Hobee Cat? Baby Beach? Mung? Even some Camp veterans have trouble keeping up with the lingo, but worry not, we got you covered!

Camp Terms

• Angora – A popular peak, ridgeline and swimming spot. At the top of Angora Ridge, a short but steep hike from Camp, you can enjoy the two lovely lakes and tasty lemonade.

• Baby Beach – Camp’s private beach located near the entrance to Camp by the tennis courts. A lifeguard is on duty daily (except for Saturdays) 10am-5pm. Baby Beach is open to Stanford Hill Members, however pets are not allowed.

• Cathedral – A popular ridge and a good day hike. Camp is at the base of Cathedral Ridge.

• DOPO – Department of Plant Operations is our talented crew of maintenance staff. The brown building with the converted Stop/”Shop” sign is their realm. Please don’t park your car in front of the shop or by the basketball/volleyball court area.

• Everything Book – Handbook of Camp’s safety guidelines, general information and staff profiles. Find your Everything Book in your cabin and be sure to review the important information with your family upon arrival.

• Fun-yaks – Small, red, plastic, miniature kayaks that are safe for children. Our fun-yak fleet is very popular with children ages seven and up.

• Hobee Cat – The affectionate name of our Hobee Catamaran sailboats. They make a great place to lounge in the sun, but make for even more fun on the Lake.

• Lily Lake – A small lake about half a mile past the fire station, named for the lilies that float on the lake’s surface during the spring and fall. In the parking lot, there is an entrance into Desolation Wilderness via the Glen Alpine Trail.

• Lower Falls – An amazing waterfall that is about a quarter mile from Camp. As the summer progresses, its flow dwindles. All individuals should be cautious when attempting to walk around the deceptively dangerous rushing waters.

• Mt. Tallac – One of the highest peaks in the Lake Tahoe basin. There is a legend about the cross that forms when the snow melts off this peak. If the cross disappears completely, then Tahoe will have a light winter.

• Guppy Patch – Commonly called “the Patch,” the Guppy playground is for Camp’s younger guests. “The Patch” is located by cabin clusters Jeffrey Pine, Sugar Pine, Willow and White Fir. Parents should supervise their children in the playground when kids’ groups are not in session.

• Mung – During our bingo night, if our Staph mess up, they’ve agreed to drink any leftovers from dinner! Be sure to check out our bingo night to see this age old tradition!

• Pirate’s Cove – The cove is located halfway between the last cabin cluster (Aspen) and the tennis courts. This is home to our rowing skulls.

• Sign up binder – The sign-up binder lives on the round table in front of the office. It goes out every morning at 8 am, for the next day’s activities. The only exception to this is on Saturday night when the sign-ups go out after Intro Meeting for Sunday’s activities. Any activity highlighted in the Week-In-Preview requires a sign-up.

• Town Run – A staff member goes to town daily and will pick up any emergency items that you may need. To request something from town, you will need to fill out a town run request form at the Office and provide cash along with a description of what you need.

• Witches Pond – A small pond by the Crawdad Chalet, just before you reach the parking lot. If you plan to fish, you need to bring your own fishing gear (fishing rod, line, hooks and bait).

Camp Places

• The Angora Room is below the dining room on the ground floor, and is used for Friday night talent show, Merganser/Chickaree night and other activities. Just outside of the Angora Room, the Angora deck features Camp’s two ping-pong tables.

•  The Cathedral Room is a large meeting room on the ground floor between the Old Lodge and the Fountain. This space is used for the Intro Skits, faculty lectures, Boogie Bingo, Improv Show and Friday night slide show.

•  The Fountain is located on the ground floor of the lodge and sells clothing, espresso drinks, snacks, ice cream, soda, juice, beer, wine and sundries. All items can be charged to the reservation holder’s account and is itemized by each guest on your final bill. Please keep in mind that we only accept cash or check for payment at check out.

•  The Jabu Room is down the hall from the office and has four personal computers. You will also find an ethernet port to plug in to your laptop if you need a hard connection versus wireless. This room is designed for adults. Children 18 and under need to obtain a computer pass from the office to use the computers. For those of you looking for wireless connection, we do have wireless internet access throughout Camp (the strongest signal is in the lodge). The network name and password are available at the Office.

•  The Office is where you check in when you arrive at Camp. The Office staff knows almost everything about Camp and is a great resource.

•  The Old Lodge, built in 1927, is an original structure to Camp’s property. In the Old Lodge is Camp’s library full of interesting reads, including many works by John Steinbeck, who spent a few seasons at Fallen Leaf Lake. The Old Lodge is used as a quiet space for reading, relaxing, socializing or enjoying a fire in the stone fireplace. You may borrow any book we have in our library, just remember to return it.

•  The Stanford Room is located between the office and the dining room. This area is an ideal place to read and chat with fellow guests. Check out the Bing Nature Library which boasts many fascinating books.

•  The Tallac Room is down the hall from the office and is used for staff meetings, Tallacapella practice and Guppy/Crawdad nights on Sundays and Thursdays.

Camp Activities

Camp begins on Saturday afternoon with check-in from 3:00pm to 10:00pm. We recommend arriving before dinnertime, at 5:45pm. At the front office, pick up a current Week-In-Preview which lists the week’s events so that you can plan out your stay. Each night at dinner, you will receive a Whatzappening newsletter that describes the evening’s and next day’s activities with times, locations, and descriptions. Staff are scheduled to provide you with unique and enriching special programs, so it is guaranteed your Camp experience will hold much more than what is listed here. Below is a brief list of activities:

•  New Camper Walk – A not-to-miss tour of Camp with Director Dave Bunnett on Saturday evening after dinner. Meet at the flagpole for the informative and fun orientation to your new home away from home.

• Intro Skits –Your official welcome to Stanford Sierra Camp and introduction to Camp’s safety guidelines and staff. 

• Boatster – Camp’s pontoon boat is located at the boat dock. Check your Week-In-Preview and Whatzappening for Boatster Cruises (social tours of Fallen Leaf Lake) and Astro Cruises (late-night star tours on the lake). Children typically go on Boatster with their kids’ group. Adults can sign-up for cruises in the sign-up book by the office.

• Cherry House – Home to Director Dave Bunnett and his family, Cherry House is one of the oldest buildings at Camp. On Friday afternoon, Dave will host a social hour at Cherry House.

• Evening Activities – Vary each night. Boogie Bingo is a popular Camp event where the game of B-I-N-G-O is enhanced by music through the decades. Appropriate garb is encouraged, so do bring your best dress up costumes and flashy dance moves! Improv Show, campfire, slide show, and staff talent show are other popular events that take place during the course of the week.

• Faculty Speaker – A chance for some intellectual stimulation and connection with Campus. Each week, two Stanford professors join Camp’s guests to give a talk on an area of their expertise.

• Massage – Due to COVID-19, we will NOT be having a massage therapist on site for Summer 2022. Enjoy a relaxing massage in the comfort of your room with one of our Camp massage therapists. A massage sign-up book with appointments for the week can be found in the Stanford Room and goes out after the Intro Meeting on Saturday evening. The cost is $120 and can be added to your Camp invoice for the week. Be aware massage spots fill quickly, so make sure you sign up on Saturday night.

• Morning Exercises – Most mornings, a designated staffer will lead an early activity. The activity will vary from stretching/yoga/pilates based exercises, to a walk, hike or run. Though we don’t have a gym, you will find ample space to exercise at Camp.

• Nature Walks/Nature Pin – Each week, there are several opportunities to join a nature walk or attend a nature activity with one of Camp’s nature specialists and earn a nature pin! There is a new Camp nature pin each year, so don’t miss your opportunity to learn something new about the environment and start your collection!

• Tallacappella – Due to COVID-19, we will NOT be having Tallacapella for Summer 2022. Camp’s a cappella group. Camp’s music director works with guests to select and rehearse a song. The week’s practice culminates in a performance at the Slide Show on Friday night. This interesting name, Tallacappella, is a contraction celebrating a nearby geological phenomenon, Mt. Tallac, and the Italian word a cappella meaning “without instrumental accompaniment.”

• Ski Dock – Home to Camp’s two ski boats and water ski program. Six instructors work the boats and teach water skiing, wake-boarding, tubing, and aquaplaning (a water led pulled behind a ski boat). A daily lottery determines who gets slots with priority going to those who have had less opportunity throughout the week. You can join the lottery by filling out a shuffle sheet and submitting it at the ski dock. Any ski dock staff member can answer questions about this procedure. In addition to regular time slots, there are special clinics for advanced skiers and advanced wakeboarders only. Any time slots you receive for the ski dock are at extra cost and will appear on your final bill.  

• Staff Special Shifts – Camp is unique with its environment, education, and enrichment that occurs on a daily basis. Our staff brings special skills and talents to Camp, and they will share these with you during special shifts. Past staff shifts have included dance instruction (hula, hip hop, swing, tango, South African Gumboot), book discussion, designated times to speak in another language (Spanish, French, American Sign Language), and much more. Check your Whatzappening to see what is available this summer!

• Story Hour – Directed toward Camp’s younger guests (Guppies and Crawdads) in the early evening, which allows adults to go on Boaster without their children. Staff members read stories on the Cathedral deck and children are supervised from drop-off to pick-up.