Climate. Camp Gold Hollow is in the Sierra Nevada foothills at an elevation of 2500 feet above sea level, with a moderate climate. Late spring, summer and early fall at Camp Gold Hollow feature warm days that are great for swimming and cool nights that are great for gathering around a campfire and cozying into a sleeping bag under the stars. Average daytime high temperatures are 79 in June, 87 in July and August, and 81 in September. Average nighttime low temperatures are 53 in June, 59 in July and August, and 54 in September.

Lodge and Dining Facilities. In the center of camp is a 90-year-old wooden lodge with a wide porch and comfortable chairs for socializing while making homemade ice cream. Double doors lead to a cozy and rustic room with an enormous stone hearth with a wood stove, comfortable sofas, and tables for crafts, board games and puzzles. Through a second set of doors is the dining room, with long tables and benches seating 120 and screened windows looking out on the surrounding woods and lake. A fully-equipped commercial kitchen with a walk-in refrigerator and commercial dishwashing area are at the far end of the dining room, leading out to a new back porch overlooking the lake.

Barbecues. An outdoor barbecue and a set of picnic tables under canopies outside the lodge provide an informal outdoor dining option.

Swimming and Boating. Camp Gold Hollow’s meadow sits along the shore of Lake Vera, a private lake shared with three other summer camps. A roped-off swimming area permits a cool, refreshing dip on warm summer days, while expert swimmers can organize a group for the challenging swim to Turtle Rock, a collection of granite boulders in the middle of the lake. Canoes, paddles and life jackets are available at our dock so that renters can explore the whole of Lake Vera.

Lake Vera is seasonal. In late summer and early fall, the water level can drop – particularly in drought years. In late fall, the spillway of the dam is opened and the lake is emptied, making way for fresh mountain water to fill it the following spring.

Meadow Area. Below the lodge, at the edge of Lake Vera, is a flat, grassy area nestled in the trees, suitable for active games such as volleyball and relay races, or for relaxing in a lawn chair or on a beach blanket. In late summer one can sometimes find blackberries at the water’s edge. At one end of the meadow is the archery range; at the other end is the fire circle, with rings of benches surrounding a central fire pit for roasting marshmallows, and a small stage suitable for presenting skits or assembling s’mores. Sheltered in the woods behind the fire circle is an arts and crafts area, with tables, benches, cupboards for storing supplies, and electricity.

Sleeping Areas and Bathroom Facilities. The camp has 14 sleeping platforms among the Ponderosa pine trees on the hillsides above the lodge, each of which has room for 8 sleeping cots. Each sleeping platform is connected to a small rustic cabin with eight bunks, which serves as a changing room, a place to keep duffel bags and suitcases, and an emergency shelter in the event of a rare summer rainstorm. Camp cots and mattresses are provided. Campers bring their own sleeping bags and pillows. The cabins and sleeping platforms have no electricity or running water. There are two bath houses adjacent to the sleeping platforms, with electricity, flush toilets and hot showers. Two additional bathrooms with multiple sinks, flush toilets and hot showers are located in the lodge.

Hiking and Mountain Biking. The South Fork of the Yuba River is a four-mile hike down a partially paved, partially dirt and gravel road. Serious runners can enjoy an early morning run to the river and back. For an all-day group hike to the Yuba River, a day pack with sack lunch, water bottle, sunscreen, swimsuit and towel will be useful. Serious mountain bikers can continue across the Yuba River on back roads to Malakoff Diggins and the historic gold mining village of North Bloomfield.

Field Trips. Camp Gold Hollow, as the name suggests, is in the heart of California’s historic mother lode. Nevada City, four miles from camp, is a well-preserved historic town with a theater, shops, fine dining and a narrow-gauge railroad museum. The Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley, seven miles from camp, offers tours of one of the oldest, deepest and richest gold mines in the country. The Rock Creek Nature Trail, eight miles east of Nevada City on Highway 20, offers a .8-mile loop trail describing the local ecosystem.

Electronic Devices. Camp Gold Hollow does not have internet or cellular service. Come to the mountains to unplug and get away from it all! A land line telephone is available for emergency calls.