Boys Adventure Camp - NorCal

Date: June 29-July 4, 2025

Cost: $460

Age: boys entering grade 3 through 6

DISCOUNT: $20 OFF IF PAID IN FULL BY MAY 1ST
Imagine a camp built on a foundation of deliberate discipleship, while ensuring a fun and secure environment. That's what we work hard to offer each year at Boys Adventure Camp. We carefully select and train our staff to be role models who actively encourage campers to grow in their relationship with Christ. We are dedicated to help you “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” That's why we've created this safe, fun, and transformative experience that's also incredibly affordable. You won't find a better value for a week like this.

On arrival, campers are grouped into "Posts" of 5-8 boys and 3-4 counselors. Some of the highlights of the week include swimming and canoeing in the Eel River, group games, and our evening campfire programs along with pond time, cozy cabins, and great meals. 

Campers also get to master practical and fun outdoor skills like Canoeing, Marksmanship, and Outdoor Living. At the same time we use these as a context to teach biblical principles boys can apply in everyday life.

Boys Adventure Camp takes place at Hartstone Bible Camp, nestled in the mountains near the Mendocino National Forest. This location provides the perfect setting for a week packed with thrilling adventures and exciting activities.
Welcome Letter
Hi, Adventure Camper and Parents,

Welcome to Boy’s Adventure Camp. This year marks the 64th anniversary of Sequoia Brigade Camp. We are excited about the fun and growth that you will experience with us this summer.

You should arrive at camp between 3:00 and 3:30 Sunday afternoon. Please do not arrive earlier than 3:00. Dismissal will be at 10:00 Friday morning. Parents are encouraged to arrive at 9:30 Friday morning to take part in the closing ceremonies and awards. 

Hartstone has a delightful snack shack that will be open during free time each afternoon. So some spending money won't go amiss. However, we don't want money floating around camp, so we will collect cash from you at the beginning of camp, which will act as credit for the campers to use. Any left over credit is refunded at the end of camp.
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If you would like to send mail, campers certainly appreciate it. The best way to do it is to bring it with you in a sealed envelope and slip it to us secretly when you drop off your son. Then we will deliver it to the boys in the middle of the week.

Cell service is spotty up there so, if you need to get ahold of us in the case of an emergency the camp phone number is: (707) 743-1621. 

​If you have any other questions, special requests, or concerns feel free to reach out.
​
Karl Benson
​[email protected]
(209) 681-5780
Dave Gregg
​[email protected]
510-209-3678
What To Bring
Please mark all boy’s clothing, towels, etc with his first and last name.  Many boys do not recognize “lost and found” items, so labeling is a necessity.

    Necessary Items:
  • Sleeping bag, pillow, sleeping clothes (pajamas)
  • Toilet articles, wash cloth, bath towel(s)
  • Three or more changes of clothing, swim suit
  • Tennis shoes, sweatshirt, jacket or windbreaker
  • Bible (NIV preferred), pen or pencil, flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries
  • Any necessary medication (clearly labeled, packed separately)
  • Liquid (not spray) insect repellent with DEET
  • Sunscreen, chapstick

    Optional Items:
  • Fishing gear
  • Camera (not cell phone camera!)
  • Spending money for camp store. We will have SBC T-shirts, and Bibles for sale during registration time. Money will be collected at registration time for use during camp. The Hartstone camp store has candy, soda, ice cream, etc
  • Stockade, Royal Rangers, Pioneer Boys, Cub Scout, Trail Life or Awana Shirt (if you have one)

    Do Not Bring:
  • Matches, knives of any kind
  • Personal archery equipment, personal BB guns or other guns, sling shots, etc.
  • Cell or smartphone, music player, electronic games, etc.
Electronics Policy

CELL PHONE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY

All camps conducted by Sequoia Brigade Camp, whether in a wilderness, rural, or suburban environment, are designed to enable the camper to “break away” from the normal aspects of life, and grow closer to God, to His creation, and to fellow campers.  

With the above in mind, it is required that no camper may bring a cell phone of any kind, or any type of electronic device for recreational use. No cell phones, video game systems, music players, laptops, etc. If in doubt, don’t bring it. Cameras and flashlights are fine, but not cell phone cameras!

Camp leaders will have access to cell phones or appropriate communication devices where available in case of emergency.

If you have questions or special needs please contact the camp director or tripmaster for the camp or trip.
Electronics Philosophy

WHY DOES SEQUOIA BRIGADE CAMP NOT PERMIT ELECTRONIC DEVICES?

Electronic devices keep us tethered to outside influences - and to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—no matter where we are. But when we are at camp, these distractions can keep us from engaging with fellow campers and counselors. It is crucial to regularly spend time away from the internet, says William Powers, author of Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. Here are some further insights. When we engage in a mental activity—doing a crossword puzzle, say, or playing the piano—our brains create what are called neural pathways so we can perform that activity again more readily. “The more time you spend toggling rapidly among digital tasks, like scrolling, texting and answering emails, the more you will tend to think in a distracted way,” Powers says. To reclaim the kind of sustained attention it takes to read a book, Powers says, you have to unplug periodically. For this reason, at Sequoia Brigade Camp we use printed Bibles, rather than digital ones.
  
Taking a break from devices also enhances our ability to read emotional clues. Sixth graders who had no screen time for five days did substantially better at reading human emotions than those who had been glued to their devices for five days, according to research by developmental Psychologist Yalta T. Uhls, PhD, senior researcher at UCLA’s Children’s Digital Media Center. Obviously, campers and counselors need opportunity to interact where each individual can relate most effectively to each other.

An additional break from digital occurs in the area of recording experiences. Instead of photographing everything with a smartphone (and then posting it to Facebook or Twitter), “we can record in our mind and on paper,” says Craigan Usher, M.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University. He says “our experiences don’t need to be mediated by a Twitter update.” Questions and discussion time after camp is over help to reinforce memories and lessons learned.

Be upfront with your campers about why the rules are important. “Bring them on board so they understand in a personal way what they’ll gain by doing this radical thing,” Powers says.
HARTSTONE FaCILITIES

Facilities

Hartstone Bible Camp offers excellent facilities including a dining hall with outstanding meals, cozy cabins, a full bathhouse with hot showers, beautiful fields, forest trails, a fishing and recreation pond, nearby creek and river, playground, lots of places to gather and fellowship, tons of activities, campfire areas, meeting hall, and more.
Directions