Welcome Home
Nestled on a historic and spacious 900 acre working horse and cattle ranch, Mountain Meadow Ranch offers a superb, natural environment unlike any summer camp environment in California. Unique in beauty and atmosphere, Mountain Meadow Ranch enriches the lives of all who visit.
We are located on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northeast California, 75 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada and the Reno-Tahoe Int’l Airport. The ranch property sits just on the timberline and encompasses over 900 acres. To our east lies the Great Basin Desert, and to the west richly forested mountains. Our section of the Sierra Nevada is known as the Diamond Mountain Range. Mountain Meadow Ranch sits at 4500’ elevation where daytime temps average in the mid 80’s and 90’s, cooled in the evenings by fresh mountain breezes; nights average in the 50’s.
All of our camp buildings are within earshot of each other, including the camp infirmary and director’s cabins. Green grass covers the immediate camp area, and several flower beds are cultivated with love by the Directors. The iconic main house & barn were built in 1910 by George Wingfield when the property was first developed, they add so much to our heritage and give the camp a historic ranch feel. Old orchard apple trees still hang on to life nearby. Our campfire area is encircled by 200 year old pine trees, a site which brings home the unique sense of family and closeness for everyone.
Pool & Lagoon
Our Junior Olympic-size pool affords campers the opportunity to work on and improve swimming skills, soak up the sun, or just play! It’s also the site of one of our biggest color wars competitions of each session, the all-camp Aqua Fest.
The Lagoon is the most popular place in camp on a hot summer day, and many of our late afternoons are spent here as other activities in camp are winding down. Paddle boats & paddle boards, rope swing, high jump, trampoline – there’s so much to do! The lagoon is fed by a babbling brook just waiting to be explored, and which carries native brook and German brown trout, making the lagoon a great fishing spot as well.
Dining Hall
Our lodge style dining hall is the heart of camp and has a truly historic lodge-like feel. Food is served & buffet tables are set up inside at mealtimes, while campers eat under the canopy outside, affording everyone a view of the sprawling meadow and lagoon. Our all-camp dances take place here, and on those rare but wonderful occasions when we get an evening rainstorm, we have someplace dry to gather for some indoor games, too!
Cabins
Each cabin at Mountain Meadow Ranch is unique in style, but every cabin has electricity, wall-to-wall carpeting, and is complete with its own bathroom and shower facilities. Many have a front deck that overlooks the central meadow, a great place to catch up with their cabin mates and enjoy the view. Campers sleep in their own twin-sized cozy wooden bunk beds with bedding or sleeping bags, all clothes and belongings are kept in trunks or luggage that slide under or to the side of their bunks. There are shelves and countertop space in the bathrooms. Laundry service is offered once a week for all campers and staff. It is priority that our cabins be clean, safe and comfortable. Cabin groups are separated according to age, grade, and gender.
