A: From most places in Southern California, the easiest way to get to Three Falls is to take Interstate 5 about 70 miles north from downtown Los Angeles to the Frazier Park exit (Frazier Mountain Park Road), about 2 miles north of Gorman. Turn left, and go 7 miles on Frazier Mountain Park Road, to Lockwood Valley Road. Turn left, and take Lockwood Valley Road about 8 miles to Boy Scout Camp Road. Turn right, and go to the end of the road, about three miles, to the camp gate.
Q: What does it cost?
See the Ventura County Council web site for this year's prices.
Q: Are Camperships available?
Yes! Camperships provide partial payment of camp fees for Scouts who have financial need. An application form is available on the council web site.
Q: Do I need a health form? YES! Anyone attending Webelos Resident Camp or Boy Scout Summer Camp at Three Falls must provide a BSA Annual Health and Medical Record, Part A, B, and C, with part C signed by a physician and dated within 12 months of the last day of your stay. This includes adults, and applies to anyone staying overnight, even for one night.
Q: How many adults from my unit need to come to camp? Two-deep leadership is required for both Webelos Resident Camp and Boy Scout Summer Camp (at least two adults per unit, regardless of the number of youth). For Webelos Resident Camp, BSA standards additionally require a minimum of one adult for four youth.
Q: What's the weather like?
A: Three Falls is at about 5,400 feet, so weather is more variable than most Southern Californians are used to. During summer camp, daytime highs are usually in the 80s and 90s, lows in the 50s. It's usually clear and dry during the summer, but we can get occasional thunderstorms. During winter, overnight lows are frequently below freezing, so come prepared. It can snow there as early as November or as late as May.
Q: Isn't it like a desert up there?
A: Three Falls is on the borderline between the sagebrush plains of the Lockwood Valley and the Pinyon/Juniper belt of the lower mountains. The areas on the north side of camp, around the pool, lake, and shooting ranges, are predominately sagebrush, though many trees have been planted around the program areas. The campsites are mostly shaded by pinyon pines. If you hike up toward North Falls on Lockwood Creek, you'll be able to see the transition from pinyon pine to Jeffrey pine and Douglas fir. There are also great examples of a riparian ecosystem along Lockwood Creek, especially up past North Falls. This variety of ecological communities makes Three Falls a great place to study nature -- we have dozens of kinds of plants and many different animals.
Q: Can my Troop use Three Falls when it's not open for summer camp?
A: Many troops from Ventura County Council and neighboring councils use Three Falls for a wide variety of programs, from New Scout skills weekends to merit badge work, leadership retreats, and more. You can arrange to use most of our facilities. Contact the council office for information about availability and fees.
Q: My scouts went to Three Falls when they were Webelos – they won’t want to go again now that they’re Boy Scouts.
A: Boy Scout Camp at Three Falls offers a LOT that Webelos don’t get to experience:
- 22 rifles, shotguns, and black powder
- Our 57-foot climbing tower – the tallest of any summer camp in Southern California
- Low COPE
- GPS/Geocaching
- Mile Swim BSA
- BSA Lifeguard
- NRA Marksmanship Awards (not available at most BSA camps)
- Tribe of Matillija
- Seneca Run
- FireQuest
- Frontier Survivor – A challenging older-Scout program that includes several hikes and an outpost camp
- Our one-of-a-kind Friday night barbeque – I have been to a lot of scout camps as a scout, a leader, and a staffer, and this is absolutely the best meal I have ever eaten at a scout camp.
- Merit Badges – Let’s face it, most scouts don’t go to camp for the scenery, they go for advancement. At Three Falls, we offer a selection of merit badges that is very similar to what Scouts can earn at other camps -- more than 30 merit badges to choose from. The difference is, our schedule allows scouts the time to really learn and earn the badges they work on, and our merit badges are taught by experts who really know the subject. Click the Merit Badges tab for a list of badges planned for this year.
