50+ nights a year under the stars
The Outdoors
Scouting happens outdoors. Troop 394 runs a campout every month of the year, a week of summer camp each July, and a high adventure trek each summer for older Scouts.
A campout every month
Once a month, every month, rain, heat, or snow. Scouts leave Friday evening and return Sunday afternoon. Patrols plan the menu, shop for it, cook it, and clean up after it.
Adults camp in a separate area and are there for safety, transport, and coaching, not to run the kitchen. A first-year Scout who has never lit a stove will have cooked dinner for eight people by their third campout.
Cost is typically $25–$45 per campout, covering food, campsite fees, and fuel. Nobody is left behind for cost.
Where we camp
Northern California is the whole reason this program works. Everything below is within a half day's drive.
Camp Hi-Sierra
Long Barn, CA
The council camp in the Stanislaus National Forest. A week every July, Bear Paw in the snow every winter, and Adopt-a-Campsite each May.
Sunset State Beach
Watsonville, CA
The September campout, every year. Hike in first, then camp by the beach.
South Fork American River
Camp Lotus, Coloma
River rafting every April, with a night at Camp Lotus first.
Grant Ranch
Joseph D. Grant County Park
Ten-mile hikes, a backpacking weekend, and the Iron Chef campout.
Photo to come
Santa Cruz Mountains
Camp Chesebrough
Santa Cruz Mountains
Pioneer District Camporee each spring, patrol against patrol.
Uvas Canyon
Uvas Canyon County Park
Waterfall trails and an August overnight.
Photo to come
Del Valle Regional Park, Livermore
Del Valle
Del Valle Regional Park, Livermore
A November campout with Dutch-oven pizza and a lake hike.
Pinnacles and Laguna Seca
Monterey County
Kayaking at Laguna Seca in October 2026 and Pinnacles in November.
Yosemite and Sequoia
Sierra Nevada
Where the troop camped through the 2010s. Both are on the list to go back to.
Every July
Summer camp
Six nights at Camp Hi-Sierra, the council’s camp since 1949. More than 100 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest near Pinecrest Lake, at 5,000 feet, with the North Fork Tuolumne River running through the middle of camp.
It is the closest Scouting America camp to Yosemite, set in a historic logging camp and run as a fully themed frontier town. Scouts sleep in patrol sites and work merit badges on something close to a school schedule, cooking, camping, wilderness survival, nature, weather, with shooting sports, sailing, welding, and the observatory in between.
There is a campfire every night, and the week ends with the campwide games. In 2026 the troop took second place.
In 2026 the troop was at camp from July 19 to 25, in its usual campsite, Arapahoe. Scouts ride up and back with the leaders who stay at camp.
Planning ahead
Camp Hi-Sierra 2027
The troop picks its week each winter and the Scoutmaster emails the dates, payment schedule, and health-form deadlines to every family. Sign-ups and the first payment usually happen in December and January.
- Week 1June 20 – 26
- Week 3July 4 – 10
- Week 4July 11 – 17
- Week 5July 18 – 24
- Week 6July 25 – 31
Published by the camp at camphi-sierra.org. Camp questions go to CHS@svmbc.org.
2027 fees
- Youth, in council (with deposit)$850
- Youth, booked before 15 Nov$875
- Youth, booked after 15 Nov$900
- Adult leader$545
1–9 Scouts: one adult free (two adults minimum). 10–100 Scouts: two leaders free; additional adults $545. No Scout is kept home over cost. Ask the Scoutmaster.
Gear & packing
Do not buy anything before your Scout's first two campouts. Borrow from the troop, find out what they actually use, then spend the money once.
The Ten Essentials
- Pocketknife (Totin' Chip required)
- First aid kit
- Extra clothing
- Rain gear
- Water bottle
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Trail food
- Matches and fire starter
- Sun protection
- Map and compass
Class A field uniform
- Scout shirt, long or short sleeve
- Scout trousers or shorts
- Neckerchief and slide, presented at the bridging ceremony
- Scout belt and Scout socks
- Any closed-toe shoe or boot, no sandals at Scouting events
- Scout hat optional; the mesh Scout cap is the only one authorized
Class B & the Uniform Bank
- Scout T-shirt with Scout trousers or shorts
- Worn for summer meetings and travel to and from events
- Full Class A required for courts of honor
- The troop runs a Uniform Bank. Ask before you buy anything
- Borrow a pack and bag for the first campouts
Leave No Trace
Every Scout in Troop 394 learns the seven principles and is expected to live them on every outing, not just recite them for a rank requirement.
- 1
Plan ahead and prepare
Check the weather, know the regulations, and pack for what you will actually meet.
- 2
Travel and camp on durable surfaces
Stay on the trail. Camp on rock, gravel, or established sites, never on fragile meadow.
- 3
Dispose of waste properly
Pack it in, pack it out. Everything. Cathole 200 feet from water.
- 4
Leave what you find
Take photographs. Leave rocks, plants, and artifacts where they are.
- 5
Minimize campfire impacts
Use a stove. If you build a fire, use an existing ring and burn it to white ash.
- 6
Respect wildlife
Observe from a distance. Store food so animals never learn to associate people with a meal.
- 7
Be considerate of other visitors
Keep noise down, yield on the trail, and camp out of sight of others where you can.
Things we do every year
Troop traditions
Not a wish list. These come off fifteen years of the troop's own photo albums.
Every September
Sunset Beach campout
A hike in, then a night on the coast. The troop's annual beach trip.
Every September
Pancake Breakfast
The troop's one fundraiser: a booth at the Santa Clara Art and Wine Festival, Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Every October
Parade of Champions
Troop 394 leads the opening flag ceremony for the City of Santa Clara, four years running.
Through the year
Elks dinners
Scouts serve dinner at the lodge that hosts the troop. The troop pays for its meeting space in service, not money.
Every December
Elks Lodge overnight
A campout at the lodge with the Webelos who are about to join.
Every winter
Bear Paw
The snow trip to Camp Hi-Sierra. Snowball fights, a snowman, and card games in the mess hall.
Every February
Iron Chef
Patrols cook against each other at Grant Ranch. No adults at the stove.
Every spring
Camporee
Patrol against patrol with the rest of the Pioneer District. 2026 was very wet.
Every April
River rafting
The South Fork of the American River, wetsuits and all.
Every May
Adopt-a-Campsite
A work weekend getting Camp Hi-Sierra ready for summer. Rank requirements in the evening, the observatory after dark.
Every Memorial Day
Taps Across America
Taps at 3 PM at the Veterans Memorial in Central Park, four years running.
Every July
Summer camp
A week at Camp Hi-Sierra. Merit badges by day, campfires by night, the campwide games to finish.
2015 to 2026
Where we have actually been
Every outing below is taken from the troop's own albums. This is the honest answer to what a year looks like.
2026
- Bear Paw snow trip
- Iron Chef campout
- Snow play at Leland
- Camporee
- River rafting
- Scout-O-Rama
- Grant County backpacking
- Adopt-a-campsite
- Coyote Hills hike
- Horseback riding
- Mini golf
- Elks Lodge campouts
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Picchetti Ranch hike
- Grant Ranch
2025
- Bowling
- Egyptian Museum and Elks campout
- Snow and ski trip
- River rafting
- Seacliff Beach
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Uvas Canyon
- Pancake Breakfast
- Sunset Beach
- Mini golf and Elks campout
- Del Valle
- December Elks overnight
- Street cleanup
2024
- Pancake Breakfast
- Sunset Beach
- Ski trip
- Pinnacles
- Grant Ranch
- Ed Levin Park
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Castle Rock backpacking
- Bear Paw
2023
- Sunset Beach
- June kayaking
- Camporee
- River rafting
- Lake Chesbro
- Grant Ranch
- Fishing outing
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Backpacking
- Adopt-a-campsite
2022
- Sunset Beach
- Snow trip
- Iron Chef
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Camporee
- Art and Wine Festival
- Mount Umunhum
- Street cleanup
- River rafting
- Presidio day hike
- Pinnacles
- Parade of Champions
2021
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Troop camporee
- Sunol backpacking
- Pack 32 bridging
- Mount Umunhum
- Elks street cleanup
- Elks campout
- Adopt-a-campsite
2020
- Sunset Beach
- Pinnacles
- Horse riding campout
- Backpacking
- Wilderness survival
- Virtual campout
- Fishing
- CHS work weekend
2019
- District Camporee
- Skyline to the Sea
- Mount Saint Helena
- Del Valle
- Uvas Canyon
- Salinas hike and bike
- Pancake Breakfast
- Mount Umunhum
- Memorial Park
- Iron Chef
- Grant Ranch
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Big Basin backpacking
- Alum Rock
- 49ers color guard
- 20-mile hike
2018
- Sunset Beach
- Mammoth Lakes
- Kayaking in Morro Bay
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- China Camp
- Camporee
- Art and Wine Festival
- Mount Umunhum
- Bear Paw
- Jamboree on the Air
2017
- Wilderness survival
- Mount Wittenberg
- Mount Madonna
- Mission Peak
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Camporee
- Adopt-a-campsite
2016
- Backpacking
- Wilderness survival
- Ski trip
- Pinnacles
- Mount Diablo
- Elks campout
- Earthquake hike
- Camp Hi-Sierra
2015
- Wilderness survival
- Webelos campout
- Uvas Canyon
- Sequoia
- Mount Tamalpais
- Iron Chef
- Elks campout
- Camp Hi-Sierra
- Camporee
- Andrew Molera
- Adopt-a-campsite
The next campout is always close
Prospective families are welcome to come along on a campout as guests before they ever fill out an application. It is the honest way to find out if this fits.