Camp Loma Mar FAQ

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Campers and parents are invited to write letters while at camp. Campers love to get mail while at camp and parents love to hear about their child's experience.

**New this year - we have teamed up with Waldo Photos and hired a photographer to make your experience better as a parent.  Information will be available soon on how to create an account and see photos of your camper in action.  

Please send mail to your camper at:
YMCA Camp Loma Mar
Attn: (campers name, week)
9900 Pescadero Creek Rd.
Loma Mar, CA 94021

Note, even mail designated as overnight will take 2-3 days to get to camp.

Hot Tip - Because mail can take a few days to reach us, write a letter to your camper and get it in the mail by the Friday before they leave - it should be there for them on by the first mail day at camp. Just make sure to write the session number on the envelope and, if it arrives early, we'll hold it until your camper arrives.

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In the event of emergency, you may call the camp office at 650 879 0223. Please leave a message and we will get back to you when we can. If you reach our voicemail, please leave a message and be sure to include your child's first and last name, session, and which camp they are attending. Please be assured that if there is ever any emergency or problem with your camper, camp staff will notify you directly, so no news is good news!

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The YMCA is committed to the health and wellness of our members. We know you may want to send love from home, we strongly discourage it in the form of sugar or snacks. Campers are not allowed to keep food in their cabins, so access to care packages with food is limited to only 1 time each day. We provide healthy meals, fruit is available at all times, and snacks are available from the camp store. You are welcome to send fun items like comic books, cards, games, toys, photos, stuffed animals, etc. An option for care packages is www.camppacs.com. Partial proceeds from these packages benefit Camp Loma Mar.

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We sell items such as batteries, toothpaste and toothbrushes for a minimal cost. We also feature souvenir items like water bottles, stuffed animals, bandanas, etc. A limited number of snacks and drinks will be sold. We suggest $20-$25/week as a good amount of store money. Call 650 879 0223 to deposit store money before camp or mail a check to the camp at least 3 weeks prior to the session start. Note, unused camp store money can be donated to the camp scholarship fund.

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Parents are able to write the name of 1 other camper that their child would like to be in the same cabin with during their week at camp, and these requests must be made at least 2 weeks prior to the start of camp. All cabin mate requests must be the same gender identity and within 1 year in age of each other. Because we have a limit of 10 campers per cabin, we typically cannot place groups larger than 2-3 friends in the same cabin. We typically do not house siblings together so they can have an individual experience, but will make an exception if necessary.

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We welcome all children to camp and want each child to feel safe and comfortable. We respect each child’s identity and will assign them to cabins based on their gender identity. Please make sure to indicate your child’s appropriate gender identity and name they prefer to be called where indicated on forms. It is important, in the event of emergency, that we have your child’s name and gender information that corresponds to their health insurance. We also cannot give campers medication if it is not prescribed to them. If information for health insurance or medication is different than any part of their preferred name or gender identity, please make sure to include this information on the camper health form. This information will be kept confidential and only used in the event of emergency or by our Health Center Coordinator as necessary. As we tell all camp families, if you or your child would like to speak with our camp director in advance to discuss any concerns or questions to help you or us best help your camper have a great week at camp, please feel free to contact Cassie Brimmage at 650-879-2100 or cbrimmage@ymcaeastbay.org

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Going away to camp for a week can be a challenging experience at any age. It is perfectly normal for some children to experience difficulty coping with the many changes associated with being away from home. In anticipation of this, we recommend that you prepare your child by talking with him/her about the experience prior to camp. Let them know that you have confidence in their ability to cope with the new lifestyle they are about to experience, and try to focus on the positive aspects of going to camp, such as the new friends they will make or the activities they will enjoy. Once your child is at camp, our caring, well-trained staff will keep campers busy and engaged, leaving little time for homesickness. Positive supportive letters from home are reassuring for campers. Campers are not allowed to use the phone while at camp. Our experience indicates that, once a child talks to a parent, their homesickness increases and may become difficult to manage. If homesickness persists we will contact the parent to work together in resolving the situation.