YMCA Camp Bluff Lake

Perhaps the most intense summer I spent resident camping took place in 1999 at Camp Bluff Lake. The site is located near Big Bear Lake, California at an elevation of 7,600 feet above sea level. It is completely surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The camp was owned by the Pasadena Family YMCA, but unfortunately the Y folded and the camp was sold. Today, fortunately, the site is owned by The Wildlands Conservancy and the Bluff Lake Reserve is open to visitors seven days a week, starting May 1 through November 1. 

View of Bluff Lake from camp's zipline platform.

The original The Parent Trap movie was filmed here.

The camp's setting is gorgeous. Towering Jeffrey Pine, lodge pole pine and white fir trees dominate the landscape. Rock outcrops and boulders, some of which are larger than haystacks, dot the terrain. A rare high alpine meadow mirrors the picturesque lake in area to the east of the lake. I'd estimate over 300 days a year the skies are blue. Scenes in the movies The Parent Trap, Beethoven's 3rd and others were filmed at Bluff. Much of the beginning of Beethoven's 3rd was filmed at Bluff during the summer I was there.

To reach the site you travel about 5 miles over national forest dirt roads. The closest neighbor was a girl scout camp located about 2.5 miles away. No electric or telephone wires can be seen because there aren't any! The camp had a diesel generator for power and a radio for phone. Cell phone reception was spotty and it was humorous to watch folks try to find a spot that worked. Water came from a mountain spring and was of excellent quality, but did fluctuate in volume throughout the year. Dry air resulted in an annoying powdery dust, but mosquitoes were not to be found. You had to be mindful of black bears and the occasional rattlesnake. The view of stars were awesome. The land was made-to-order for horseback riding and hiking. A fantastic high ropes course and towering zipline provided plenty of challenge and lots of fun.

Amazing staff provided the best summer experience at Bluff in a decade.

Providing the core of the team of staff for the summer '99 were my wife, Fozzie, and a group of friends with ties to Wisconsin and for many of them also Phantom Lake. In addition, family members and more friends pitched in and volunteered their time. All together with the balance of an eclectic staff we succeeded in providing a summer to remember for over two thousand people that reflected the wide diversity of southern California.

• Co-PDs: Jeff F. & Jenny "Fozzie" R. (Foz also served as the FSD for 1/2 the summer)

• APD & Aquatics: Jon O.

• Equestrian Dir./Head Wrangler: Tammy W. (& Chiro)

• Bluff Staff: Eric S., Tim L. and others I can remember include Alma "Giggles", Johanna "Eclipse", "River", "Dizzy", Sandi, Matt G., Matt L., "Punky", Cindy, Adriana, Sean, Shannon (Kitchen), John "Big Foot" (Property Manager), Brad (Maintenance), Gail (Office Asst.), Jennie U. (Kitchen), Justin, Armen, Sheryl "Gidget", Natasha, Kittiya, Jainia, Huey, Misty, Alvin, Manny, Morgan & my apologies, I know I am forgetting others.

• Volunteers included: Susan B., Steve H., Joe R., Flossie, Ian R., Barb F., Cheryl W., Jessie G.(?) and the summer's "nurses" from the naval base in San Diego (they were great).