Campout

📝 Registration
❓ FAQ
🏕️ Reservations
A fee of $45 per person covers camping from Friday at 2PM through Monday at 12PM (or any fraction thereof). If any of our sites have already been vacated by the previous occupant(s), earlier arrival on Friday may be possible at the discretion of the park rangers.
🥗 Potluck and Day Use
MA members at large are invited to participate in any of the Campout activities (except overnight camping) without having reserved a camping spot. This includes the Saturday Potluck, the Friday and Saturday night campfire meetings, the Saturday morning “stag” meetings, or just hanging out with other MA members in the campground or at the beach. Day-use parking is $12 (see the following section for more details). If you will be attending the potluck and/or the campfire meetings, please bring a folding chair. Drinks are provided by the District.
🚗 Parking
A fee of $12 per vehicle per night is in addition to the cost of the reservation, and each campsite has parking for 3 vehicles (possibly more with ranger permission). Due to variations in attendee arrivals, “inside” parking for everyone may not always be possible, in which case the overflow/day-use lot near the campground s entrance should be used. Vehicles all need to fit within the paved parking area of the site and cannot stick out into the road. If overflow parking will be used, it is important to unload quickly at the campsite and promptly move the vehicle to that area. Special arrangements may be made (as we are able) for those with trailers or who will be sleeping in their cars. The campground gates are open from 8AM – 10PM. There is no entry before or after that window. (Additional note: one of the parking spaces at each campsite is free, and by default the rangers just give it to the first car associated with that site. Likewise, it’s an old and complicated discussion of how best to equitably pass around that savings…or not.)
📅 Schedule
Though some adjustment may occur, the schedule of events has frequently been similar to the following:
- Friday
- 2:00PM Check-in (may be earlier if spot is vacant)
- Throughout the afternoon people will arrive, set-up, settle in. Dinner is on your own.
- 8:00PM Campfire Speaker/Participation Meeting
- 2:00PM Check-in (may be earlier if spot is vacant)
- Saturday (Breakfast is on your own)
- 10:30AM Women’s and Men’s “Stag” Meetings (additional breakout meetings could also be held based on interests expressed)
- Lunch is on your own
- Many people head down to the beach for the afternoon
- 6:00PM Potluck
- 8:00PM Campfire Speaker/Participation Meeting (with sobriety countdown)
- Following the meeting people sometimes go down to the beach for fellowship on the sand, or just continue to socialize by the campfire.
- Sunday
- 7:30AM Breakfast prep and cooking
- 9:00AM Breakfast is served
- Since we have our sites through Monday, people departing Sunday can pack up and leave at their leisure throughout the day.
- Monday
- 12:00PM Check-out for those who stayed over.
🗺️ Our Campsites
This year we have reserved Sites 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 21. A separate document mapping the approximate layout will be available soon. Though we generally try to designate one of the sites solely for group activities (like campfire meetings and the Sunday breakfast), we may elect instead to offer those 8 additional camping spots, based on registration needs.
⚡ Electrical Hookups
Unlike Leo Carrillo, Sycamore Canyon doesn’t have any electrical outlets at its sites.
🐕 Dogs
Dogs are allowed in day use areas, campgrounds and certain beaches, but not on backcountry trails or dirt roads. Dogs need to be leashed, period. Please make sure that your animal is not a physical or noise nuisance to ANYONE (MA or otherwise) in the campground.
💵 Refunds/Scholarships
Generally speaking, if something comes up and you’re unable to use your spot we can issue a refund (via PayPal or a check issued at the DSC meeting held the first Thursday in September). Any disputes may be reviewed by the DSC and its group conscience. Alternatively, you can donate your spot to someone who may not otherwise be attending the campout due to limited funds. If no such need exists, the reservation fee can still be donated to the pool of money used to reserve sites next year so that the event remains self-sustaining. Funds in excess of campsite reservation costs and campout operating expenses will then be used by District 6 and/or donated to Marijuana Anonymous World Services.
🥞 Sunday Pancake Breakfast
The District provides the food items for this meal, which are then prepared Sunday morning by volunteers attending the campout. If you have stoves, griddles, skillets, utensils (and cooking skills!) you’d like to make available for group use, please do. The menu typically consists of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, orange juice, milk, butter and syrup. A vegan option like a breakfast burrito could be made available with advanced notice.
📌 Miscellaneous
There are restrooms and showers fairly close to our sites. The showers take tokens which are dispensed from machines that only take dollar bills. There is no “camp store” at Sycamore Canyon.
🙋 HELP
Some areas where we will need help are:
- “Concierge(s)” - to greet and help direct MA members from the ranger station to our campsites (some “parking management” and direction to the overflow lot may also be involved).
- Folding tables greatly help extend the buffet capacity at the potluck, so if you have one to bring, please do so!
- Potluck volunteers (including temporarily moving heavy picnic tables + folding table setup), trash/recycling monitors, and cleanup/breakdown people.
- Volunteer to bring ice and drinks for the potluck (costs reimbursed and at least one ice chest can be provided)
- Firewood transfer - we typically have firewood sources, but having people with room to bring it is also necessary
- Volunteers to help with Sunday breakfast preparation, or cleanup afterward.
🧭 Directions
📞 Contact
If you still have questions about something that wasn’t covered, or you want to report a correction, please call/text Wes D. at 818-426-6842 or e-mail [email protected]