Youth Camping Retreat- Channel Islands National Park

Santa Cruz Island Girls Camping Retreat

October 12–13, 2025 | Ages 11–14 | Only 10 spots available

Sunday-Monday due to Indigenous People's/Columbus Holiday on Monday, Oct 13

An unforgettable overnight adventure for middle school girls to unplug, connect, and recharge—on the wild and beautiful Santa Cruz Island.

This retreat is a rare opportunity for youth to step away from screens, responsibilities, and everyday pressures—and step into nature, community, and self-discovery.

We’ll meet early Sunday morning at Island Packers in Ventura Harbor and take the boat to Santa Cruz Island, where we’ll camp overnight and return Monday afternoon. Participants will carry all they need for the trip in a backpack or compact duffel and experience a hands-on intro to wilderness living. No prior experience is necessary—we’ll teach and support every step of the way.

Once on the island, we’ll set up camp, learn outdoor basics, go on beautiful hikes, enjoy the beach and take time to slow down. Through group discussion, journaling, and wellness-focused activities, girls will explore healthy coping skills, build confidence, and connect with themselves and each other. This isn’t therapy, but it is deeply therapeutic by nature—offering space for growth, reflection, and joy. Our facilitators provide a supportive, educational and safe experience in nature through their backgrounds in therapy, wilderness education and wilderness first aid training.

What’s Included

🛶 Round-trip boat ride with Island Packers

⛺ One-night group campsite

🥗 All meals and snacks

🌿 Guided hikes, activities & group circles

📓 Journaling + mindfulness lessons on emotional wellness

🎒 Some shared gear available (see below)

Cost

💰 $200 Early Bird by Sept 19

💰 $235 Final Deadline: Oct 1

Includes all meals, transportation, gear support, and program activities.

What to Bring

Campers will need to bring personal essentials and basic outdoor gear. We can provide shared items like large backpacks, sleeping pads, mess kits, and headlamps upon request—no need to go out and buy everything new unless you want to! Island Packers has very strict packing guidelines so we will go over that in detail via packing list and packing meeting.

Required Pre-Trip Meeting

Early October | Exact date TBD

We'll walk through the packing list together, review everyone's gear, trip logistics, safety, and answer any questions. This helps everyone feel prepared and excited before we go.

*Disclaimer

This event is subject to cancellation or postponement if we get fewer than 3 registrants or in the event of unsafe or unsavory weather conditions. If there is a need to postpone or cancel, you will be notified with as much advanced warning as possible and a refund will be issued in the event of a cancellation.