who submit their travel information by May 1.

Our camp vans transport campers to and from the Reno Airport on Opening and Closing Day, free of charge within our time windows. There will be a $75 fee for transportation from the airport outside of our time windows and on non-travel days. Camp vans are only available for enrolled campers; no other guests may ride the shuttle.

Camp Transport Rules: All passengers must wear seat belts at all times while traveling in MMR vehicles. No wrestling, yelling, moving about, rocking back and forth, or bouncing. All passengers must remain seated, face forward at all times, and campers who feel sick or need to use the restroom must tell the driver. 

Airline Fees:

Many airlines require UM and luggage fees to be paid at the departing airport on the day of travel. Please send your child with a prepaid credit card (minimum balance of $200) to cover any airline fees that were not paid ahead of time. Reno-Tahoe Airport does not accept cash, and our airport staff cannot cover these expenses. If any additional expenses are incurred on departure day, these will be charged to the credit card in your Parent Account.

Unaccompanied Minors:

Airline companies require a designated person be identified in order to book for an unaccompanied minor. Staff are assigned this position at a later date. In order to book, please use the following contact as a placeholder: Brandon Whitestone / phone (530)310-4762 / email [email protected]

We will send the updated contact information of your camper’s designated pick-up person the week before their travel day. You will need to update this information in your booking prior to your camper’s flight.

Instructions for Drop-Off and Pick-Up at Reno Airport:

We will meet you at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport between 9-10am, and your camper can join the camp van/bus! 

You will meet our staff at the Skier Statue located on the ground floor, just inside from the main entrance. 

Please let us know if you require a different pick-up or drop-off time from this so we may ensure your camper is seated on a convenient van to/from camp. 

Pick-up at the end of camp is also 9-10am at the Skier Statue.  

Please plan to arrive early for airport pick-up and drop-off. The Reno-Tahoe Airport is undergoing major construction to their ticketing check-in area. Prepare for reduced speeds and lane closures on Airport Loop Road. The lanes closest to the Ticketing Hall are closed and civilian access has moved to the outside three lanes closest to the parking garage. 

Camp Van Details:

Seats on camp transport are only guaranteed for those who submit their travel information by May 1.

Our camp vans transport campers to and from the Reno Airport on Opening and Closing Day, free of charge within our time windows. There will be a $75 fee for transportation from the airport outside of our time windows and on non-travel days. Camp vans are only available for enrolled campers; no other guests may ride the shuttle.

Camp Transport Rules: All passengers must wear seat belts at all times while traveling in MMR vehicles. No wrestling, yelling, moving about, rocking back and forth, or bouncing. All passengers must remain seated, face forward at all times, and campers who feel sick or need to use the restroom must tell the driver. 

In order to provide the best camp travel experience, receiving travel information by May 1 allows us to schedule travel and coordinate each travel day early. Naturally, there will be missed flights, cancelled flights, family emergencies, etc. that adjust travel slightly. However, we do our best to ensure last minute changes by one do not significantly impact the flow of travel for the majority. In past seasons we have noticed a tendency for families to delay making travel plans to and from camp, sometimes until the few days prior to their session. We understand that life is busy and it can be hard to plan. However, in order for us to ensure that we provide the best travel experience for all campers coming and going, we have had to tighten the standards on our travel policies. Further, in order to be sure your camper is secured a seat on our airport transportation, you must complete your travel information by the deadline. Information submitted past the deadline means we cannot guarantee a seat on camp-airport transportation.

We will not penalize you for changes outside of your control (illness, injury, family emergency, act of nature, etc.) and will adjust accordingly to ensure your camper has a smooth travel day once in our care.